Cloud-based HR software that can grow with your business
By Jonas P. DeMuro published about 11 hours ago
(Image: © Appogee HR)
UK based Appogee HR has been around since 2009, focused on SaaS applications that run on the Google Cloud platform. The attraction of not having to install any software, as these apps run off a web browser, has appealed to 800+ businesses globally in over 50 countries, with the option to integrate with other cloud platforms such as the Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Xero Payroll, and the LinkedIn Talent Hub.
Plans and pricing
Appogee HR offers a choice of tiers of software plans. Prices are based on the number of employees that need to be licensed, and we take note that the pricing is quite transparent for up to 50 employees to make it easy to comparison shop.
The least expensive plan is called Leave, which controls absence management, and has a cost of $1.60 per user each month. The features are plentiful, and cover absence management, sickness tracking, an employee directory, and customizable leave types. Even at this affordable price it integrates with Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Xero, and also has support as detailed below.
The next tier up is the HR Essentials plan at $4.00 per user per month that has the Leave functions, along with Core HR. Key features encompass company document management, staff location recording, employee profiles and records and time and attendance tracking. This plan also has the same support, and integrations as well.
Moving up a tier takes us to the HR Success plan, which has the feature of Leave, along with Core HR, and adds Advanced HR. The price rises to $8.00 per user per month, with additional features of an onboarding portal, advanced performance management, and customer success, and integration with the LinkedIn Talent Hub.
Finally, there is the Time plan, which has a cost of $6.40 per user per month, and is project tracking software. It can be acquired either as a standalone offering, or added to any of the lower tiers. It has a widespread feature set which includes project actuals and analysis, employee project roles and rates, online timesheets, and staff location recording for a hybrid work environment. We do wish that the online timesheets, and clock-in and clock-out feature, only available in this Time plan were either included in the lower tiers, or available as a standalone function.
Features
Appogee HR has a number of enticing features, and it starts with the streamlining of the onboarding process for new employees. The goal is to engage the new employee, from the time of hire, and then not only until the time of first day of work, but beyond into the first months of employment- a critical time when retention is extremely important according to Appogee. This includes meeting the new team members, being sent welcome notices, and allowing notification for a potential absence. The welcome messages can be templated, or personalized for each employee.
The challenges of a hybrid work environment have been an issue for many companies as positions transition to this situation. Appogee HR can deal with this on multiple levels. For example, it can configure and track for staff to be in the office or work from home, all visible for a manager from a clear dashboard view. There is also location tracking, which can have staff record when they are working remotely, and also see when staff are available for a video chat.
Gone are the days of file cabinets of folders of employee records. Rather, Appogee HR replaces that with a centralized employee record portal. Staff can even use the self service portal to update demographics, such as an address, phone number, or emergency contact person.
Support
Support for Appogee HR is more of the self-serve variety, than of the direct flavor, as we did not find a direct phone number. Also, we did not locate a direct email, a chat box, nor a fax. The lone direct support option that we located is a support portal.
That’s not to say that there is no help available, but it takes a little more effort. For each of the offerings, there is a comprehensive Knowledge Base, with topics that cover “What is the Allowance Calculator, and how does it work?” and “Managing Public Holiday” as examples of topics in the Appogee Leave section. There is also a FAQ, which has not only text content, but also videos as well. The videos include “Can I set up part time employees?” and also fast content in the 60 Second Series, such as “How to submit a request.”
We were enticed to check out the “Suggest a new feature and vote on other’s suggestions,” which promised to be an interactive way to improve the software. However, our hopes were quickly dashed when we clicked on the link, and it led us to “The page you were looking for doesn’t exist.”
Final verdict
Appogee HR offers a comprehensive HR software solution, with a number of strong features. We like the choice of tiers with transparent pricing, the free trial, and features such as time and attendance along with onboarding. Some areas for improvement to keep in mind are the missing direct support issues, and that some features such as online timesheets need the additional plan that increases the cost. In conclusion, the Appogee HR is a strong contender to support the HR department of many smaller businesses.
