Articles
Jul 23, 2024
Best tools to automate HR workflows: Top 6 picks in 2024
[In-depth comparison]
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/RnTxj69W5hPYX34EOrR9JPso.jpg)
Klaus Julin
CTO
I've been in HR for what feels like a lifetime. From the days of paper files and manual data entry to the current digital transformation era, I've seen it all.
The truth is HR Operations is still a bureaucratic nightmare because digital transformation tools didn't end repetitive HR paperwork; they just helped us go paperless.
You and I still use different systems for payroll, benefits, learning management, applicant recruitment and tracking, and more.
And since those systems weren't designed to work together and share data, that creates more work. These mind-numbing activities can turn even the most passionate HR professional into a stressed-out zombie.
That's where HR workflow automation tools come in– to allow disparate software to talk to each other so that we can get things done faster and happier.
But when I embarked on a mission to find tools that could automate the chaos, I quickly realized one thing everyone in your shoes should know: "tools to automate HR workflows" is a broad term. We're talking about:
Everything from dedicated HR workflow automation software (such as Introist)
Full-suite HR software with automation (think BambooHR)
General workflow automation platforms that HR can leverage (like Zapier).
Each category has pros and cons, and choosing the right tool can make or break your HR operations.
To help your search, I've sifted through countless options, considering factors like ease of use, time to value, customization, and cost.
Here's my observation: The best tools aren't just about speed; they should enhance the employee experience, provide actionable insights, and adapt to the ever-changing work environment.
So, without further ado, these are the best tools that can be used to automate HR processes today.
What is the best workflow automation software and tools?
The best tools and software to automate HR workflows are:
Introist
Enboarder
BambooHR
Winningtemp
IntelliHR
Workato
Here’s a quick comparison of the tools:
Editor will add a comparison shortlist here (a comparison table)
Purpose-built HR workflow automation tools
Purpose-built HR automation tools are designed to handle the unique challenges HR professionals face daily. Unlike general-purpose automation tools, they come with HR-specific features and workflows, saving you time and effort.
They handle onboarding, absence management, offboarding, benefits administration, and more right out of the box.
Here are the best purpose-built HR automation tools
1. Introist: Best for automating employee lifecycle
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/2iFQKEsKFzEwzh7oqOrtWMdUKFE.webp)
Introist is an HR workflow automation software that helps HR professionals in enterprise and growing tech companies focus more on enhancing employee experience.
The platform provides a user-friendly interface where you can automate repetitive processes faster and more efficiently.
Unlike general workflow automation software that HR professionals can use (think Slackbots and Zapier), Introist provides a handful of pre-built and HR-specific workflows, triggers, templates, example content, and integrations.
That way, you will not only save time but also enhance the overall employee experience by channeling your efforts toward honing your expertise and addressing genuinely significant matters rather than being burdened by manual tasks.
Here’s why Introist is the best tool to automate your HR workflows
Most automation tools only promise to help you do things faster, but that’s not all that matters. At Introist, we understand that HR tasks directly impact employee satisfaction and productivity, which in turn affects customer satisfaction– and automation is one of the keys to enhancing employee satisfaction.
That's why we've created an automation tool that gives HR full control over their employee experience across the lifecycle without the need for slow IT projects or juggling multiple fragmented systems.
That way, you can consistently deliver exceptional employee experience while minimizing the burden on HR personnel.
Want to see more of the software? Book a demo.
These are the top reasons to choose Introist for your HR workflow automation:
1. Safely Automate Data Entry and Eliminate Errors
Manual data entry is a significant time sink and is often riddled with errors, impacting overall efficiency and productivity. Introist solves this problem by automating critical data management tasks, ensuring accuracy, and freeing HR teams to prioritize value-added activities.
Aside from your HR Information System (HRIS), Introist’s auto-sync functionality allows you to instantly integrate and collect information from multiple secondary data sources, such as Google Drive, in one click.
