Are you considering Zoho People for your business’s HR management needs? In this Zoho People review, we will examine the features, benefits, and overall performance of this software. Discover if Zoho People is the right solution to streamline your HR processes, enhance employee management, and drive organizational efficiency.
What is Zoho People?
Zoho People is a cloud-based Human Resource Management System (HRMS) for businesses of all sizes. The Zoho HR solution features an intuitive and customizable platform that brings core human resource processes under one roof.
It has a free plan with basic HR functions for companies with less than 5 employees and five paid tiers with employee management, attendance tracking, and PTO solutions. Payroll is included only in People Plus, which is the topmost paid version.
Zoho People is primarily useful for SMBs that are looking to automate processes such as onboarding, leave management, attendance management, and employee self-service at affordable rates.
Large businesses in an active hiring phase can benefit from the platform’s recruiting, time-tracking, and expense-management capabilities. However, large companies may need more robust payroll solutions than what the Zoho human resources platform has to offer.
Another downside is that the company does not offer HR advisory services and PEO solutions.
Quick View: Pros & Cons
pros
- Intuitive and scalable platform
- Affordable rates; free version available
- Customized onboarding processes
- Integrated HR features
- Noteworthy features such as time tracking, performance review tools, corporate LMS, and more
- Mobile app for iOS and Android devices
cons
- Long email response times (24 hours for classic support, 4-6 hours for paid support)
- Payroll services available in limited locations
- Limited phone support
- No HR advisory services
- Recruitment, payroll, training solutions, and expense management are add-ons
When to use
- If you are a startup looking for a no-cost solution to manage employee data and time-off
- If you are a small business in the growth phase and need scalable HR solutions at an affordable cost
- If you are actively hiring
- If you need an integrated platform with performance management and advanced training features
- If you are a large business with complex payroll processes
- If you are looking for a plan that includes HR advisory and PEO services
- If you require 24/7 or omnichannel support
Deciding Factors
| Price | Budget-friendly. Zoho People has a free plan for up to 5 users and paid plans as follows: 1. Essential HR – $1.50/month per user 2. Professional – $2.50/month per user 3. Premium – $3.50/month per user 4. Enterprise – $5/month per user 5. People Plus – $10/month per user |
| Number of Users | Minimum users – 5, Maximum users – unlimited (for People Plus) |
| Notable Features | Noteworthy features of Zoho People include – 1. Wide range of customization options for PTO, reporting, and HR workflows 2. Seamless integration with other Zoho products and third parties 3. AI bot for workflow automation and navigation help 4. Time-tracking with geolocation and IP address tracking |
| Scalability | Good. The platform is customizable, so you can add features or upgrade to a higher tier as your business expands. |
| Ease of Use | Good. The multiple HR features and customization processes may overwhelm new users. However, Zoho’s virtual assistant, Zia, is available for help in navigating the platform and completing tasks. |
| Support | Limited. Customer support includes – 1. Phone assistance (critical requests only) for all plans 2. Paid premium support (24/5 phone and chat assistance) 3. Email support (with relatively long response times) 4. Access to an online knowledge base 5. AI bot, Zia, for help with navigation and functionalities |
Zoho People Review: Pricing and Features
The Zoho People Human Resources Management system is one of the most affordable HR solutions on the market today. Unlike many competitors, the company is very transparent about its pricing. Costs of plans and add-on products are mentioned upfront on the website.
Zoho People offers a free version of the software (for businesses with less than five users) and five paid plans. The highest tier can support unlimited users. However, if you exceed 500 users, you must contact a company representative for a custom quote.
Discounted annual fees are available as a lump sum payment.
Below is an overview of the six plans with their pricing and features:
Free version: Data Storage – 250 MB/5 users
Includes:
- Employee database
- Time-off management
Essential HR: $1.50 a month per user, Data Storage – 1GB/100 users
Includes:
- Employee onboarding
- Employee data management
- Workflow management tools
- PTO tools
- Approvals
- Standard reporting
- AI bot, Zia
Professional: $2.50 a month per user, Data Storage – 2 GB/100 users
Includes features of Essential HR +
- Biometric integration
- Attendance marking
- Time-tracking with IP and geolocation features
- Shift management
- Billing and invoicing integration
Premium: $3.50 a month per user, Data Storage – 3 GB/100 users
Includes features of Professional +
- Performance appraisals
- 3600 feedback
- Multi-rater review
- KRA, goals, and proficiency tracking
- Advanced HR analytics
Enterprise: $5 a month per user, Data Storage – 5GB/100 users
Includes features of Premium +
- Corporate training and course management tools
- Discussion Forum
- SLA tracking
People Plus: $10 a month per user, Data Storage – unlimited
Includes features of Enterprise + integration with –
- Zoho Payroll (Payroll solutions. Available in select states only)
- Zoho Expense (Expense management)
- Zoho Recruit (Talent acquisition)
- Zoho Connect (Collaboration)
- Zoho Cliq (Communication)
- Zoho Vault (Password management)
Note: Note that the Zoho products included in People Plus are available to the lower tiers as paid add-ons.
