Best Onboarding Software

This guide explains how employee onboarding software supports businesses and compares the top onboarding platforms for different-sized teams.

Employee onboarding software automates new hire procedures from accepting a job offer through their first weeks and sometimes months of employment. It helps replace scattered paperwork with centralized workflows for HR teams, managers, and IT departments.

These platforms handle tasks that traditionally required manual coordination:

The software guides candidates through preboarding before their start date, then supports them as they begin their role.

The table below compares leading onboarding software solutions based on their primary strengths and standout features:

Highlight: This unified platform connects recruiting, onboarding, and ongoing HR management to eliminate duplicate data entry and maintain consistent employee records throughout the employment lifecycle.

BambooHR combines applicant tracking, employee records, and onboarding into one platform. It creates role-based task lists and allows new hires to complete paperwork at their own pace before starting work.

BambooHR works well for small to mid-size companies that want an intuitive system without complex configuration. Its user interface supports HR teams that are implementing their first dedicated onboarding system, while offering customizable workflows for different roles and departments.

Highlight: Integrated payroll and benefits automatically sync new hire information to prevent duplicate entry and ensure employees receive accurate paychecks from day one.

Gusto provides simple onboarding software designed for small businesses under 100 employees, combining new hire paperwork with payroll setup and benefits enrollment in one workflow. Plus, it scales with growing teams while maintaining straightforward workflows that don't require dedicated HR staff to constantly manage.

Highlight: Automated IT provisioning sets up devices, software access, and user accounts across multiple applications, eliminating manual IT tickets and first-day delays.

Rippling automates both HR and IT setup during onboarding. The platform provisions laptops, creates user accounts, and grants access to software based on role and department assignments. Rippling often works best for technology-focused companies, where new hires need immediate access to various tools and systems. Automated workflows coordinate between HR and IT departments without requiring constant back-and-forth from employees.

Highlight: Seamless ATS integration moves candidate data, interview notes, and hiring context into onboarding workflows without requiring manual data re-entry.

Greenhouse serves organizations that treat onboarding as a continuation of their recruiting process. It connects structured recruiting processes directly to onboarding workflows. New hire resources and team welcome features provide useful information employees need and contribute to a positive first impression.

Highlight: Payroll and benefits enrollment is integrated into the onboarding process, allowing new hires to make benefits elections during their first week.

Paylocity primarily serves mid-size companies that want onboarding connected to payroll and benefits systems. The platform handles complex pay structures and compliance requirements. Paylocity offers plenty of functionality for smaller teams without enterprise-level complexity. The platform unifies HR, payroll, time tracking, and benefits with consistent reporting across all functions.

The right onboarding software for your team depends on how many people you're hiring, whether your workforce is remote or in-office, and what tools you're already using. Here's what to keep in mind as you evaluate your options.

Your company size and hiring workflows typically determine which features matter most to your team. Small businesses often prefer simple onboarding software, like Gusto, that combines multiple HR functions. Larger organizations may need platforms like BambooHR or Greenhouse that offer more customization and reporting options.

Remote and hybrid teams typically need mobile access, digital document signing features, and paperless workflows. High-volume hiring teams benefit from bulk processing capabilities and automated task assignments.

Most organizations use multiple systems for payroll, applicant tracking, and employee records. Look for onboarding platforms with pre-built integrations to your existing tools, or APIs that support custom connections.

Common integrations include:

Research whether the onboarding management software can grow with your organization. Some platforms charge per employee, while others use flat monthly fees that become more cost-effective as you scale.

Customization needs vary by your industry and by the complexity of different roles. For example, manufacturing companies may need safety training workflows, while financial services firms require compliance documentation. Look for platforms that support conditional workflows and role-based task assignments.

Most onboarding platforms include employment verification and compliance tracking as standard features, but your specific requirements will depend on your industry and where you operate. If you're in a regulated field like healthcare or finance, you'll likely need audit trails, document retention policies, and direct integration with background check providers to stay compliant.

When it comes to security, look for the basics like data encryption, access controls, and SOC 2 compliance. If you're handling particularly sensitive information, like financial records or protected health data, you might need a provider with additional certifications or even on-premises deployment options to meet your security standards.

Once a candidate accepts your offer, you'll typically want to conduct their background check before their first day as part of preboarding.

Integrating the screening process with your onboarding software reduces some of the manual in-between work of the hiring process

Background screening typically happens after a candidate accepts a conditional offer but before their first day of work. After candidates give their permission and the background check runs, the results go to the HR department for review.

Modern screening platforms, like Checkr, connect directly to onboarding systems so that background check requests, candidate invitations, and status updates occur within existing workflows. Fast, accurate screening prevents delays in equipment orders, training schedules, and setting up access to facilities.

API integrations between background check providers and onboarding platforms transfer candidate data securely while reducing manual re-entry of data.

Integrated workflows centralize documents in one system and maintain audit trails. Checkr integrates with leading HRIS and ATS platforms to enable consistent record storage across hiring systems.

The right onboarding software automates paperwork, standardizes workflows, and tracks legal compliance, giving new hires a smooth start from day one.

Background checks are a key part of this process. They determine when someone can start work, what systems they can access, and what training they need. When background screening integrates with your onboarding platform, candidate information stays consistent.

Checkr provides fast, fair background checks that integrate directly with leading onboarding providers. You'll get real-time status updates and workflows that make preboarding simple. Get started with Checkr to add background screening to your onboarding process.

Preboarding happens between offer acceptance and the official start date. Onboarding typically begins on day one and continues through the first weeks or months of employment. While there may be some overlap, especially in software solutions, onboarding software is a bit more standard.

Small businesses use onboarding software to reduce manual work and create consistent employee experiences. Often smaller teams prefer simple platforms like Gusto to enterprise solutions.

Implementation timelines range from a few days for simple platforms to several weeks for enterprise solutions. Factors like data migration and custom configuration also affect how long implementation takes; if a large company is moving a significant amount of employee data into a new platform, the process may last longer.

Human resource information systems (HRIS) manage ongoing employee data and HR functions. Onboarding software focuses specifically on new hire processes. However, many HR solutions combine both into a single platform.

Some platforms offer free plans with basic onboarding features. These plans are typically limited and won’t suit most businesses. Organizations with complex needs particularly require paid solutions with advanced automation and integration capabilities.

About the author

Checkr is the data platform that powers safe and fair decisions. We’re a technology company that helps our customers assess risk, modernize hiring, and cultivate trusted relationships in their workplaces and communities.