If you’re looking for a flexible HR solution, Workday HCM is sure to land on your list of potential HR systems. With its mobile capabilities and cloud-based platform for managing time off and tracking time and attendance on the go, Workday offers many benefits. But even with its perks, is Workday the best option for your business?

If you’re looking for Workday competitors, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll discuss the most popular Workday competitors, giving you an inside look so you can make an informed, strategic decision about your next HR software investment.

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Article Roadmap:

• Workday vs. Alternatives
• Why Workday HCM
• Top 5 Workday Competitors
  • UKG Pro
  • Oracle HCM Cloud
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • Dayforce HCM
  • ADP Workforce Now
• How To Choose an HCM Solution
• Next Steps

The expansive HCM solutions market caters to businesses of various sizes, offering a variety of options. If you’re seeking to evaluate and assess specific products aligned with your organization’s needs, consider investing some time in exploring our free Jumpstart Platform.

Workday vs. Alternatives

It’s easy to feel lost in the vast world of HR software. To help simplify your search, here’s a breakdown of how Workday stacks up against key competitors.

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Why Workday HCM

If you’re a visual learner and looking to dive into Workday’s pros and cons, check out our Workday HCM Review video below.

Workday HCM is a popular choice. And for good reason. According to user reviews, HR employees appreciate how Workday simplifies reviewing applications and sending application updates to candidates throughout recruitment. Users also like the convenience of viewing PTO balances, requesting time off and managing leaves.

The platform also streamlines core tasks like setting and tracking goals and clocking in and out from any location. In addition to its versatile features, Workday HCM ranks well in our market evaluation and currently appears on our Leaderboard for core HR functionality, with its talent management module ranking on our talent management Leaderboard. It also has exceptional analyst ratings for key areas like employee self-service and compensation management.

All in all, it can be a solid option for plenty of companies.

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Top 5 Workday Competitors: A Workday Competitive Analysis

Our analysts have compiled a list of top Workday alternatives ideal for any company. Let’s check out the competition!

UKG Pro

UKG Pro is a comprehensive cloud-based suite for handling global human capital. It’s a unified solution with various essential features like payroll, benefits, recruiting, onboarding and learning. Users can also use it to manage employee data, compensation, time and attendance, and performance.

UKG Pro helps HR teams:

• Organize and oversee employee documents through a centralized platform with role and type-specific permissions
• Get real-time access to time and attendance processes and ensure everyone sticks to the schedule with InTouch DX timeclock devices
• View real-time data to monitor and analyze KPIs
• Use prebuilt and custom reports to gain insight into benefit plan costs, employee participation and overtime costs
• Use surveys to gather employee sentiment through AI, natural language processing and machine learning

UKG Pro also incorporates advanced technologies like machine learning, AI, predictive analytics and business intelligence.

UKG PRO Main Dashboard.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Succession Management — 100
• Document Management — 100
• Employee Engagement — 97
• Payroll Management — 97
• Employee Onboarding and Administration — 95

Top Benefits

• Data Driven Decisions: Make smarter decisions about hiring, promotions and retention by analyzing data with predictive analytics.
• Cost Savings: Reduce high turnover costs by proactively focusing on employee engagement and proactively understanding risk factors.
• Mobility: Access pay information and employee details securely and conveniently with touch and face ID. Access real-time updates with push notifications and keep data synchronized.
• Streamlined Employee Support: Save time by automating common internal service processes and providing employees with self-help resources.
• Data Visibility: Track employee and HR data locally and globally in a single platform.

Primary Features

• Compensation Management: Easily reward employees based on achievements with features like salary planning, customizable compensation plans, merit rules and analytics. Supports various target types such as unit-based, flat amount or percentage of base pay.
• Performance Management: Drive employee engagement and growth while providing managers valuable insights into individual and team performance. Some key capabilities include intuitive tracking dashboards, automated reviews, goal setting, achievement ratings and more.
• Document Management: Simplify the organization and management of employee documents with a centralized repository. Assign role-based and type-based permissions, automatically populate templates with employee information and ensure global compliance.
• Succession Management: Foster a strong talent pipeline by preparing employees for future roles. Create plans for any level within the company, leverage talent evaluation, predictive analytics, reporting and personal development tools to identify and nurture potential successors.
• Onboarding: Streamline the onboarding process for new hires with a user-friendly dashboard. Provide a clear timeline for task completion and access to job-related videos, training materials, and electronic forms. The system also facilitates goal setting and fosters connections with teammates.