This functionality allows you to augment the primary data with additional datasets from various systems.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/s7qw4UuvMo89vSBgVoA9Gpb5O1U.png)
Additionally, you can create new employee data directly in your Introist admin section without needing to update your HRIS or Google Drive manually.
With that flexibility, you will significantly limit the trouble of juggling multiple databases because Introist becomes central to managing data across different platforms.
From there, you can easily and safely automate critical data management tasks, including salary data collection, work time logging, and approvals, without the fear of critical errors, multiple data entries, or compliance issues.
2. Streamline Onboarding Processes
Talent is a precious commodity in high demand but has a finite supply. When you find a great one, you want to do everything possible to ensure they stay, starting with a great onboarding– one that sends the right message from the onset.
However, onboarding new employees can be a daunting and error-prone task when done manually. That’s why we built Introist to streamline the onboarding process, making it efficient and error-free, so that new hires have a positive start from day one.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/irYaSAPId60EW3VBZNxQ7cw7PE.png)
On the one hand, Introist’s General Onboarding workflow helps get started super-fast with pre-built automation to:
Welcome new hires,
Prepare them for the first day
Set up office tours,
and other general aspects.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/I3dcmehm9CkNdMsQ9CRhFohW04.webp)
But we know that effective onboarding is more than just delivering excitement on the first day. So, you can take things further with other Introist onboarding workflows that help new hires build relationships from the onset.
For example:
The Manager Program helps prepare new hires with automated reminders and workflows that remind them (and also help them) to arrange meetings.
Introist’s Buddy Program helps you leverage preset automation that pairs new hires with experienced colleagues who would help them integrate into the company culture and build relationships.
Our IT and Equipment Setup helps remote and hybrid teams ensure new hires have the necessary tools and access for their roles.
This comprehensive onboarding automation simplifies the onboarding process, reduces administrative burden, and enhances the overall onboarding experience.
3. Optimize Workflow Efficiency
Every day, your HR team collects information, complies with regulations, updates systems, and completes reports. It’s a lot of work—but these HR operations ensure your organization makes the most of its employees' skills and expertise.
So, it’s not enough for automation to be able to automate these tasks and reduce stress; it should ensure you do not experience more stress in the process of automating them. And that’s one of the key areas in which Introists excels.
Introist accounts against micro-stressors HR professionals often experience when building workflows, such as the inability to undo items, managing workflows, conflicting location and timezone data, trouble customizing fields to reflect internal language, etc.
For example, when creating a new employee field, your field name might be longer than the field. In Introist, you don’t have to shorten the name and compromise your internal language, you can just adjust the field "key", which is a simplified name for the field to accommodate your naming system.
You can even group your custom workflows into different groups for ease of access and sharing. This ensures you’re not unconsciously creating new data silos instead of removing them.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/DNhY3D3aOhNDnwGEqHx3wYHer0.png)
We’ve incorporated these proactive features and several other micro-adjustments into Introist to ensure that you work with a truly adaptable workflow automation system– one that helps you do more people work, and less paperwork.
Want to see more of the software? Book a demo.
4. Enhance Cross-Department Collaboration
HR workflow automation helps you save more time for strategic initiatives, such as cross-department collaboration. But the best automation tool actually helps you enhance those strategic operations too– by bridging siloed systems.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/gHQz4Jo5bC8hNq6rJa1VdhPM2AU.png)
Introist breaks down fragmented systems and data silos that prevent departments from proactively sharing and utilizing helpful insights with features such as
Automated and personalized messaging: Introist leverages data from your HRIS and integration with general communication systems, such as Slack, to ensure the right message is delivered at the perfect time by the appropriate person.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/f4yj4r0T82buIu1N3VnixNdOQUw.webp)
Track and share employee performance data: Introist enables you to automatically collect and share performance metrics with employees and concerned departments; such as sales and customer success. That way, you keep employees informed of their key performance metrics and share strategic insights that help performance trainers execute proactive training and intervention plans.
Embrace the future of work with AI-powered HR automation
With Generative AI becoming a vital part of our daily lives in recent years, everyone has become an AI citizen. We've developed a strong appetite for faster, easier, and more efficient ways to get things done.
