Human Resources

Company culture represents the collective attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of a company and its employees and how they relate to the actions of the business. It is one of the key factors to a company’s success and longevity, impacting operations, strategic planning, and, ultimately, overall business performance. Areas that are part of or influence company culture include corporate policies, management style, and core values. Basics of Company Culture Company culture—which starts at the beginning of the hiring process, from finding employees to interviewing and onboarding—drives how employees feel about working for your business once their basic needs of compensation and safety are ensured. Click through the tabs below for more detail on some of the key elements that help shape your culture. Other Key Components of a Great Company Culture Mutual Respect: At the end of the day, if there is no respect among staff, team members will never believe their culture is one worth contributing to. Although conflict occurs in a healthy workplace, mutual respect is essential to allowing a culture to grow and thrive. Individual and Team Trust: Trust is an attribute that flows throughout the entire organization. When it is strong and healthy, there is no limit to your company’s potential. When trust is waning, your chances of establishing a great company culture decrease a little every day. Communication: Good communication is essential within an organization. The definition of strong organizational communication needs to come from your employees, not your leadership team. Decision-making: Allowing some decision-making channels to run through non-leadership committees is a great indicator that the management team trusts the capability and expertise of the teams. This practice promotes team ownership and directly feeds into a cultural building exercise employees deeply appreciate. Goals/Strategies: Allowing team members into the strategic planning process, at least at the goal-setting level of planning, sends the message that you value their input. Adaptability: Being adaptable includes handling revolving markets, competition, and other business-threatening demands in addition to quickly pivoting to meet changing employee needs. Results Orientation: Nothing is more powerful than completing large projects as a team. When a results-driven mindset fuels the company, it promotes organizational processes and programs that matter. Teamwork: It is difficult to imagine a great company culture that does not promote inclusive teamwork. Your organization should avoid placing people in silos and prioritize an inclusive atmosphere where all departments and employees work together. Employee Engagement: To promote engagement, you have to focus on motivating and inspiring your team members (your greatest asset) to be part of your organization. Learning what makes them tick is essential. Learning Opportunities: Cost-effective growth opportunities are essential to maintain to be considered an employer who truly engages a multigenerational workforce. Meaning/Purpose: Beyond the employee’s paycheck, healthcare benefits, and vacation time, the attribute that your employees desire more than anything is purpose. They want to know that the role they play in your organization matters significantly. Safety: Physical safety, like for construction companies, and job security are important to employees. It’s your job to convince your team members that they are safe, valued, and cared for. Leadership Team Approachability: Nothing says “we are in this together” more than when the newest team member can walk into an executive team member’s office and speak their mind respectfully. Tips for Building a Good Company Culture Understanding company culture is one aspect of being a successful employer; building it is another. To build a solid company culture, you must take a holistic and integrated approach. Bottom Line Understanding what defines your company’s culture and how you can develop and nurture that culture will help you to build a great place to work and a growing and thriving business. We’ve provided company culture examples to help you understand how to improve or promote the culture you already have in your business.

offers a suite of online solutions for hiring, paying, and managing a global workforce. Its services cover more than 180 countries, allowing small to midsize businesses (SMBs) to handle global human resources (HR) processes and local benefits easily. In our evaluation of the best international payroll services, Oyster earned an overall score of 4.23 out of 5. In addition to employer of record (EoR) services that enable you to find and recruit global employees, Oyster provides compliance solutions and support to ensure that you remain up to date with local labor, payroll, and tax regulations. You’re also granted access to a cloud-based global employment platform with expense management, time-off tracking, and intellectual property (IP) protection tools. Monthly fees for its EoR services start at $599 per employee (if paid month to month; $499 per employee if paid annually upfront). If you plan to only hire and pay international contractors, Oyster offers two packages that cost $0 (for up to two contractors) and $29 per worker (for more than two contractors). Oyster Deciding Factors Are you looking for something different? If you only want online tools to pay US-based employees, check out our list of the best payroll services. If you need help deciding which payroll software to get, read our guide to finding the right payroll solution. Top Oyster Alternatives Oyster earned perfect ratings in our evaluation given its multiple plan options, transparent pricing, and reasonable fees. For companies that only want to hire and pay international contractors, Oyster has a free starter package (for up to two contractors) and a Lite plan (for more than two contractors) with monthly fees that start at $29 per worker. Meanwhile, Oyster’s pricing for hiring and paying global employees is based on the country to which you plan to expand. Monthly fees start at $599 per employee if you pay month to month, or $499 per employee if you pay annually (paid in a lump sum). For large businesses, Oyster offers a custom-priced Enterprise tier that comes with additional global compliance and hiring support. Global payroll processing with Oyster is easy given its user-friendly platform that can handle fully compliant salary payments, including expense reimbursements and bonus payouts. In our evaluation of its payroll functionalities, Oyster earned a 4.13 out of 5 score. It didn’t get a perfect rating in this criterion because it lacks time tracking features (only offers time-off management tools). Here are some of its payroll functionalities.   Two things you’ll notice highlighted in our OysterHR reviews article are its solid self-onboarding tools and locally compliant contracts. These functionalities, coupled with Oyster’s robust compliance support, contributed to this provider getting nearly perfect marks (4.75 out of 5) for HR features. It lost points because while it provides competitive local benefits plans, you have to pay extra to access “Oyster Health”—a global health insurance plan (through SafetyWing) that covers more than 175 countries. Here are some of its HR features.   In our evaluation of Oyster’s reporting features, the provider only received a 2.5 out of 5 rating. While it has locally compliant contracts, built-in agreement templates, and reports you can download either as a PDF or Excel file, its reporting options are limited. Plus, its inability to customize the report by country cost it some points. As of this writing, Oyster can generate four reports: Payroll report: A report containing all of your full-time employees’ payroll, from the date that you set up your Oyster account (this doesn’t include data before March 2022; you have to get this separately from Oyster’s payroll module) Team member report: A report that shows your employees’ and contractors’ personal and employment details Invoice report: A report of all invoices for both employees and contractors Expense report: A report of all expenses for both employees and contractors Oyster scored 4.5 out 5 in this criterion because of its intuitive platform and easy-to-use online tools. Its solid compliance solutions, comprehensive hiring guides, and dedicated support also contributed to its high score. It didn’t get perfect marks because it lacks phone support—you can only contact customer support via email, chat, and help tickets raised through its platform. User-friendly and intuitive platform Automated hiring and onboarding processes In-app virtual hiring assistant (Pearl) Access to local hiring and compliance experts Dedicated customer success manager Online global hiring guides and tools Locally compliant contracts FAQs and how-to guides Email and chat support Oyster makes global hiring easy with its user-friendly platform, compliance support, and automated online tools. I’m impressed with its virtual hiring assistant, Pearl, as it provides not only the basic hiring requirements but also recommends employment terms and options to help you build a strong and competitive package. In addition, it handles international payments with ease, and you don’t have to worry about keeping track of deductions and tax payments—Oyster will handle these for you. It even lets your global employees file expense reimbursement requests online. If you need to provide allowances or bonuses, you can input these details directly into Oyster for pay processing. Tasks that require your attention are added to your Oyster dashboard automatically. This includes notifications for invoices, expenses, and time-off requests that require your approval. Links to some of Oyster’s online tools can also be found on the dashboard, enabling you to access country guides, manage invoices, and raise hiring requests quickly. If you use third-party business software, Oyster integrates popular accounting, expense management, applicant tracking, and HR information management solutions. However, its network isn’t robust. Here are some of its partner systems. Xero QuickBooks Online NetSuite Expensify Greenhouse BambooHR HiBob Workday Oyster earned a 4.38 out of 5 rating in our expert assessment given its reasonably priced plans, efficient EoR and payroll services, compliance support, and automated solutions for hiring and onboarding international workers. However, its limited HR features prevented this provider from getting a perfect score in this criterion. It doesn’t have the wide range of HR solutions that similar providers offer, such as Rippling. Note that with Rippling, you get time tracking, learning management, and employee survey functionalities in addition to hiring, onboarding, and pay processing tools. Oyster’s low score in this criteria is due mainly to the small number of user reviews on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. Those who left positive OysterHR reviews highlighted its responsive support team and efficient global hiring tools as its best features. Several users also like its easy-to-use platform and automated solutions that help streamline processes. Meanwhile, there are only a handful of negative OysterHR reviews online. One user disliked having to pay the required security deposit while a few others wished for more features like additional time-off types, better health coverage, and a more robust expense claim tool. At the time of publication, Oyster software reviews earned the following scores on popular user review sites: G2: 4.4 out of 5 based on around 70 reviews Capterra: 3 out of 5 based on 1 review How We Evaluated Oyster We looked at the provider’s features (both HR and payroll) and payment options. We also considered ease of use, transparency in pricing, HR and compliance support, and customer support. Access to third-party integrations, employee benefits plans, and onboarding tools is also important. We even check the feedback that actual users posted on popular user review sites. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria: Bottom Line Expanding your business in other countries most likely means hiring either contract workers to handle special projects or local employees who can manage your company’s day-to-day operations. With Oyster, you can find, hire, and pay both international contractors and employees with ease. Its EoR services cover more than 180 countries and include compliance support to ensure that you remain compliant with local labor laws and regulations. You also get an online platform that’s intuitive, simple to learn, and easy to navigate through. What’s also great about Oyster is that it has an in-app virtual hiring assistant and an online benefits tool to help you understand country-specific hiring requirements and determine the best employment terms and benefits options for recruiting global employees. Sign up for an Oyster plan today.