Limitations

• The app can be difficult to navigate and not the most user-friendly.
• Clunky and confusing design.
• Lengthy customer support processes, slow replies and resolution.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• AI-Based Dashboard View — Not supported
• Mobile Recruiting — Not supported
• Assessments — Not supported
• Benefits Scenario Modelling — Not supported
• Mobile Benefits Access — Not supported

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Oracle HCM Cloud

Another major Workday alternative is Oracle HCM Cloud, an HR application suitable for businesses of all sizes in any industry. It supports the entire worker’s lifecycle from hire to retirement. Features include global HR, recruiting, advanced HCM functionality, workforce management, and talent management.

Oracle HCM helps HR teams:

• Achieve better work-life balances with a strategic workforce
• Manage employee performance and administer rewards
• Address health and safety incidents
• Provide self-service via an HR help desk

Oracle HCM also adheres to regulations like the GDPR, ensures compliance, reduces fraud and security risks and conducts automatic audits.

Oracle Pay Preview.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Payroll Management — 100
• Employee Self-Service — 98
• Reporting and Dashboard — 97
• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting — 97
• Payroll Management — 96

Top Benefits

• Localization: The solution’s payroll module can process payroll for multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico and China. Users can transfer funds electronically, generate legal reports, incorporate tax and statutory deductions, calculate payroll and support local earnings.
• Mobile App: The mobile-compatible application is built for both Android and iOS smartphones and supports access from a mobile web browser. These features enable a consistent user experience across all devices and browsers, ensuring uniformity in look, feel, functionality, personalization, performance and data security.
• Personal Engagement: Users can select their preferences on one device and automatically apply them to all devices they control, eliminating setup and providing greater convenience. When simple interactions and the look and feel are consistent on each device, employees get a more tailored and convenient user experience.
• AI and Machine Learning: Built with an AI-first approach, the software enables decision-making at all levels of your company, from executives to individual contributors. AI embedded in applications recommends roles and mentors, suggests coursework and additional learning opportunities and predicts which employees might consider leaving.
• Oracle Platform-as-a-Service: The software integrates with financials, customer experience and supply chain management software. Its platform-as-a-service (PaaS) extensibility for custom-built applications opens Oracle HCM Cloud to various possibilities, offering tools that allow HR employees to adapt to their environment.

Primary Features

• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting: Search and filter options on the career portal. Automate vacancy postings to different job boards, create a custom recruitment pipeline and manage interviews.
• Employee Self-Service: Reduce managers’ workload and give new hires control over enrolling in benefits plans. Employees can apply for internal job vacancies, request time off and easily submit expense requests, while also getting access to paystubs and updating personal information.
• Succession Management: Simplify succession management — from a talent insights dashboard to a nine-box matrix. A talent pool enables succession planning to prepare for unforeseen vacancies properly. Managers can review employee skills and talents in a single view.
• Payroll: Streamline the payroll administration process with global payroll, self-service tools, checklists and dashboards. Even if you outsource some or all of your payroll processing to a third-party vendor, you can still retain control of your payroll data.
• Performance Management: Empower employees to set and share meaningful goals and track progress on an ongoing basis. Collect formal and informal feedback from multiple sources to provide a rich, well-rounded portrait of employees.

Limitations

• There are limited configuration options, and configuring them can perplex new users.
• Reporting requires extra features and real-time functionality, and accessing the database through reports is cumbersome.
• Steep technical learning curve.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Benefits Plans Recommendation — Not supported
• Automatic Leave Request — Not supported
• Benefits Scenario Modelling — Supported with additional modules
• Multiple Appraisal Cycle — Not supported
• Penalty Alerts — Not supported

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SuccessFactors

The first Workday competitor is SAP SuccessFactors. SAP’s cloud-based HCM solution utilizes modern technologies like AI and machine learning to tackle HR challenges.