Zoho People Review: Advantages and Disadvantages
In this Zoho People review, we will explore the key advantages and drawbacks of this HR platform, providing you with an insightful analysis to help you make an informed decision for your business.
Advantages
- One-stop shop for HR needs
The platform offers a centralized view of employee data and provides tools to automate all HR processes through the entire employee lifecycle – including recruitment, onboarding, training, performance tracking, attendance management, leave management, compliance, and reporting.
- Affordability
The Zoho People HRMS is among the most pocket-friendly HR automation solutions on the market. Despite lower costs, it offers functionalities that are on par with far more expensive solutions.
- Customizability
Zoho People is a fully customizable platform. It allows users to customize multiple modules, including onboarding, workflows, PTO policies, training, and appraisals, in ways that benefit both employers and employees.
- Advanced time-tracking tools
Zoho People’s time-tracking feature is a versatile solution for scheduling and monitoring employee work hours. It is especially useful for businesses that hire hourly workers, freelancers, or remote employees.
While workers clock in and out on their own, advanced technologies such as biometric identification, facial recognition, geolocation, and IP tracking offer protection against time theft.
- Learning Management System
Zoho People’s cloud-based corporate LMS is included in the two topmost paid versions. It is available as a paid add-on to the lower tiers. It supports self-paced and blended learning, course customization, multiformat resources, a discussion forum, and more. This is a valuable feature for companies that conduct regular employee training sessions.
- Advanced Reporting Capabilities
Custom reporting is among the popular features of Zoho People’s HR solutions. The platform comes with user-friendly tools such as templates, charts, graphs, and drag-and-drop functionality to simplify report generation.
You can create reports on a wide range of topics, including employee information, attendance, performance, projects, and payroll. The higher tiers also provide access to advanced analytics that enable top-level analyses of various business operations.
Disadvantages
- Number of Minimum Users
You need a minimum of five users to sign up for the entry-level plan. You cannot avail yourself of the platform if you are a solopreneur or a startup with less than five employees.
- Limited Payroll Features
Although reasonably priced (Zoho Payroll is priced at $19/month + $3 per employee), Zoho People’s payroll solution is not as efficient or robust as some competitor products on the market. It lacks essential features such as tax remittance and filing and handling multiple pay schedules and certain compensation types.
Moreover, it has limited coverage in the US.
- Limited Support
Going by Zoho People user reviews, customer support is one area that could take improvement. Most customers state limited support hours and slow response times as contributing to a negative user experience.
Zoho People Customer Service
The Zoho People customer service includes –
- Phone support for critical requests for all plans (Hours of Operation – Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
- Email support with a 24-hour response time
- Access to an online knowledge base
- Paid premium support, including 24/5 phone support, chat assistance, email response within 6 hours, and access to a technical account manager (unavailable to free subscribers)
- Product onboarding and training assistance at an extra cost
Note: The cost of the Premium Support plan for Paychex Flex is either $114 per month, $1,128 per year, or 20% of the recurring license fee (whichever amount is greater).
Note: An Enterprise Support plan is available for 25% of the recurring license fee. It includes a 4-hour email response time and 4 hours of training.
Zoho People Review: The Integrations
In this comprehensive Zoho People review, one of the standout features is its seamless integration with various Zoho products such as Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, and Zoho Payroll. Additionally, Zoho People integrates effortlessly with widely used third-party enterprise tools like QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, DocuSign, and Google Calendar, further enhancing its versatility and compatibility with existing business systems.
Is Zoho People Worth It? – The Final Verdict
Zoho People is a good solution for SMBs in need of budget-friendly HR automation software. The platform is intuitive, customizable, and scalable, making it a valuable asset to growing businesses. Its recruiting, onboarding, time-tracking, and reporting features are on par with more expensive alternatives on the market. Overall, it delivers good value for its price.However, its payroll solution lacks a few important features, such as tax filing and remittance. If your business primarily requires payroll, bookkeeping, or benefits management, you may consider Gusto or QuickBooks Live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zoho People good?
Zoho People is a good HRMS for small to mid-sized businesses in need of affordable HR automation solutions. It is also a good choice for large businesses in an active hiring phase. However, it may not be an optimal solution for businesses that require robust payroll and tax-filing solutions.