Aside from being affordably priced, the best payroll software for small business users calculates employee wages and deductions accurately and pays and files payroll taxes automatically. Most offer unlimited pay runs, two-day direct deposits, employee self-service portals, and access to employee benefits. To find the ideal payroll systems for small businesses, we evaluated more than a dozen solutions and narrowed the list down to our top 10 recommendations: : Best overall small business payroll software : Best for QuickBooks accounting users : Best for solopreneurs and small companies needing a dedicated payroll specialist : Best for restaurateurs, retailers, and Square POS users : Best for small companies needing to delegate payroll duties : Best for its modular HR, payroll, and IT platform : Best for businesses wanting an all-in-one HR payroll solution : Best for rapidly scaling startups : Best for mom-and-pops looking for a low-cost do-it-yourself (DIY) payroll service : Best for businesses with hourly workers Best Payroll Software for Small Businesses Compared See fullscreen table × *Pricing is based on a quote we received; includes time tracking, payroll, and access to Rippling’s core workforce management platform. **Patriot Payroll also offers a full-service payroll option with tax filing services that costs $37 plus $4 per employee monthly. ***You have to get Homebase’s main time tracking and scheduling platform (which is free for one-location businesses) before you can purchase Homebase Payroll. Best Payroll Software Quiz Gusto: Best Overall Payroll Software for Small Business Users ranks high among its competitors as its payroll and HR features enable small businesses to operate with the amenities that some larger companies offer. Apart from running payroll automatically as scheduled, it notifies each new hire so that they can complete the required paperwork. If you’re in one of the 11 states―Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming―where it doesn’t offer insurance, consider any of the providers in this guide except Patriot Payroll and Homebase Payroll as neither offers benefits. Scoring 4.71 out of 5 in our evaluation, Gusto earned perfect marks in pricing, reporting, and popularity among users. However, the limited coverage of its health insurance and having to subscribe to one of its higher tiers to access HR tools, such as time tracking and online PTO requests, prevented Gusto from getting a higher score. In terms of user feedback, many find it a valuable payroll software given its intuitive interface and efficient tools. However, several reviewers are unhappy about the long hold times when contacting customer support. Gusto Key Features Automatic and unlimited payroll runs in all 50 states: Unlike ADP and Paychex, Gusto allows you to process unlimited payroll runs, including bonus and off-cycle payments, at no extra cost. On top of that, you can even set payroll to run on autopilot. Automated tax payment and year-end report filing: Gusto withholds, pays, and files taxes on federal, state, and local levels automatically. It handles year-end tax reporting (W-2s and 1099s) for free, unlike ADP Run and Paychex, which charge a fee for this service. International contractor payments: Businesses can pay their contractors in more than 90 countries such as India, Canada, the UK, and the Philippines. Employee benefits: Gusto offers both standard and nonstandard benefits options, like 529 college savings accounts and Gusto Wallet—a free financial management app that even has time tracking tools. It also provides employee benefits plans in all 50 states, but its health insurance is available only in 39 (as of this writing). Multiple pay options: With Gusto, employees are paid through manual checks, pay cards, or direct deposits. The standard direct deposit timelines are two and four days but subscribing to Gusto’s higher tiers gets you a next-day option. Efficient time tracking and workforce management tools: Aside from project tracking and workforce costing tools, you can monitor your employees’ and contractors’ time through Gusto or via the Gusto Wallet. You can even create custom PTO policies and send/approve time-off requests online. However, these features are available only in Gusto’s higher tiers. QuickBooks Payroll: Best for QuickBooks Accounting Software Users is the best option for most QuickBooks accounting users. It integrates seamlessly—you access it within the same system with the click of a button—and all information flows throughout both systems (you don’t have to enter twice). As with Gusto, it offers full-service payroll with automated tax filings (federal and state, local taxes if subscribed to the Elite plan), year-end reporting (W-2s and 1099s), and an online portal where employees can access their pay stubs, tax forms, and PTO balances. It also has fast direct deposits; its standard timeline is next-day, but it has same-day options if you get one of its higher tiers. In our evaluation, the platform earned a 4.54 out of 5, with perfect scores in ease of use, pricing, and reporting. While all of its other ratings are 4 and above, it scored the lowest in popularity, given the limited number of user reviews (less than 500) on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. However, many users still appreciate its ease of use, especially its seamless integration with QuickBooks accounting. A few others complained about having experienced occasional software glitches while some said that it can be pricey for small businesses. QuickBooks Payroll Key Features Automatic and unlimited payroll: You can approve and set payroll to run automatically with QuickBooks. It also lets you process payroll as many times as your business requires. Automated payroll tax services: Like most of the payroll providers on this list, QuickBooks Payroll handles all tax calculations, payments, and filings, including year-end reporting, for you. However, its tax filing services only cover federal and state taxes. You have to be on an Elite plan if you want automated local tax filings; otherwise, you’ll have to file local tax forms yourself. Fast direct deposits: Apart from next-day direct deposits, you can pay employees through same-day direct deposit at no extra cost, provided you subscribe to QuickBooks Payroll’s higher tiers. Note that most of the providers on this list have a standard two-day processing time, although Square Payroll offers instant payments if you have a Square Payments account. Tax penalty protection: QuickBooks will cover the penalty and interest for any payroll tax error for up to $25,000 a year, regardless of who made the mistake. Note that you must purchase its Elite plan to have your errors covered. Experts will also represent you before the IRS and concerned agencies and will assist you to resolve the problem. No other providers on our list will offer to represent you to help fix tax issues or cover mistakes you make under any circumstance. Paychex: Best for Solopreneurs & Companies That Need Dedicated Payroll Support has solutions suited for different business sizes. Its Paychex Solo package includes payroll, startup/incorporation services, and access to retirement plan options, making it a suitable solution for one-person businesses. It also offers Paychex Flex as its main payroll platform, which comes with several tiers flexible enough to cater to companies of different sizes (its higher plans include a dedicated payroll specialist). Unlike Gusto, which provides health insurance only in 39 states, Paychex lets you offer health insurance in all states in the United States. The platform earned a 4.33 out of 5 in our evaluation. It scored perfect marks on HR, reporting, user popularity, and expert review criteria. However, it doesn’t have transparent pricing for all of its plans and charges extra for payroll tax administration and W-2/1099 filings, which are services that most of the providers in this guide include without additional fees. Paychex Key Features Flexible plan options: Paychex offers flexible HR and payroll subscriptions that target businesses of all sizes. Its Paychex Solo plan is perfect for solopreneurs and the self-employed. Aside from running payroll, Paychex can help them set up their business as an employer and select a retirement plan. None of the other providers in this guide have this package. PEO services: If you ever go through a growth period in which you need an HR expert but aren’t ready to hire, Paychex has a professional employer organization (PEO) service to help you manage essential day-to-day HR processes. Multiple payment options: Aside from direct deposits, Paychex supports employee payments made through pay cards and paper checks. It even offers check logo and signing services. Similar to Square Payroll and QuickBooks Payroll, Paychex also has a same-day payment option but via automated clearing house (ACH) transfers—provided you get its Select plan. HR tools: Paychex Flex’s higher tiers not only come with payroll tools but several HR solutions as well. In addition to a library of HR documents and an online employee handbook builder, you are granted access to a learning management module to help you run e-training courses for your staff. Screening applicants and welcoming new hires will also be easy with its background checks and online onboarding solutions. Experienced customer service: During implementation, Paychex