Top 5 Free HR Tools for Employee Assessment
There isn’t a single software solution out there that specialises exclusively in employee assessment, which often makes it difficult to find options that aren’t just free but also have a serviceable performance module as part of the configuration. We’ve done the hard graft for you and put together a list of software tools that are completely free to use. They’re ideal for the growing start-up, small business, and organisations looking to self-host an open-source solution.
Zoho People (zoho.com/people)
Zoho is a big name in business operation software, selling CRM, finance, help desk solutions, and more. Overall, the company services over 12 million customers. Launched in 2008, its HR software has built up quite the reputation and has over 250,000 users.
The big advantage Zoho People has is that it integrates seamlessly with its other products. If you’re already on the Zoho bandwagon, People is a good bet. The overall feature set is rich and advanced, which while useful may be overwhelming for those of you looking for basic functionality.
Who’s It For?
Small and medium organisations
Zoho People is ideal for a small to medium-sized organisation. Its Enterprise Edition allows 100 users and 10 administrators, with up to 500 employee profiles. If you’re looking for more than 500 users, you’ll need Zoho to put together a custom licence pack.
How Much?
Free
If you’re a start-up or a small company, there’s a free plan for 5 users and 10 employee profiles. Paid plans start at $39 for 25 users going up to $499 for 500 users. You can also get a custom price if you want to go beyond the standard plans.
freeHR (freehr.com)
Built by UK-based Isys, freeHR is perhaps the best option for those of you looking for a free solution. The core system is completely free with no limitations; in other words, it doesn’t matter how many users you add or how long you use it for. It’s a cloud-hosted solution that’s quick and easy to use, ideal for smaller organisations.
Who’s It For?
Small organisations
Perfect for those wanting to keep costs low and don’t need an extensive feature set. Does all of the basics well and it’s easy to get up and running.
How Much?
Free
The name says it all. It’s 100% free for as many users as you want. So what’s the catch? If you want to use advanced features such as access control and employee screening, you’ll have to pay extra.
Small Improvements (small-improvements.com)
SI has a solid track record, working with companies such as Pinterest, Quicksilver, and Atlassian. Customers are offered a customisable and flexible framework that allows individualisation according to specific requirements. We also like that there’s no setup fee or fixed contracts.
If you’re a smaller organisation, the minimum monthly spend of $150 may be beyond your budget. And while the ability to customise is great, it does mean that it’s not quite an ‘out of the box’ solution.
Who’s It For?
Medium and large organisations
SI has optimised its software for companies between 50 and 1500 employees, but if you’re beyond 2000 it’s a good idea to discuss your specific needs with their customer service team before signing up.
How Much?
Free
It’s completely free for 10 users.Beyond that it’s $6 per user per month with a minimum $150 total monthly spend. If you’re a non-profit organisation, SI is even more affordable as you get a hefty 50% discount.
Sentrifugo (sentrifugo.com)
This downloadable open-source software is powerful indeed for a solution that’s free. In fact, its feature set can go up against pretty much anything out there (including the expensive options!).
The downside is perhaps that it’s still quite a young company, meaning that some of the features are yet to mature while others are a little buggy. Overall, however, it’s a solid tool that has pretty much everything you need from an HR management suite.
Who’s It For?
Small, medium and large organisations
Sentrifugo is a feature-rich software solution that can handle multiple users. It’s suitable for both small businesses and larger organisations, but keep in mind that you’re responsible for hosting and installation as it’s not a cloud-based system.
How Much?
Free
It’s free to download the software, but remember that you’ll need to sort out hosting yourself. Cheap hosting companies are a dime a dozen, but if you’re planning on having more than just a handful of users you’ll need something a little more robust. Expect to pay anywhere between $5-$20 per month. Alternatively, you can choose to run the software on your internal company network only.
OrangeHRM (orangehrm.com/OpenSource)
OrangeHRM is known as an enterprise-level cloud HR solution, but many people don’t realise that the self-hosted version is open-source. In other words, it’s free to download and use. Remember that you won’t get any customer support if anything goes awry, so if you don’t have in-house IT support the paid cloud version may be preferable.
Who’s It For?
Small, medium and large organisations
OrangeHRM services both small businesses and enterprise-level clients. Smaller businesses may find OrangeHRM a little pricey, making the downloadable option a welcome addition.
How Much?
Free
The open source option is free, but as with Sentrifugo you’re responsible for both the setup and hosting. The cloud-based system also has a free trial available if you’re interested in a managed solution.
Interested in some other HR employee assessment solution? Find out more about free HR tools and read our first hand peer reviews.
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