The majority of the best human resources software functions fall into core HR and strategic HR. Core HR addresses your must-haves, the items that any firm must accomplish from an HR management standpoint if they have employees. Features in this category include: Employee onboarding: Guiding new employees through the paperwork and training required to become full-fledged employees. Recruiting/applicant tracking: Post job opportunities, handle applications, and follow prospects' progress through your hiring funnel. Employee benefits management: Enrolling employees in business benefit plans and tracking utilization and expenses. Time tracking: Keep track of each employee's attendance, paid time off (PTO), shift schedules, and hours worked. Payroll: Calculating salaries, running payroll, distributing cash to employees, and generating necessary payroll tax forms. Employee database/profiles of employees: Maintain an employee roster that includes vital information about each employee (e.g., contact information, salary). Strategic HR encompasses all of the nice-to-haves, the things that HR management does not have to do but should do to increase employee productivity and engagement. Features in this category include: Succession planning: Comparing employee talents to organizational goals and developing a list of internal candidates to replace employees in leadership roles who depart. Compensation management: Analyzing compensation trends and optimizing compensation spend in response to internal and external market conditions. Staff engagement: Use pulse surveys to track employee engagement over time and enhance employee engagement through promoting employee appreciation. Learning management: Creating an employee L&D curriculum and tracking employees' progress through practical e-learning courses. Performance management: Overseeing the performance review process and tracking progress toward employee performance objectives over time. In a solo HR platform, an HR software system may focus on only a few of these capabilities, but a whole suite may include them. In general, the more features a system has, the more expensive it is, so carefully balance your demands against your budget.