A COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHOOSING A PAYROLL SOFTWARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS

The advent of technology brought a lot of advancements to the world. Most arduous tasks that humans would have otherwise tagged stressful have now been made easy through technology. One of such arduous task that has been made easy is the handling of a business’s payroll system. The ultimate solution is the use of Payroll Software.

Payroll used to involve a lot of paperwork and manual processes, but payroll software makes all of that go away. With the software, all errors that could be accrued from manually inputting and recording employee information is greatly evaded.

Maybe you’re a new small business owner with a little over 10 staff and you think you don’t need the software? Well, I would advise that you have a rethink about that decision. Your business will call for expansion one day and you must be ready for it, so you aren’t caught unaware.

In choosing a software, there are certain things you need to consider before making your final decision. You need to ask yourself, “Can this software perform all the payroll services that my business requires?” The answer to that question will determine the other factors you should consider.

To assist you in choosing suitable payroll software for your business, we have put together a few guidelines to follow when choosing one.

Your business payroll needs

Before carrying out research on the kind of payroll software you need to purchase for your business, define the payroll needs of your business. Consult with the HR manager of your business to determine the purpose of needing one.

There are certain things you need to consider and questions you need to ask yourself first. By answering these questions, selecting one from the plenty payroll software out there becomes easier. Some of those questions include;

  What is the total headcount of employees?

  What is the size of my business?

  How much am I willing to spend on the software?

  What is my payroll budget? And so on.

Ease of use

How friendly is the user interface of the software? Is it easy to navigate? How responsive is the software? If your answers to these questions are no, then I think you would have to opt for another one. The software you pick must be user friendly and accessible to everyone in your organization.

The software might prove difficult to use if you aren’t tech-inclined enough. In this case, you might have to learn how to use it or employ someone to handle it.

Size of your business

You must know the number of employees in your business. The details of the temporary staff, permanent staff, starters, and leavers must be documented. Most payroll software determines the cost of their services by the number of staff you put on the payroll. Therefore, have the number of employees in mind while searching for one.

Cost of payroll software services

How much you’re willing to spend on the expenditure also determines your choice. I’d advise that you pick quality over quantity. If you need the best services, you must be willing to spend. Also, check for cost of extra features. Most payroll cost ranges from $20 to hundreds of dollars.

Payroll legislation

Before patronizing any software, do a little research on any conventional or extra payroll legislation that your business needs to follow. Check for federal, state, and local regulations. By doing this, you’re sure that any payroll service you hire is legally compliant. Hence, any kind of penalty accrued by uncompliant services is avoided.

Research on the features of the software

There are certain software features you need to look out for before choosing. Some of these features include; integration, accuracy, direct deposit, mobile access, notifications and reports, security, and so on.

Read customer reviews

This is one of the best ways to decide for your business. Customer reviews tell you almost everything you need to know about the software’s services. If the software has more bad reviews than it has good reviews, then there is no need to hire them.

Most of the customer reviews will list the pros and cons of the software. From there, you can weigh your options and conclude.

Conclusion

If you can follow this guide to the very least, then you would have no problem in choosing the best payroll software for your business. Remember to ask other businesses about the payroll software they use. You can use their own suggestions to determine your own.

Be very intentional about your choice. There is a lot of payroll software out there but very few will offer you complete payroll solutions. So, study the guideline above and make the right decision for your business.