SuccessFactors helps HR teams:

• Ensure timely, strategic hiring with applicant management tools and global sourcing
• Access a variety of learning tools through the LMS component
• Monitor employee performance and offer feedback for goal-setting
• Create compensation programs to reward top employees based on performance
• Identify potential issues, view trends and monitor data like performance and turnover with reports

Its modules include employee experience management, core HR and payroll, talent management, HR analytics and workforce planning.

SuccessFactors Analytics Preview. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Document Management — 100
• Succession Management — 95
• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting — 95
• Reporting and Dashboard — 92
• Performance Management — 87

Top Benefits

• Live Insights: SAP SuccessFactors provides live insights to facilitate data-driven decisions.
• Automation: Self-service tools support automation, improve data quality and elevate HR service delivery.
• Integration: Get custom integration with business processes and applications. Its prebuilt integrations support other solutions from SAP (like financial management through SAP ERP) and other leading partners.
• Retention: Take a proactive approach to worldwide regulatory compliance and facilitate connected HR processes, enabling your organization to attract, develop and retain employees using modern technologies.
• Quality Employee Experience: Ensure employees stay up to date on overtime, accruals and other data in real-time. Open workplace communication by empowering employees to contact HR administrators through calls, chats, tickets and email.

Primary Features

• Time and Attendance Management: Track overtime with different time-tracking methods and timesheet reports with data visualizations. Simplify monitoring team members’ approved and pending leaves with calendar views.
• Performance Management: Seamlessly set up employee review and appraisal forms, giving management the tools they need with a goal-monitoring dashboard. Users can dive into performance analysis using a skills matrix and feedback reports.
• Document Management: Centralize all documents in a repository, helping secure confidential data through document access control. Save time creating tax documents with automatic tax document generation and enhance efficiency with search filters and file sharing capabilities.
• Talent Management: Connect and guide new hires from the moment they’re onboard. Measure workforce performance, engagement and productivity and provide learning and development opportunities.
• Compensation Management: Align compensation programs with business objectives. Create strategic plans that boost motivation, attract key talent and encourage greater retention. It also helps communicate the value of rewards to employees and staff.

Limitations

• The software does not have AI-embedded capabilities for sourcing activities.
• The employee portal is glitchy at times.
• The solution has a steep learning curve, and its main capabilities can be challenging.
• Implementation can be complex and cost more than other software options.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Employee Comments Analysis — Not supported
• AI-Based Workforce Scheduling — Not supported
• Pay Previews — Not supported
• Fraud Protection — Not supported
• Learning Channel — Not Supported

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Dayforce

Our next Workday alternative is Dayforce from Ceridian (check out our Dayforce review video), a cloud-based HCM platform that combines HR, payroll, benefits, workforce management and talent management into a single solution.

Dayforce HCM helps HR teams:

• Streamline employee recordkeeping by consolidating all employee information in one location
• Oversee every stage of an employee’s journey within the company from learning to succession planning
• Notify managers about overspending, helping reduce labor costs and stay within budget
• Access Dayforce’s toolkit addressing key HR requirements, like document management, customized dashboards, employee self-service (ESS) and reporting.

Beyond the software’s capabilities, organizations can take advantage of education, implementation and professional services such as payroll processing, benefits administration and compliance management.

Dayforce Dashboards Preview. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Succession Management — 100
• Employee Engagement — 100
• Reporting and Dashboard — 100
• Workforce Management — 90
• Compensation Management — 88

Top Benefits

• Organizational Chart: Navigate and track your organization’s hierarchy visually. The interactive chart makes it easy to view company structure and employee ranking, giving everyone a better understanding of the company structure.
• Tailored Reports: Run your businesses more effectively through reporting insights. To create a custom report, you can start with a templated report or drag and drop elements from the original. The reporting software spans the platform to pull data from multiple areas of HCM for significant analysis.
• Digital Account: Enable employees to control their account balances, including access to pay deposits and transaction data. Employees can purchase with payment cards and transfer funds with a mobile app.
• COBRA Management: Admins can receive notifications when qualifying events occur or an employee’s coverage ends, helping ensure compliance. The system can automatically populate key event dates to help streamline processes.
• Professional Consulting Services: Dayforce offers access to professional tactical and operational services, letting your organization offload work and benefit from industry expertise. Services include configuration, consulting, project management, technical and tax assistance. Dayforce can also help with merger, acquisition and divestiture scenarios.