will assign you a representative to help you set up. Once its system is up and running, you get access to US-based support with experienced professionals you can contact 24/7 in case you need assistance. You even have the option to submit payroll via phone to your designated payroll specialist. Live chat features, in-app help options, and how-to guides are also available. Square Payroll: Best for Restaurants & Small Retailers Using Square POS is the best choice for restaurants and small retailers that are already using Square’s POS system. It enables you to pay both employees and contractors and import online timecards from Square POS and other third-party software partners into its system. It also has tip reporting features that allow you to record tip amounts, deduct taxes, and report them on your tax forms. You can run payroll as often as you need to at no extra cost (unlike some plans under big-name providers like ADP and Paychex), file quarterly and annual taxes, and sign up for pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation insurance. In our evaluation, Square Payroll earned an overall rating of 4.28 out of 5, with a perfect score in reporting and high marks in nearly all of our criteria. It took a hit in ease of use and popularity among users because while it is easy to use, it doesn’t have a customizable interface. It also didn’t meet our subcriteria of having more than 1,000 average user reviews online. Plus, several reviewers complained of having experienced difficulties contacting its support team. Square Payroll Key Features Low-cost contractor-only plan: Square Payroll has the lowest contractor-only plan among all the providers on this list. Priced at only $5 per contractor monthly, it comes with all the features of its “pay employees and contractors” plan, including unlimited pay runs. Square POS integration: Square Payroll seamlessly integrates with Square POS, making it easy for you to track and import employee time cards, including tips and commission data for pay processing. Multiple employee payment options: Aside from direct deposit, employees and contractors can be paid through manual checks or via Square’s Cash App. Square Payroll also offers next-day and instant payment options through its Instant Payments feature. You can even use its On-Demand Pay tool to allow eligible employees to get a portion of their earned salary before the pay period is over. Online tax filing and reporting: Square Payroll will file your quarterly and annual taxes automatically as well as prepare and file your W-2s or 1099s, whether workers are paid an hourly, salary, or custom amount. This is unlike Patriot Payroll (if you’re on the self-service plan), Paychex, and ADP, which charge fees for some of its payroll tax services. QuickBooks Payroll may not have add-on fees to file taxes for you, but you have to get its highest tier if you want automated local tax filings. Employee benefits: Square Payroll will provide your employees access to health insurance, pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation plans, and even retirement packages that will automatically sync with your payroll. OnPay: Best for Small Companies That Need to Delegate Payroll Duties If you have a limited budget, provides a reasonably priced payroll solution that comes with basic HR tools for managing PTO, employee benefits, and onboarding. While it only has a single plan ($40 plus $6 per employee monthly), it’s one of the lowest-priced full-service payroll packages on our list excluding Patriot with its DIY option. Plus, you get complete access to all of OnPay’s tools as other providers require you to upgrade to higher plans to unlock additional features. Its six-level system permissions even provide you with enough flexibility to control who has access to and visibility into payroll and HR. For agricultural companies, OnPay handles Form 943 filings and processes payments and taxes for workers on H-2A visas. It can also handle the payroll needs of businesses in other industries such as healthcare and restaurant industries—from filing tax forms, such as forms 941, 1099, and W-2, to withholding your employees’ state and federal unemployment insurance payments and other contributions. The platform received an overall score of 4.19 out of 5 in our evaluation. Similar to Square Payroll, it received ratings of 4 and up in almost all criteria. It didn’t rank higher on our list because while OnPay provides payroll services for different business types, it has limited third-party software integrations, customization options, and user reviews on G2 and Capterra. Those who left feedback complained about the occasional software and integration glitches. However, many users still find its online tools efficient as it helps them simplify and automate employee pay processing. OnPay Key Features Unlimited payroll runs: OnPay lets you run payroll for both employees and contractors as many times as you need and want without having to pay extra. You can also generate year-end W-2s and 1099s without paying a per-employee rate (Paychex and ADP Run charge extra). For those with special tax requirements like agricultural businesses, OnPay offers automated tax payments and filings of Form 943. Essential HR tools: Streamline onboarding processes with OnPay’s in-app offer letters, online I-9 and W-4 forms, e-signature tool, and automated onboarding workflows. It handles state new hire reporting, plus you can create custom checklists to ensure that incoming employees complete all the new hire requirements. If you need HR guides and legal templates, OnPay has an online HR resource library that you can access. Employee benefits: Unlike Gusto’s health insurance, which covers only 39 states (as of this writing), OnPay’s health plans are available in all US states. Your employees are also granted access to dental, vision, disability, and retirement plans. Furthermore, OnPay can generate employee census data reports that you can use when requesting insurance quotes from carriers and benefits providers. Payroll support: Aside from phone, chat, and email support, OnPay can guide you through pay processing if you need help. However, if you require payroll assistance from OnPay’s support team on a weekend, you won’t be able to contact them via phone. It only offers email support on Saturdays and Sundays. ADP Run and Paychex are great choices if you require 24/7 support. Paychex even offers a dedicated payroll specialist, although this service is available only in its higher tiers. Rippling: Best for Businesses Looking for a Modular HR, Payroll & IT Solution What makes a good payroll option for businesses is its modular HR, payroll, and IT tools that allow you to choose only the solutions you need. While its workforce management platform is a must-purchase, the cost of adding full-service payroll is still reasonable—Rippling can even create a custom plan based on your needs. However, it isn’t as cost-effective as most of the payroll software for small business users in this guide such as Square Payroll and Patriot Payroll. It still made our list because it is the only HR and payroll software that we reviewed that can help you manage essential IT processes such as assigning and deploying computers and business apps that employees can use. It earned a 4.13 out of 5 in our evaluation, scoring high (4 and up) in nearly all of our criteria. It posted the lowest ratings in ease of use, primarily because it lacks free phone support—you have to purchase its HR help desk add-on that includes phone and email support from HR experts. In terms of user feedback, many appreciate its user-friendly platform and efficient payroll and HR tools. It has solid payroll analytic tools to ensure you don’t make any mistakes before running. However, some said that it can be glitchy at times with occasional login issues. Rippling Key Features Modular solutions: Rippling has a flexible workforce management platform that lets you choose the payroll, HR, and IT features that you need. You can start with its workforce management (a necessity) and full-service payroll tools, and then add more solutions like employee benefits and applicant tracking as you grow your business. Payroll analytics: Rippling automatically pulls your last payroll numbers when you begin processing a new payroll so you can easily compare the two. It helps you identify any obvious errors quickly to prevent you from having to backtrack to correct them later. Full-service payroll: With Rippling, you can run payroll with just three clicks. It automatically calculates all employee payments, taxes, and deductions. Payroll tax filings are also automatically done by Rippling. If you have employees and contractors based in satellite offices outside of the US, Rippling can help you manage international payroll processes so you can pay your workers accurately and on time. Robust HR tools: Rippling offers more than payroll and employee information management solutions; it also has applicant tracking, benefits administration, time and attendance, and learning management tools. However, these modules are paid add-ons to Rippling’s core workforce management platform. IT solutions: Rippling’s IT tools are designed to streamline and automate device and apps management processes. If you have new hires, Rippling can help you assign the computer units and identify business apps that employees have access to. For