We share this opinion and have integrated AI capabilities into Introist so that you can enjoy the benefits of both worlds of automation and AI. With Introist AI, you don’t have to juggle between ChatGPT or Gemini to nail the right tone for your emails.
You can now create workflows faster with intelligent recommendations and craft effective messages with more creativity and intention in one place.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/z6Lk4JQf4cgq23L9KwNf6jgMi4.png)
Using an Introist AI account does not incur any costs, and you have absolute control over your AI (and data). You can use Introist's OpenAI account without any setup or payment required on your part, or you can configure the AI to utilize your own account by connecting your OpenAI API.
Moreover, we ensure Introist's AI follows an "Instruct, Preview, Execute" principle to limit AI's agency and possibilities of errors—such as sending an email to all your employees based solely on a brief instruction. Now, you get to first specify the goal, from which Introist AI generates and previews a suggested action, and then you can approve and execute the action if satisfied.
6. Boost Employee Engagement
Engaging employees is crucial for maintaining motivation and productivity. Introist enhances employee engagement by facilitating better integration and regular check-ins.
Introist’s Buddy Program and Key colleague intros help new hires quickly adapt to the company culture, while regular status checks ensure ongoing engagement and address any concerns early on.
These features help create a supportive and engaging work environment, boosting overall employee satisfaction and productivity.
Introist key features
Employee onboarding
Employee wellbeing management
Manage absences and vacations
Ensure a smooth and supportive offboarding
Introist pros
Superfast employee onboarding automation with prebuilt workflows, templates, and example content.
Easy to use and adaptable: Introist seamlessly handles new use cases as they arise. The platform's support structure is exceptional, allowing even business teams to easily create their own integrations with minimal effort and speed.
Simplified Integration: By integrating HRIS data with Introist, complex people processes are automated, keeping key stakeholders informed with up-to-date information.
A user-friendly interface to build, customize, and execute workflows without errors.
Real-time data synchronization; no need to manually update several systems to find the information you need.
Automatically track employee well-being and take proactive actions with triggers such as unpaid leave reminders, birthday anniversary reminders, etc.
Introist limitations
Doesn’t have a mobile application, which can be a drawback for users needing real-time access.
Lacks a portal for employees.
Introist pricing
Introist's pricing is mainly determined by your company's size. You'll pay a platform fee plus the cost of any extra modules you choose. This model lets you only pay for what you use, making it cost-effective and scalable.
Want to estimate your costs? Use our pricing calculator for a quick overview. For personalized pricing or to learn more, schedule a demo with our team.
Introist reviews
"The versatile possibilities of the platform sounded almost too good to be true. However, Introist has lived up to its promises, saving me a huge amount of time and enhancing the quality of the onboarding process." - People Specialist, Metacore
"Our employees have expressed that they have never encountered anything like this before. " - HR Operations Lead, Katja Kainulainen, Futurice
“Introist helps me achieve my goal of providing an amazing, yet standardised, onboarding experience - which in turn allows us to constantly improve a new hire's experience and learning." - Matthew Stocks, IT Manager, Supermetrics
"Today it's really difficult to think about onboarding new hires and managers without Introist - not to mention other untested opportunities, like employee training." - Jenni Hamdan, Supermetrics
2. Enboarder
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/mrkaE8i6xllIfDtMlDIt21hZY.webp)
Enboarder is an HR automation software best for HR teams who want to deliver a stellar employee onboarding experience.
It provides HR teams with a drag-and-drop functionality, pre-built templates, automation, and segmentation features for developing personalized onboarding journeys for new hires without the typical repetitive tasks and administrative burden.
Pros of using Enboarder
Enhanced Onboarding Experience: Enboarder helps connect and immerse new hires into the organization and culture before their first day, providing a more meaningful onboarding experience.
Customizable Workflows: Users can add or remove steps easily, creating personalized onboarding experiences with a drag-and-drop interface.
