When a spreadsheet stops being enough
A spreadsheet runs HR adequately for longer than software vendors suggest. The thresholds that matter are specific and worth waiting for.
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Tools
Applicant tracking, HR systems, payroll and time tracking, judged on what they solve for a company with no HR team. For a product-level comparison in this area, review time tracking software.
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Most HR software is designed for organisations with someone whose job it is to operate HR software. Small employers are buying into a different reality, and the products that fit are not always the ones that demo best. For broader independent guidance on this point, consult NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
These guides look at the categories, the thresholds at which a spreadsheet stops being adequate, and how to run a trial that surfaces the problems before the contract does.
Applicant tracking for teams that hire four times a year
Most ATS products are built for continuous hiring. Intermittent hiring is a different problem and often does not need one.
Read the guideTime tracking for small employers, honestly assessed
Most well-known time trackers were built for agencies billing clients. Understanding what they were designed for explains where they fit an employer and where they do not.
Read the guideThe payroll and HR software landscape, from the small end
The categories overlap confusingly and the boundaries move. Knowing which problem each product started from explains most of the difference.
Read the guideRunning a trial that tells you something
Trials are usually run in the quietest month, by the most capable person, on tidy data. That combination proves nothing.
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