Primary Features

• Document Management: Automatically generate tax documents like I-9s and 1099s. It restricts unauthorized access to critical data while allowing users to search, share, update and print documents from a central repository. Users can create and archive company policies and employee handbooks.
• Payroll: Access and audit data throughout the pay cycle. Features include tax management, simple reporting, data entry, verification services, executive dashboards and mobile access. A global pay option offers a single view of total pay so employees can gain control over their financial well-being.
• Benefits: Offer a range of employee benefits choices. Provide support tools to share information on benefit plans to facilitate informed decisions. Employees can also compare multiple plans simultaneously to see the impact. Admin-defined eligibility ensures employees only receive applicable choices based on their HR information. The feature also offers ACA reporting, which manages and automates regulatory requirements.
• Succession Management: Track team strengths and weaknesses with the talent dashboard. Dayforce HCM also allows managers to evaluate skills in one place using a talent matrix. It supports succession plans and the creation of talent pools in anticipation of future needs.
• Workforce Management: Increase efficiency and decrease labor costs through features like labor planning, scheduling, leave management, task management, and time and attendance. The labor management system helps team leaders align employee operations and business goals. Employee scheduling supports compliance and allows users to program their work processes.

Limitations

• Moving between modules is cumbersome and time-consuming.
• Users reported slow wait times for customer support.
• Frequent platform updates can create a learning curve.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Interview Management — Not supported
• Automated Email Notifications — Not supported
• Lifetime Accounts — Not supported
• Expense Requests — Not supported
• Penalty Alerts — Not supported

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ADP Workforce Now

Our final Workday competitor is ADP Workforce Now, a cloud platform that manages all HR services for businesses of any size across industries such as hospitality, restaurant, construction, financial services, healthcare and education.

ADP Workforce Now helps HR teams:

• Manage benefits with ADP AE Snapshot™ and PlanFit, which empowers employees to rank plans and compare options.
• Report, monitor and track certifications, licenses, and compliance data
• Save time by automating core HR processes, like onboarding and status changes
• Promptly identify payroll errors with warning notifications
• Personalize digital coaching and provide access to 15-minute strength assessments with ADP® StandOut

ADP also has tools for various functions like workforce management, HR Management, talent management and insights.

ADP Employee Profile.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Payroll Management — 95
• Document Management — 94
• Employee Self-Service — 89
• Employee Onboarding and Administration — 88
• Reporting and Dashboard — 86

Top Benefits

• Tax Management: ADP Workforce Now has native tax management and compliance tools that let you electronically deduct and file federal, state and local taxes. Built-in error detection helps you identify problems, and online reporting and analytics grant greater visibility into HR performance. It offers expert regulatory and compliance support for companies in every state and abroad.
• Automated Attendance Tracking: Streamline repetitive tasks through automated alerts, rules, overtime calculations, timecard approvals and exception reports. Employees can view work schedules, swap shifts, request time off and clock in remotely using the geolocation setting. The system syncs with Google Outlook Calendar for a more seamless experience.
• Employee Dashboards: Get insights about the business and reduce administrative burdens. Employees can access pay stubs, forms, and time and attendance metrics online or through the mobile app. Analytics and insights help executives and managers make data-driven decisions.
• Mobile App: Work from any device, no matter where you are. Employees can track and print pay statements, manage attendance remotely, view benefit plan information, check their pay card balance and more.
• Languages: ADP Workforce Now supports English, French and Spanish for organizations with dispersed workforces and localized needs.