Improved Communication: Automates messages and reminders, ensuring timely communication with new hires, managers, and other stakeholders.
Enboarder limitations
Limited flexibility: Functions such as reordering multiple-choice options are cumbersome, requiring all entries to be removed and re-added.
Workflow Logic Confusion: Some users find it confusing to work forward/backward from a key project date manually and would prefer the option to choose calendar dates.
Repetitive manual data entry: Enboarder does not store information for buddies, requiring managers to repeatedly enter email and name details unless this data can be pulled from an HRIS tool.
Enboarder pricing
Enboarder is priced on the higher side with a starting price of $9950 per year. For detailed pricing, you’re required to book a demo.
Enboarder reviews
4.9 out of 5 on Capterra (based on 16 reviews)
4.8 out of 5 on G2 (based on 62 reviews)
HR suites with automation features offer a unified solution for various HR functions, excelling in tasks like onboarding and expense approvals. While not as specialized as purpose-built tools, they streamline core HR tasks and centralize data for better management.
Pros include comprehensive coverage, data centralization, and user-friendly interfaces. However, they may have feature overlap, limited customization, higher costs, and a steeper learning curve.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/OCi0zGFaLG0iFUFwm1wemyH5k.webp)
BambooHR is a leading HRIS software that centralizes HR functions into one user-friendly platform.
That way, it addresses common pain points such as inefficient document management, inconsistent payroll processing, and inadequate reporting capabilities.
BambooHR can automate the following HR tasks:
Payroll
Time tracking,
Benefits administration,
Leave requests,
Recruitment,
Onboarding,
Performance management,
Employee feedback.
It is best for medium to large-sized businesses that are consistently growing and require an HR suite to streamline and automate their HR processes.
BambooHR pros
Mobile Accessibility: The system is accessible on various devices, including smartphones, allowing users easy access to essential BambooHR functions at all times.
Streamlined Hiring and Onboarding: BambooHR makes the hiring process more efficient by centralizing applications and resumes, facilitating easy candidate tracking, and allowing a seamless transition from applicant to new hire.
Applicant Tracking System (ATS): BambooHR includes an ATS that simplifies the recruitment process by centralizing resume storage, candidate tracking, and communication.
Employee Self-Service: Employees can easily manage their information, such as updating personal details, requesting time off, and accessing company resources, through the self-service portal.
BambooHR limitations
Complex setup: Setting up and aligning with specific HR processes can be time-consuming.
Customization Constraints: The platform’s customization options for reports, performance reviews, and signature documents are limited, leading to inefficiencies for some users.
Inflexible Modules: Certain modules, such as time tracking and the feedback/reviews system, are considered rigid and not adaptable to specific company needs.
BambooHR pricing
BambooHR is priced per employee per month and offers a flat rate for small companies. However, you have to book a call to get the specific figure but
BambooHR reviews
4.6 out of 5 on Capterra (based on 3 050 reviews)
4.4 out of 5 on G2 (based on 2 202 reviews)
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/VUdSiBXrBbHaYfEZNprQylCsT5s.webp)
Winningtemp is an AI-powered employee engagement and performance management platform designed to automate the monitoring and enhancement of employee morale.
It collects, analyzes, and interprets employee data in real-time, to help HR professionals identify potential issues and take proactive steps to boost employee satisfaction and reduce turnover.
Pros of using Winningtemp
Quick anonymous pulse survey: This feature allows HR teams to spend less time gathering data and more time driving cultural change, tracking HR initiatives toward a real-time overview of the organization's engagement levels.
Intelligent automation helps HR leaders spot employee well-being issues, prioritize efforts, and offer targeted support to leaders.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/ffjAJ5Xra13G5gmR2rVBEljBi0.webp)
IntelliHR is a comprehensive people management platform that streamlines HR processes, improves data accuracy, and enhances employee engagement.
It is best suited for businesses that need robust performance management, real-time analytics, and automated workflows to reduce administrative burdens and increase productivity.
IntelliHR pros
Centralized Data Management: IntelliHR provides a centralized people database that serves as a single source of truth, integrating data across various business systems.