resigning employees, you can easily disable access to business apps and lock their computers on their last day. Rippling even stores your unassigned computer units in its warehouse, and you can check the inventory through its system. None of the providers we reviewed have robust IT solutions. Flexible PEO: Rippling offers PEO services to businesses that need help managing payroll and day-to-day HR operations. And, unlike ADP and Paychex, if you decide that you no longer need a PEO, then you can simply turn Rippling’s PEO services off from your account. Paycor: Best for Businesses Needing an HR Payroll Solution for Handling Simple to Complex Pay Runs For businesses looking for a cloud-based platform that comes with all of the essential tools to manage the entire employee lifecycle, is a good option. It offers a robust suite of solutions for handling basic to the most complex payroll and HR tasks. It has recruiting, onboarding, time and attendance, benefits, learning, and employee information management tools in addition to payroll and automated tax services. However, Paycor isn’t the most affordable payroll system for small businesses as its starter Basic plan costs $99 plus $5 per employee monthly, which is pricier than big-name payroll and HR providers like ADP and Paychex. Scoring 3.86 out of 5 in our evaluation, Paycor received high marks in nearly all of our criteria with perfect scores in reporting, HR features, and popularity among users. However, its expensive pricing and limited interface customizability prevented it from ranking higher on our list. Several users said that not being able to fully customize some of its features, such as creating special vacation accrual rules, is one of the things they like least about Paycor. Others commented that while it offers solid payroll and HR tools, its support team isn’t always responsive and can be difficult to reach at times. Paycor Key Features Time and attendance: Paycor enables you to collect and monitor employee work hours, helping manage attendance and labor costs through automated and accurate processes. Its system is much more robust than Gusto’s simple time tracking tool. Employees can clock in and out, and you can use it to schedule shifts. All-in-one HR platform: Paycor offers an all-in-one platform that combines its payroll software with onboarding, time tracking, scheduling, performance management, employee surveys, and recruiting tools. You won’t get these robust HR features with traditional payroll software for small businesslike OnPay, Patriot Payroll, and Homebase Payroll. Customizable pay grids: Paycor’s payroll solution is flexible, allowing you to create intuitive workflows and build an online pay grid to fit your unique pay processing needs. You can select the pay data columns you want, remove those you don’t need, and choose whether you want the system to display the applicable hours or amount (or both) for each data type. You can even create a customized pay stub. Accurate payroll and tax filing: Aside from calculating employee payments and deductions, Paycor handles your quarterly tax payments and filings, including year-end reports. It also pays and files your taxes automatically at the federal and state levels on time. You can pay employees via direct deposits and manual checks. Paycor even offers check stuffing services. ADP Run: Best for Scaling Startups That Need Flexible Plans is ADP’s payroll system for small businesses with up to 49 employees. It comes with all of the essential payroll and payroll tax management tools you need, plus new hire reporting, onboarding, background checks, and access to job postings (via ZipRecruiter). Its higher tiers even come with extra HR support and handholding that you don’t get with your typical small business payroll software like Square Payroll. ADP also makes it easy to transition from one plan to the next if your company scales and you need additional HR tools. In our evaluation, ADP Run earned an overall score of 3.71 out of 5. It was rated highly in ease of use, payroll and HR features, reporting, and popularity among users. However, its setup costs and nontransparent fees contributed to its very low rating in our pricing criteria—and users even commented that it can be expensive for small businesses. However, many reviewers said they do appreciate its easy-to-use platform, adding that its payroll solution helps simplify employee pay processes. ADP Run Key Features Fast and accurate payroll and tax filing: In addition to its solid payroll tools, ADP Run offers automated payroll tax payments and filings. While it also handles year-end reporting (W-2s and 1099s), ADP charges extra for this. Its built-in compliance tools also notify you of payroll errors. Multiple employee payment options: With ADP Run, you can pay your employees via direct deposit and paychecks and through the Wisely Direct Debit Card. It also offers secure paychecks with check signing and stuffing services. ADP will even deliver the sealed envelopes containing employee paychecks to your office so that you can distribute these to your staff. Flexible plan options: In addition to ADP Run’s multiple tiers with full-service payroll and access to essential HR tools, ADP has a wide range of products that can cater to midsize and large businesses. It offers a PEO option, ADP TotalSource, for companies that need to completely outsource their payroll and HR administration. Certified, experienced payroll professionals available 24/7: Similar to Paychex, ADP Run allows you to get in touch with payroll and HR experts whenever you need them. You also receive legal assistance on employment matters from Upnetic Legal Services—provided you subscribe to its highest tier. Recruitment and HR tools: ADP’s partnership with ZipRecruiter makes it possible for you to post open jobs to leading job boards. It also offers background checks, state new hire reporting, and onboarding, in addition to training tools and an online library of HR forms and documents. You won’t get this level of HR support with any other provider on our list except Paychex and Paycor. However, if you need time tracking, pay-as-you-go workers’ compensation, and benefits, these solutions are paid add-ons to ADP Run’s payroll plan. Patriot Payroll: Best for Mom-and-Pop Businesses That Want a Low-cost DIY Option offers a flexible option that others in this guide don’t: a choice between full-service payroll and a more affordable DIY version. Both come with unlimited payroll runs, multiple pay rates, automated PTO accrual calculations, and customizable deductions and contributions. You can pay employees through direct deposit or manual checks, and if you choose its full-service plan, Patriot will pay and file all federal, state, and local taxes. It even has payroll packages that include access to time tracking tools and an HR solution for managing employee information. Scoring 3.69 out of 5 in our evaluation, Patriot Payroll received perfect marks in reporting, pricing, and popularity among users. It posted the lowest score in HR functionalities because it doesn’t offer new hire onboarding and employee benefits that most of the payroll software in this list provides. However, users still appreciate its reasonably priced plans and helpful support team. Others said that while it has user-friendly and efficient payroll tools, they wished Patriot Payroll offered faster direct deposits and additional integration options. Patriot Payroll Key Features Self-service plan: You can save the most money if you have a couple of employees and are willing to file payroll taxes on your own using Patriot’s Basic Payroll plan. Priced at only $17 plus $4 per employee monthly, this is the most cost-efficient option among all the payroll providers in this guide. Flexible payroll system: In addition to unlimited pay runs, Patriot Payroll supports multiple pay rates, plus you can either use its standard deduction and contribution types or create your own to capture payroll details for garnishments, health insurance options, and retirement plans. Employees and contractor payments are made through direct deposits, but the processing time is four days. If you want fast direct deposits, consider QuickBooks Payroll (its basic Core plan comes with next-day options) and Square Payroll (its Instant Payments feature lets you pay employees instantly). Multiple full-service payroll packages: Aside from its standard Full Service option, Patriot has payroll packages that include time tracking and employee information management tools. All plans include one state filing, but if you need to file taxes in multiple states, each additional filing costs $12 monthly. Tax penalty guarantee: If you subscribe to one of its Full Payroll plans, Patriot ensures that your taxes will be calculated and filed on time. Any disputes will be resolved and paid for by Patriot for tax filing mistakes that its representatives commit. Compare this to QuickBooks—under its Elite plan, it covers the penalty and interest for any payroll tax error for up to $25,000 a year, regardless of who made the mistake. Homebase Payroll: Best for Businesses Employing Hourly Workers is an add-on module to Homebase, which has a suite of time tracking, hiring, and scheduling solutions. Similar to Square Payroll, it offers flat pricing for its easy-to-use pay processing solution that includes automated payroll tax payment and filing services. Its