Primary Features

• Document Management: Ensure data security with restrictive access control and sharing of confidential information from the document repository. It generates tax documents automatically and handles company policies and employee handbook documentation.
• Applicant Tracking and Recruiting: Create branded career websites using the drag-and-drop interface. Modules include a central career portal, job postings, employee referrals, interview management and a talent pool search to support the recruitment pipeline. Users can create branded career websites using the drag-and-drop interface.
• Payroll Management: Reduce compliance errors, cut costs and access relevant insights. It draws pay, benefits and time data from a single database to ensure greater accuracy.
• Insights and Reporting: Track your organization’s performance compared to comprehensive market data. Embedded with machine learning, the system works with ADP DataCloud to run reports and reveal business-critical issues, patterns and trends from payroll, time, human resources, talent and benefits data.
• Talent Management: Attract, engage and retain people, set compensation levels and manage employee performance. You have the option to build a career website where you can share job openings, videos and other content.

Limitations

• Users report difficulties with the reporting functionality, as the platform lacks a robust reporting system.
• Saving time and approvals may not consistently retain input, requiring admins to verify if the information saves properly.
• When employees need password resets, it requires administrative intervention.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Employee Comments Analysis — Not Supported
• Penalty Alerts — Not supported
• AI-Based Workforce Scheduling — Not Supported
• Automatic Leave Request — Not Supported
• Feedback Reports — Not supported

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How To Choose an HCM Solution

Check out these key insights to step up your game in finding the right human capital management (HCM) solution:

Assess Your Organization’s Needs

Evaluate your specific HR requirements and identify key functions and features essential for your business, like payroll management, benefits administration, time tracking and performance management.

Check Scalability

Check out how well the HCM solution can handle your organization’s growth in terms of more employees and geographical expansion. Also, during this step, ensure the solution lets you tweak and customize processes to fit your unique business needs.

Confirm Integration Capabilities

Verify if the HCM solution smoothly integrates with your current HR systems, like payroll or talent management tools, ensuring seamless data flow, reducing the risk of duplicate work and boosting overall efficiency.

Find a User-Friendly Interface

Look for an HCM solution with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. It should be easy to navigate and require minimal training for both HR professionals and employees to utilize features effectively.

Ensure Mobile Accessibility

In today’s mobile-driven world, having mobile accessibility is crucial. Confirm if the HCM solution offers mobile apps or responsive web interfaces empowering employees to access and perform HR-related tasks on the go.

Prioritize Data Security and Compliance

Prioritize data security and compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR or CCPA. Ensure the HCM solution provides robust security measures, data encryption, and regular backups to protect sensitive employee information.

Verify Vendor Reputation and Customer Support

Research the reputation and track record of the HCM solution provider. Read customer reviews, seek recommendations, and assess the providers. Consider factors like response time, availability of technical assistance, and ongoing system updates.

Gauge Cost-Effectiveness

Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including initial setup, licensing fees, ongoing maintenance and support costs. Compare pricing models and determine whether the HCM solution offers value for money based on its features and benefits.

Appraise Analytics and Reporting Capabilities

Check if the HCM solution enables you to make data-backed decisions through analytics and reporting features for insights into employee performance, turnover rates, training effectiveness and overall HR metrics.

Account for Future-Proofing

Consider the HCM solution’s roadmap and future developments. Assess whether the vendor invests in research and development to stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies. It ensures the solution will remain relevant and adaptable to future HR requirements.

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Next Steps

From Netflix vs. Hulu to Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi, competition drives innovation. When you’re looking to make a new purchase, conducting an effective product comparison demands careful consideration, keeping in mind determining factors like user reviews, available modules and pricing structures. Weighing these key elements thoughtfully helps ensure the HR solution you pick aligns with the unique needs and preferences of your business.

While the five solutions we’ve examined are key competitors to Workday in the HR software market, it’s also essential to thoroughly evaluate a vendor’s ability to meet your specific requirements before reaching a final decision.

This article is a great starting point for vendor evaluation, presenting you with initial options to explore. For a more comprehensive analysis, we recommend our free HR comparison report to streamline the research process with a side-by-side analysis of the solutions that best align with your specific requirements.

Which Workday Competitor stood out to you the most? Let us know in the comments below!