Real-Time Analytics: The platform offers real-time data and analytics, making it easier to generate reports and gain insights without manual effort.
Automation of Feedback Processes: The platform automates feedback processes, making them more streamlined and less manual.
Better Communication: IntelliHR facilitates better communication between staff and management, especially useful for remote or site-based employees.
IntelliHR limitations
Learning Curve: Due to the extensive customizations offered, the learning curve for new users can be steep.
Lack of End-to-End HR Process Handling: IntelliHR does not fully handle all HR needs, particularly payroll, which some users find limiting.
Manual Adjustments Required: Certain features, like Zapier integrations, sometimes need manual adjustments, especially with new field or title updates.
Integration Issues: Some users face difficulties with integrating IntelliHR with third-party software solutions, requiring technical help for setup and maintenance.
IntelliHR pricing
IntelliHR pricing varies based on user count and required features. For exact details, you’re required to complete a form and contact their sales team. According to third-party sources, pricing begins at $3.6 per user per month.
IntelliHR reviews
4.8 out of 5 on Capterra (based on 38 reviews)
4.8 out of 5 on G2 (based on 87 reviews)
General workflow automation tools offer high customization for HR processes but require technical expertise and time to implement.
They are cost-effective for small teams but lack HR-specific features compared to dedicated HR automation solutions. Consider your team's technical capabilities and specific HR needs before choosing.
![](https://framerusercontent.com/images/L9NWuSP6bDOdIzjhvksPWo7Gklo.webp)
Workato is an integration and automation platform designed for HR teams in mid-sized to large enterprises, to streamline HR workflows and connect disparate systems seamlessly.
It offers a user-friendly interface that empowers both technical and non-technical users to create complex integrations with ease, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.
Workato pros
Streamlined Recruitment: Automates candidate sourcing, screening, and onboarding.
Employee Referrals: Simplifies employee referral programs and rewards.
Wide Integrations: Connects with numerous apps and services.
User-Friendly: Easy to use for HR professionals of all technical levels.
Workato limitations
Learning Curve: Requires time to master platform features.
Data Processing: Relies on external tools for complex data cleaning.
Integration Challenges: Some integrations can be complex.
Management Overhead: Managing multiple workflows can be challenging.
Workato pricing
Workate operates a pay-for-what-you-use pricing system but you need to book a demo to know exactly how much you would pay.
Workato reviews
HR process automation is the application of technology to streamline and optimize human resources tasks and processes.
It involves using software and algorithms to automate repetitive, rule-based activities, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making.
The common HR processes and tasks that can be automated are:
Talent recruitment and assessment
Onboarding
Offboarding
Employee well-being management
Payroll
Benefits administration
Performance management
HR operations
We all know automation is essential for delivering exceptional employee experiences. But today, it's more critical than ever.
HR teams are overwhelmed.
Employee burnout is skyrocketing due to rapid organizational changes.
44% of companies are unable to provide clear career paths due to resource constraints, so automation becomes a strategic necessity [Key HR Trends, 2024].
This mounting pressure is making it increasingly difficult for HR to focus on strategic workforce planning that drives employee engagement and retention.
HR workflow automation is the antidote. By automating routine tasks, HR can not only mitigate change fatigue, a top priority for 53% of HR leaders but also invest more time in creating a fulfilling employee experience.
Automated workflows streamline HR processes from recruitment to employee well-being and training. Tools like Introist simplify onboarding, integrate HR systems, and provide valuable training insights through employee performance tracking and reporting.
This capability allows HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives and improve employee experience.
HR workflow automation boosts efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, freeing up HR teams to focus on high-impact initiatives. It reduces errors, improves data accuracy, and enhances employee experiences through faster response times. Additionally, automation can provide valuable insights through data analytics.
However, implementing HR workflow automation requires an initial investment in technology and employee training. Ensuring data security and privacy is crucial. Lastly, continuous evaluation and adjustment may be needed as business needs evolve.
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