payroll platform is designed specifically for hourly teams as it comes with scheduling and time tracking solutions for managing your hourly workforce. It even offers job postings, applicant tracking, PTO management, new hire onboarding, and time clock apps. Homebase Payroll earned an overall score of 3.64 in our rubric. Its reasonably priced plan with flat pricing and efficient HR tools contributed to its high scores (4 and up) while the lack of online reviews resulted in it getting a zero rating in our popularity criteria. Homebase Payroll Key Features Robust payroll plan: Homebase Payroll is one of the payroll systems for small businesses that we reviewed that’s reasonably priced and comes with several HR features. For only $39 plus $6 per employee monthly, you get hiring, onboarding, time tracking, and scheduling tools in addition to full-service payroll and automatic tax filing services. Paycor, ADP, Paychex, and Rippling may offer similar functionalities, but you either have to pay extra or subscribe to its higher tiers to get these solutions. Full-service payroll: Unlike Paychex and ADP Run, Homebase Payroll offers unlimited pay runs so that you can process employee and contractor payments as many times as you need in a month. Salaries are sent to the employees’ accounts via direct deposits, although Homebase Payroll also supports payments made through printable checks. In addition to W-2 and 1099 reporting, Homebase provides automated payroll tax payments and filings. Early access to wages: Similar to Gusto and Square Payroll, Homebase Payroll offers an employee perk that grants your staff early access to wages. Your workers can transfer a portion of their salary to their bank account before payday to help pay for emergency expenses. How We Chose the Top Payroll Software We checked and compared the best payroll software for small businesses across industries; most of them offer many of the same basic payroll tools with certain nuances in features such as same-day vs two-day direct deposit or unlimited pay runs vs limited pay runs. Generally, the top payroll software offers direct deposit, tax filing, and year-end tax report preparation. Some even provide benefits and HR support. Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Small businesses need reliable payroll software to save time and money. Most providers calculate wages, offer direct deposit, and pay taxes. However, you should consider your business needs and budget limitations. Small businesses can benefit from features such as automated tax payments, year-end report filing, and unlimited payroll runs. We found that offers all of the features that most small businesses need at a very competitive price. Users find it very easy to use and navigate, and the software is widely used in different industries. Sign up for a Gusto plan today. You May Also Like … For more payroll software options, check out our buyer’s guide on the best payroll services to help you find a payroll software or service that fits your business’s needs. You can also check out our top picks for payroll solutions by industry and use case. 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is a cloud-based recruiting software that helps businesses find talent and manage job applications. With its flexible pricing based on the number of users, it’s best for new businesses and recruiters looking to streamline their hiring process. Its monthly pricing starts at $18.99 per user for a minimum of three users. Vultus Recruit landed a spot in our best recruitment software guide due to its useful tools such as bulk and automated email sending, resume harvesting, and pre-screening questions. It could have scored higher if it had a free plan, job description templates, pre-employment skills testing, and more user reviews. Vultus Recruit Overview What We Recommend Vultus Recruit For Vultus Recruit provides an affordable cloud-based applicant tracking system (ATS). With it, you can publish jobs, source candidates from different job boards, schedule interviews, and manage pipelines. It helps recruiters focus on their candidates, ensuring a smooth experience and effective hiring process. Vultus Recruit made our list of top recruiting software because of its candidate sourcing and recruiter business tools. In short, Vultus Recruit is best for: Recruiters or staffing companies: From publishing jobs to multiple boards to scheduling interviews, Vultus Recruit helps manage the whole recruiting process. Recruiters can quickly discover talent, connect with applicants, and find the right person for the job using its smart resume search, bulk emails, and candidate sourcing and tracking. The software also features an AI-based solution to assess applicants, check available placements for various company clients, and communicate with candidates through personalized messages. Bench marketers and consulting companies: The software’s CRM tools can store customer and vendor information in a database, and the system calculates profit margins for each placement or team. Also, its integration with voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and vendor management systems (VMS) allows bench sales companies to check the latest job postings, get real-time notifications, and communicate with suitable candidates or clients that are ready to work. Startups: The flexible pricing options make it a practical solution for new businesses looking for recruiting software. With all plans, you get access to all its recruiting and applicant tracking features. So as a business grows and its hiring needs improve, it can decide to get more advanced plans for more users. When Vultus Recruit Would Not Be a Good Fit Users looking for a free recruiting software: Since the provider doesn’t offer a free plan, users may want to check out MightyRecruiter, which offers talent sourcing tools at no cost. Companies with one or two hiring staff: Since Vultus Recruit’s most affordable plan needs at least three users, those who have just one or two hiring staff may not get the most for their money. Consider using Indeed, which has a built-in ATS and allows job posting for free. Vultus Recruit Top Alternatives If Vultus Recruit had a free option, it would have garnered a perfect score in this criterion. All Vultus Recruit plans offer the same features, including candidate sourcing, hotlist management, resume parsing, and harvesting. Pricing changes only based on the number of users. 3–5 users: $18.99 monthly per user 6–30 users: $14.99 monthly per user 30+ users: $9.99 monthly per user Annual plans are also available at a 20% discount. Vultus offers two cloud-based programs: Connect, an employee management system, and Recruit, its recruiting platform. Vultus Recruit helps source and hire new employees with its job management, candidate sourcing, and mass mailing features. However, there’s no way to add background screening tools with Vultus Recruit, which prevented it from getting a perfect score. Vultus Recruit is really helpful in tracking where candidates are in the pipeline. It supports collaboration and communication between recruiters, and you can easily weed out applicants not meeting your needs by adding screening questions. However, what brought Vultus Recruit’s score down is its lack of job ad templates—a feature provided by other top recruitment software like Zoho Recruit, Freshteam, and ZipRecruiter—which could have helped tremendously in reducing time spent in creating job listings. Vultus Recruit got a perfect score for reporting because it has standard and customized reports, a dashboard for recruiting metrics, and various chart types to visualize information. Users can make informed decisions based on Vultus Recruit’s metrics and statistics. With this feature, you have updated data you can pull up and analyze any time. With its user-friendly dashboard, you can schedule reports and use tools to measure and analyze your data. User-friendly interface Smart search In-app chat Email and phone support Vultus Recruit got a relatively high score for ease of use and part of that is because it has a modern yet intuitive interface, which will not intimidate even new and non-technical users. Users can even customize their dashboards by selecting which parts are displayed, making it easy to stay on top of things. The software also helps save time with its Boolean search feature while maximizing talent. Vultus Recruit is known for its helpful customer support, which includes in-app chat, email, and phone support. Most users who left Vultus Recruit reviews loved it for its ease of use in managing the hiring cycle. Vultus Recruit’s ability to integrate with essential tools such as VoIP and email helps simplify recruiters’ tasks. And if users experience occasional glitches, the provider promptly reaches out with a solution. At the time of publication, Vultus Recruit earned the following scores on popular user review sites: Capterra: 4.2 out of 5 based on 40+ reviews G2: 4.9 out of 5 based on more than 110 reviews Bottom Line When it comes to finding talents to fill job positions, a recruiting software can save time by automating processes and workflows. With , you can stay on top of your job management activities, connect with candidates, and effectively search documents and resumes. Its customizable and easy-to-use interface can make hiring simple and stress-free. Contact the provider for a demo or get a free trial.

