What Is Sage HR?
Sage HR is part of the Sage.com suite of cloud-based tools for small to medium-sized businesses. Sage, as a company, has created several different software solutions to help businesses manage their HR, payroll, accounting, customer outreach and more.
Previously known as CakeHR, Sage HR helps businesses manage and automate their HR-related tasks, including hiring, scheduling and expenses. Its clean, user-friendly interface and customer support have made it a crowd favorite for businesses with one to 100 employees.
Pros
The biggest pro of Sage HR is its usability. Sage HR is very intuitive and cleanly designed. It’s fairly easy for both employers and employees to use the platform as soon as they log in.
The time-saving automations that Sage HR provides are also a highlight. To give examples, employers receive automatic notifications as soon as an employee requests time off, data changes are tracked and pay slips are automatically generated (for businesses in certain regions).
Sage HR is cloud-based as well, which means that the tool can be accessed without being in the office. This is a must for businesses with distributed teams and remote workforces.
Cons
Sage HR is a simple platform, which is great if you’re looking for something easy and straightforward, but not so great if you need more complex workflows and detailed fields. For that reason, Sage HR is not suitable for larger businesses or enterprise-level organizations.
Besides Google Workspace and Slack, Sage HR offers few integrations. If you use another software to do payroll, for example, you may have to request a custom integration, which could be costly.
Although Sage HR’s parent company, Sage, powers businesses across the globe, certain integrations with other existing Sage tools are only available in certain regions.
Users have also reported encountering bugs when trying to use various features. However, customer support has been said to be very attentive at solving any issues and getting new updates pushed to eliminate any buggy experiences.
Featured Partners
1
Rippling
Yes
Yes
$35/month plus $8 PEPM
2
OnPay
Yes
Yes
$40 per month + $6 per user
3
Paychex Flex
Yes
Yes
$39-plus per month, depending on company size and needs (6 month free offer)
4
Gusto
Yes
Yes
$40 per month plus $6 per user
Sage HR Core Features
Sage HR has several modules, some of which are included when you sign up, and some of which are available as add-ons at an additional cost.
The core HR features that are included with every Sage HR account are:
- Org charts
- A database of employee information
- The ability to post company announcements in one place
- Electronic document management and eSigning
- The ability to automate alerts and reminders
- Leave management
For additional monthly charges, you can add the ability to:
- Manage the recruitment and onboarding processes
- Schedule shifts
- Track and set performance goals
- Manage expenses
- Configure, approve and submit timesheets
Sage HR Pricing and Plans
Rather than offer specific plans, Sage HR charges based on how many active employees you have and which features you need. Pricing starts at $5.50 per employee per month for core HR and leave management features. Additional features, such as shift scheduling, recruitment and expense tracking cost an additional fee.
For example, for the core plan, it would cost a business with two employees $11 per month. This number increases as the number of employees increases. If you have 50 employees, your monthly charge jumps to $275 per month. For 500 employees, your monthly price would be $2,750. The price would then increase for every additional feature you opt for.
Sage HR Ease of Use
Sage HR is simple and intuitive enough on both the employee and employer sides. Extensive training isn’t needed, which is a huge plus if you want to implement a new HR solution quickly or if you have members of your team that aren’t super tech-savvy.
Sage HR Security
According to Sage HR’s support pages, all data that is sent to or from Sage HR is encrypted with 256-bit encryption. The platform is served entirely over HTTPS, and all Sage HR employees use multifactor authentication as a best practice.
Sage HR lets you set specific permission levels for accessing more sensitive data, such as compensation and performance reviews.
In terms of logs and backups, all app activity is logged and audited. Your data is backed up automatically every 24 hours using AES-256 block-level encryption.
Sage HR Customer Service and Support
The Sage HR customer support team maintains an online help database full of articles and detailed information on how to use the tool.
For more immediate or technical assistance, you can reach the support team via phone or by chat when logged in. There is no upcharge for or premium version of customer support.
It’s important to note that since Sage is based in the United Kingdom, Sage HR’s customer service team works 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. U.K. time. This may be a con if your business is based in Mountain or Pacific time.
Despite the time zone difference, users note that Sage HR’s customer service team is known for being helpful, friendly and responsive.
Sage HR Additional Features
Sage HR also automates the onboarding process by giving you the power to create automated checklists and reports on how your new employees are faring.
When it comes to reporting and analytics, Sage HR gives HR teams an overview on turnover rates, attendance and productivity levels. You can also generate custom reports that group employees from specific teams or regions to more closely track performances and key metrics.
Sage HR has a mobile app available for both iPhone and Android that lets employees request time off and access the company directory. Managers can approve time off from the mobile app.
Featured Partners
1
Rippling
Yes
Yes
$35/month plus $8 PEPM
2
OnPay
Yes
Yes
$40 per month + $6 per user
3
Paychex Flex
Yes
Yes
$39-plus per month, depending on company size and needs (6 month free offer)
4
Gusto
Yes
Yes
$40 per month plus $6 per user
Sage HR Alternatives and How They Compare
Sage HR is a competitive platform when it comes to HR management solutions. Sage HR is priced well, has solid customer support and offers a free trial so that you can get a feel for what it can do without committing to a contract.
Since it’s designed to be simple, Sage HR does lack certain HR features, most notably, payroll. It also pales in comparison to competitors when it comes to integrations.
Sage HR vs. ADP Workforce Now
Sage HR and ADP Workforce Now serve different needs. Sage HR is designed for businesses looking to graduate from using spreadsheets to track what’s happening with time off, hiring and other tasks. ADP Workforce Now, on the other hand, is a solution that’s harder to use and aimed at midsize businesses. It’s also known for being one of the more costly solutions on the market.
Sage HR vs. BambooHR
BambooHR is a more comprehensive solution than Sage HR. In addition to offering time off management, record-keeping and onboarding tools, Bamboo HR also offers payroll management, applicant tracking and employee culture-building features.
Both Sage HR and BambooHR are easy to learn and use, but Sage HR does not come close to BambooHR in terms of feature set and capabilities.
Sage HR vs. Zenefits
Sage HR and Zenefits are both known for their user-friendly interfaces. However, with far more integrations and built-in features, Zenefits is more robust. Zenefits offers both payroll and benefits administration, which are two huge areas that Sage HR does not handle. For businesses that are looking for one platform that can manage core HR tasks, payroll and benefits, Zenefits is a better option.
Is Sage HR Right for You or Your Business?
Sage HR is a solid choice if you run a smaller business (50 employees or fewer) and are looking to both centralize your HR data and automate repetitive tasks. Sage is ideal for businesses that operate across states or time zones, as it helps you manage inputs from everyone everywhere.
Sage’s pricing and features become cumbersome to scale, making it less ideal for larger businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does Sage HR do payroll?
Sage offers payroll services through a separate product, Sage Business Cloud Payroll. At the time of writing, Sage Business Cloud Payroll is not available to U.S.-based businesses.
Does Sage HR offer a free plan or free trial?
Sage HR offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. However, you may be asked for billing details if you decide to try out any of the paid modules.
Sage HR does not offer a free plan.
What kind of businesses is Sage HR best for?
Sage HR works for distributed workforces and businesses across industries. Due to its simplicity, it’s more suited towards smaller businesses and startups with fewer than 50 employees.