A human resources (HR) compliance calendar ensures that your HR department stays on top of important events, such as tax deadlines, Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance, quarterly performance reviews, and healthcare deadlines. Our HR compliance calendar can be easily integrated into your Google Calendar or downloaded as a PDF or Excel file, so you won’t miss any important HR events. January January 31 - Distribute W-2 Forms to Employees. A W-2 form is used to provide important tax information to your employees—including gross pay, federal taxes withheld, state taxes withheld, Medicare taxes withheld, Social Security withholdings, and retirement contributions. You must provide all employees with a copy of their W-2 form before Jan. 31. Provide copies of W-2 forms, along with a W-3 Form to the IRS by Jan. 31. If you need help completing this, head over to our guide on how to fill out a W-2 form. January 31 - Quarterly IRS Form 941 Due. Form 941 is used to report your employer quarterly payroll taxes to the IRS. We have a step-by-step article on how to fill out Form 941 if you require assistance. January 31 - IRS Form 940 Due (if quarterly FUTA taxes were not paid when due). Form 940 is used to report your annual Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) tax. Along with state unemployment tax, FUTA tax funds are used to pay unemployment compensation to workers who have lost their jobs. For assistance with filling out this form, visit our FUTA Taxes and Form 940 article. January 31 - Distribute 1095-B & 1095-C Forms to employees. January 31 - Distribute Form 1099-NEC. A 1099-NEC form is used to report independent contractor pay information (total amount paid, if $600 or more). You must provide all contract employees with a copy of their 1099-NEC by Jan. 31. The NEC (non-employee compensation) form replaces the former 1099-MISC for reporting independent contractor pay. February February 1 - OSHA Form 300A - Paper Filing Deadline. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A is used for employers to record all reportable injuries and illnesses that occur in the workplace. The e-file deadline is in March. February 10 - IRS Form 940 Due (if quarterly FUTA taxes were paid when due). February 28 - Forms 1094-C and 1095-C - Paper Filing Deadline. These forms are used for ACA compliance for applicable large employers (ALE) to report health insurance information. The 1094 form acts as a cover sheet and the 1095 form should be submitted to the IRS. Feb. 28 is the paper filing deadline to ensure your forms are received by the IRS in time. The e-file deadline is in March. February 28 - Forms 1094-B and 1095-B - Paper Filing Deadline. These forms are used for ACA compliance for self-insured employers (those that do not qualify as an ALE) to report health insurance information. The 1094 form acts as a cover sheet, and the 1095 form should be submitted to the IRS. Feb. 28 is the paper filing deadline to ensure your forms are received by the IRS in time. The e-file deadline is in March. February 28 - Form 8809 - Paper Filing Deadline. Employers should submit this form to file for an extension to provide certain tax forms, such as W-2 or 1094-C. Submit this form by Feb. 28 for the IRS to receive your request in time. The e-file deadline is in March. March March 1 - Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement (MEWA) M-1 Form Due. This form is used to report health and other benefits to employees of two or more employers. Report information regarding a multiple employer welfare arrangement and any entity claiming exception (ECE). March 2 - Provide CMS Creditable Coverage Disclosure. A group health plan's prescription drug coverage is considered creditable if its value equals or exceeds the value of standard Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Employers who meet this requirement must provide a disclosure notice to any qualifying employee. March 2 - OSHA Form 300A - E-file Deadline. March 15 - S-Corp (Form 1120-S) and partnership (Form 1065) tax returns due. These forms are used to report income, profits, losses, dividends, and deductions of shareholders (S-Corp) and business partnerships. March 15 - Form 8809 - E-file Deadline. March 30 - Conduct Quarterly Performance Reviews. Conducting regular performance reviews of your employees can lead to increased productivity and profitability. Use our Employee Evaluation Forms to keep track of each employee’s performance and review. March 31 - Deadline to E-File Forms 1094-C and 1095-C. March 31 - Deadline to E-File Forms 1094-B and 1095-B. March 31 - EEO-1 Report. This report is required of all 1) private sector employers with 100+ employees, and 2) federal contractors with 50+ employees meeting certain criteria to submit demographic workforce data, including race/ethnicity, sex, and job category data in compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). March 31 - End of Quarter 1. April April 18 - Tax Day (Filing deadline for personal tax returns & C Corporations). April 18 - IRS Form 8928 Due. Employers should use this form to self-report COBRA administration compliance failures. April 28 - Summary Plan Description Due. Employers must provide documentation to all employees in retirement plans or health benefit plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). May May 1 - Quarterly IRS Form 941 and Form 720 Due. May 15 - Nonprofit Tax Returns Due - Form 990. June June 30 - Conduct Quarterly Performance Reviews. June 30 - End of Quarter 2. July July 14 - Midyear Compliance Check. Use this time to ensure you have all HR compliance paperwork prepared and submitted on time for the first half of the year and to begin preparation on the forms and paperwork required for the second half of the year. July 31 - PCORI Payment Deadline. The ACA has imposed a fee on issuers of specified health insurance policies and plan sponsors of applicable self-insured health plans to help fund the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). These payments will be due by any company with 50 or more full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. July 31 - Quarterly IRS Form 941 and Form 720 Due. July 31 - IRS Form 5500 Due. The 5500 form is used to report information about your 401(k) plan’s financial condition, investments, and operation to ensure compliance with government regulations. Details and the form are typically provided by your 401(k) provider. For help in filling this in, read our IRS Form 5500 guide. July 31 - IRS Form 5558 Request for Extension Due. Request for an extension for additional time to file employee plan returns (such as the Form 5500). August No key compliance due in the month of August. September September 15 - Begin Annual Healthcare Coverage Review. If your healthcare coverage plan is set for a Jan.1 renewal date, begin the process of reviewing your current coverage and speak with your healthcare provider to plan for the next year. If your annual plan falls under a different month, set your calendar reminder for three months prior. September 28 - PTO Balance Check for Employees. Remind your employees to check their paid time off (PTO) balances before Quarter 4 begins and to submit requests for the remainder of the year in a timely manner. September 29 - Summary Annual Report (SAR) Due. Summarizes for employees information that appears in an ERISA plan’s Form 5500. Admins must furnish SARs within nine months after the end of the plan year. September 29 - Conduct Quarterly Performance Reviews. September 29 - End of Quarter 3. October October 3 - QSEHRA Notice Deadline. Distribute a notice for Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA), a health cost reimbursement plan that can be offered by small business employers. This is for plans that begin on Jan. 1, 2024. October 13 - Medicare Part D - Notify Eligible Employees. October 31 - Quarterly IRS Form 941 and Form 720 Due. November November 1 - FSA Reminders. Send employees a reminder to submit any Flexible Spending Account (FSA) receipts and supporting documentation for reimbursement before year-end. December December 15 - Conduct Annual Compliance Audit. The last month of the year is a perfect time to conduct an audit of your company’s compliance. December 20 - Review Company Policies. The end of the calendar year is an excellent time to review your current policies in place and update your employee handbook. December 20 - Schedule employee safety training for January 2024. December 29 - Workplace Poster Requirements. Every year, you should replace the required workplace posters with updated posters. These include FLSA compliance, OSHA compliance, FMLA compliance, EEO, USERRA, and any others required by your specific state or type of business. December 29 - Distribute Company Calendar. This is the time to update your company holiday PTO calendar for the next year and note any internal highlights (such as birthdays and performance reviews). Distribute your updated calendar to all employees before the end of the year. December 29 - Conduct Annual Performance Reviews. December 29 - End of Quarter 4. Bottom Line Missing important deadlines can have monetary consequences. To avoid these mishaps, you should prepare compliance paperwork and forms in advance. Download our 2023 HR Compliance Calendar to stay on track throughout the year.

When interviewing candidates for open positions, the best interview questions to ask are those that are direct and job-specific. You will want to learn more about the candidate’s skills and education, as well as what they bring to the position and your company. Below, we cover the top interview questions to ask to measure culture/company fit, understand the candidate’s idea of personal growth, learn their work ethic, and measure their skills. Questions to Measure Culture/Company Fit It is important that any candidate you are considering hiring is a fit for your company and its established culture. Ask the candidate why they want to work for your company and learn more about what motivates them. 1. Why do you want to work for our company in this role? What do you know about the company? Asking the candidate what they know about your company and why they want to work for you helps you understand if the candidate did their research before the interview. Applicants that are serious about the jobs they apply for typically do some research about the company and find out what the culture is like. 2. Describe a situation where you went above and beyond in your role. Employees who go above and beyond are usually those that care a great deal about their work. Knowing how the candidate went beyond expectations can show you how they put forth every effort to make their deliverables excellent. You can glean information from this question about how steadfast the candidate may be in fulfilling their responsibilities. 3. How would you describe your leadership style? Not every candidate will be a leader in your business. However, this question is good for any potential employee to give some thought to how they would lead others. This will help you understand if the candidate has empathy or leads with a direct and decisive style. Personal Growth Questions Understanding a candidate’s strengths and career goals can help you determine if they are right for your open position. Stick to questions that allow the candidate to provide a deeper thought-out answer. 1. What are your career goals in direct relation to this job position? This is a better question than where do you see yourself in five years—it allows the candidate to tell you where they would like their career path to go with your company. This question can also let you know if the candidate has leadership qualities; however, if they answer they want to own the company, then they may have an overarching goal that doesn’t align with your needs. 2. Name two of your top strengths and describe how you can use those strengths in this job role. While we normally recommend steering clear of the strengths and weaknesses questions, asking the candidate how their strengths align with the job description can help you learn the soft skills the candidate has that will help them succeed in the job role. This can also point to where the potential employee may need additional training and development in the future. 3. How do you envision growth in your position? This is similar to the question you will ask during the second and third interviews where you want to know their career goals. However, this takes it a step further to discuss how they envision growth in the position. This will clue you in on their leadership style and ability to see beyond just the job description. Work Ethic/Process Approach Questions These interview questions are designed to get a more in-depth understanding of how the candidate would succeed in their role. Consider holding panel interviews with decision-makers and team members who will work directly with the candidate. You will also want to ask job-specific questions during this stage. 1. How do you prioritize your daily tasks? While this question does not give you insight into the skills the candidate may have to complete the job, it does let you know how the candidate thinks about their daily tasks. Ask them to elaborate on any area that they don’t provide enough information on. For instance, if the candidate says they perform important tasks first, ask them how they determine which tasks are the most important. This will allow you to see how well the candidate is at critical thinking. 2. Describe a project that you are proud of. How did you overcome any obstacles during this project? What was the outcome? These questions allow a candidate to showcase their skills and abilities and to tell you about a project that excited them. With this question, the candidate can give you insight into how they work on projects, how they prioritize tasks within the project, and how they like to be rewarded for their efforts. 3. Tell me about a time you've had to discuss a project scope change with a client or superior and the outcome of this discussion. At some point in their careers, most individuals have had to change the direction of a project. Asking the candidate to share how they went about telling the client or their boss about the change will show you how they deal with uncomfortable situations. 4. What motivates you to be successful in your role? This will show you how candidates find innovative solutions to problems, how they work with others, and how they feel their contributions make an impact on the company’s bottom line. Don’t just let them answer with a canned list of motivators such as money or reward. Ask them to elaborate on why those things motivate them. 5. Do you prefer to work independently or within a team? How does this look? Describe your style of working with a team or on a group project. Some employees prefer to work individually, while others prefer to work in a team environment. There is no right or wrong answer, but this can help you understand how the candidate can best get projects completed. Even if the candidate prefers to work individually, it is inevitable that they will work on a team project at some point, so it is a good idea to ask them how they would handle that situation. 6. In what environment do you feel most productive and why? Some employees want to work in an office environment surrounded by other people. This is where they feel most comfortable and can get the most work done. Others prefer to work remotely and individually. Knowing which way the candidate prefers to work can help you tailor their work experience to the way they feel most productive. Skills-assessment Questions These questions will help you learn more about the candidate, what motivated them to apply for the open position, and if they have the skills and experience required to fill the role. If you feel they may be a good fit, you can move them to the next stage in the interview process. 1. Tell me about your skills in (insert crucial skill for the role). Along with knowing the skills the candidate has that support the position they are applying for, you may also want to know how long they’ve been in practice with those skills. You may ask, How many years of experience do you have, and how would you rate yourself on a 1-10 scale, with 10 being an expert. 2. Tell me why your background and skills make you the perfect candidate for this position. Give the candidate another opportunity to explain the skills and background they have for the position they are applying for. This can reiterate anything they’ve said before and give you a clearer picture of what they will be capable of accomplishing in the role. Steer clear of asking why should I hire you because this question will not provide the details you need. 3. Can you walk me through your resume and explain your employment background and how it relates to this position? When a candidate goes through their resume and explains their past employment history, they will likely not just read from the resume but go into further detail about their experience. This will help you understand how they are qualified for the position and allow them to explain what certain titles or responsibilities mean. 4. What was it about the job description that caught your eye? This question will allow the candidate to explain the skills and experience they may possess for the job you are trying to fill. It will also let you know if the candidate has done their research and has knowledge of the job description of the position. More often than not, candidates apply to so many jobs that they may not even know what they are applying for. You are more likely to find a dedicated employee in a candidate that has done their research and is aware of the position they are applying for. Job-specific Interview Questions As stated, the best interview questions are specific to the industry or position the candidate is applying for. This will help you gauge whether the candidate can complete the tasks of the position. We’ve broken down these job-specific interview questions into categories according to common roles you might hire for: Candidate Expectation Questions Once your candidate has gone through a series of interviews, and you are close to making a hiring decision, it is a good idea to ask direct questions about the candidate’s expectations. 1. What are your salary requirements or expectations? Knowing if the candidate’s salary requirements align with what you are willing to pay is crucial. It is also important information to know upfront. It would be a waste of both your time and the candidate’s time to go through several rounds of interviews just to find out that you are not on the same page when it comes to salary. 2. What is your ideal work schedule? This question will tell you if the candidate is looking for a traditional 9-5 position, wants to work remotely, or is after a flexible schedule. Knowing their ideal work schedule will help you understand if the candidate will be happy working with your company during your peak business hours, or whether you need to consider a different schedule for the right employee. 3. When will you be available to start? Unless you have a specific day you want the candidate to begin work, always allow them the opportunity to tell you when they are available to begin. Some candidates may be ready to start immediately, some may need to provide a two-week notice, and others, especially those in top executive positions, may need to give a month to two-month notice to their current employer. 4. Do you have any questions for us? Always allow candidates to ask questions after interviews. This not only shows you care about what they have to say, but it will also give you some insight into what type of environment and culture the candidates are interested in. If you need help hiring your next top employee, consider , an applicant tracking system (ATS), that can help you throughout the entire hiring process, from recruiting to interviewing to hiring. It offers scheduling tools so you can easily set up interviews with candidates and will allow you to include screening questions during the application process. Bottom Line Asking the right questions of your candidates can make the interviewing and hiring process easier. It’s also a good idea to keep a scorecard for each candidate so you can better track responses to your questions. Additionally, applicant tracking systems like can help you keep track of your candidates during the interview process.

Unlike hourly and salaried employees, truckers may have pay rates based on miles driven or truckloads carried. The best payroll for trucking companies can support these unique scenarios and fulfill trucking-specific requirements while simplifying salary calculations, driver payment processing, and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) reporting. To find the top trucking payroll software, we looked at 18 options—from general payroll solutions to transportation management systems (TMS) that include payroll. We narrowed it down to our four best. : Best overall payroll software for trucking companies : Best for QuickBooks users : Best for growing trucking companies needing strong human resources (HR) tools : Best for trucking companies wanting a full TMS with driver settlement tools to pay contractors Best Trucking Payroll Software Compared All the trucking payroll software on our list can handle driver payments, direct deposits, and manual check payouts. Below are some of the standout features. *Contractor-only plan is for businesses without W-2 employees Payroll for Trucking Companies Quiz Gusto: Best Overall Payroll Software for Trucking Companies ranks No. 1 on our lists of the best online payroll software and leading payroll solutions. It is also our top-recommended payroll for trucking companies because it can manage pay processes for both driver and non-driver staff at reasonable rates. For a monthly fee of $40 plus $6 per person, it can calculate employee and contractor pay, handle PTO and time tracking, and file federal, state, and local taxes for you. It also offers essential HR tools like onboarding and new hire reporting and a variety of benefits options, from retirement plans to workers’ compensation and commuter benefits. However, its health insurance coverage isn’t as wide as those of QuickBooks Payroll and ADP Run—both have benefits plans that cover all 50 states, while Gusto’s is available only in 39 states as of this writing. TruckLogics doesn’t have this feature. Scoring 4.23 out of 5 in our evaluation, Gusto received perfect marks in pricing, reporting, and user popularity. Many users find its interface intuitive and its support team helpful. It also scored well in several of our other criteria, given its ease of use, efficient HR features, and solid payroll tools. It would have gotten a higher overall rating if not for the limited coverage of its health benefits and lack of TMS features, like IFTA information tracking. Gusto Key Features QuickBooks Payroll: Best for Trucking Companies Using QuickBooks Accounting is another popular system that has made our payroll best-of lists. When used with QuickBooks accounting software, it can integrate with TMSes, making it a great payroll option for trucking companies. Its pay processing tools are efficient and robust, letting you run unlimited payrolls with next- and same-day direct deposit options. It doesn’t charge for setup, plus it works with SimplyInsured for employee health benefits and Mammoth for expert HR support. This is in contrast to TruckLogics, which doesn’t offer benefits plans and lacks HR features. It earned 4.19 out of 5 in our evaluation, with perfect marks in pricing, HR features, and reporting. It scored the lowest in trucking-specific tools because QuickBooks Payroll doesn’t have a direct way to pay by miles—you have to manually calculate and input the applicable rates when you run payroll. However, with QuickBooks Online, you can set up vendor profiles for employees, so you can track and reimburse mileage per driver or import the information from your TMS. In terms of user feedback, many left positive comments on third-party review sites like G2 and Capterra. They commended QuickBooks Payroll’s ease of use and efficient pay processing tools. QuickBooks Payroll Key Features ADP Run: Best for Growing Trucking Companies Needing Strong HR Tools is a versatile payroll program that can meet the needs of small to large businesses in a variety of industries, including trucking. It has multiple payroll packages with a wide range of payroll and HR features to support trucking companies as they grow. It even offers professional employer organization (PEO) services if you need expert assistance in handling HR administrative tasks without expanding your in-house HR team. With an overall score of 3.52 out of 5 in our evaluation, it earned perfect ratings in HR features and reporting and high marks (4 and up) in user popularity and payroll functionalities. Compared to Gusto, ADP Run offers a wider range of payroll tools for truckers as it supports nondriver staff designations and integrates with trucking software. It also has background checks, which is useful when hiring drivers. However, nontransparent pricing, additional fees for year-end tax reporting, and the lack of IFTA tracking features prevented ADP Run from ranking higher on our list. In terms of user reviews, many reviewers said ADP Run is generally easy to use with efficient payroll tools that help save them time. Meanwhile, some users complained about pricing, adding that many of the features they need are paid add-ons or require a plan upgrade. ADP Run Key Features TruckLogics: Best for Trucking Companies Needing a Full TMS With Driver Settlement Tools to Pay Contractors is a comprehensive TMS that includes everything from truck dispatch and IFTA tracking to maintenance scheduling and driver management. It also has business intelligence tools and online document management, plus it can handle driver settlements and manage your accounts. It doesn’t have payroll tax filing capabilities and HR features like the other providers on our list. And if you want payroll for your nondriver staff, you have to integrate with third-party software solutions like PayWow, which can handle payments for contractors and hourly and salaried employees. PayWow is designed by the same company that made TruckLogics, so the two integrate seamlessly. However, you need a paid PayWow subscription to access its platform. Plus, PayWow’s complete payroll plan is available only in North and South Carolina as of this writing. With 3.5 out of 5 on our evaluation, TruckLogics earned high marks (3 and up) in most of our criteria with perfect scores in pricing and trucking-specific features. It lost points due to its lack of employee benefits options and HR solutions (like online onboarding) and the low number of average user reviews on third-party sites like G2 and Capterra. However, users still find TruckLogics easy to learn and use. They also appreciate its breadth of trucking management tools and good customer support. TruckLogics Key Features How We Chose the Best Payroll Software for Trucking Companies In our evaluation of the best trucking payroll software, we compared a mix of trucking software with payroll functionalities and payroll software that would allow payment by miles or loads. We chose solutions that offered the best combination of payroll processing and trucking-specific features, giving priority to the latter. Trucking-specific systems (like TMSes) usually scored high for trucking-related features but low for essential HR and payroll functionalities. Similarly, payroll software providers offer solid pay processing and HR solutions but limited trucking features. You’ll need to decide your priorities when selecting. To see our full evaluation criteria for the best payroll software for trucking companies, click through the tabs in the box below: Bottom Line Trucking companies have many moving parts to keep track of—and we’re not just talking about the trucks themselves. With the best trucking payroll software, especially one that is part of a TMS or can integrate with one, your office staff can keep your drivers paid on time and accurately. Although it’s not TMS software, we chose Gusto as the best payroll software for trucking companies. It has an excellent range of payroll and HR features, including benefits. In addition, you can set it to pay according to mileage or load rather than by hour or salary. It has a cheaper plan for contractors, too. Sign up for Gusto today.

Doing payroll in Japan isn’t as hard as in some other countries, but you will need to pay close attention to some specific rules and nuances you don’t face domestically. Because running international payroll means you have to abide by another country’s laws that you may not be familiar with, you must take your time and set yourself up for success. Use these seven steps as a guide on how to do payroll for Japanese workers—or, if you prefer a payroll service to handle most of the heavy lifting, expand the section below for a look at our top picks. Step 1: Set Up Your Business as an Employer Before running your first Japan payroll, you have to register your business. Like many other countries, Japan does not allow foreign companies to hire and pay employees inside Japan. Foreign companies can partner with and pay independent contractors, something that might be the more efficient option if you’re only looking for a handful of workers. But if you’re looking to hire a larger workforce or you intend to expand your presence in Japan and hire direct employees, you’ll need to either register as a business in Japan or partner with a local employer of record (EOR) that can manage your workforce. Step 2: Establish Your Payroll Process & Policies You’ll want to create a structured process to follow so that you don’t miss any vital payroll steps. Consider the following: Pay schedule: How frequently will you pay employees? The general payroll cycle in Japan is monthly, though you can do more frequent runs. If you pay monthly, all payments must be made by the 25th of each month. Type of employees: Are you looking to hire for a full-time or part-time role? Tracking time: How will you track employee hours, and how will it be reported to you? Benefits: What benefits will you offer? Who pays for them? How will you manage the payroll deductions? Taxes: How often will you need to pay taxes? What tax rates will you pay? How often do you need to remit taxes and to what agencies? Payroll processing and calculations: Will you calculate payroll by hand, via Excel, or through a payroll service or software? Paychecks: Will you write manual checks, use pay cards, pay via direct deposit, or pay in cash? To ensure your company processes Japan payroll effectively, you should also have policies on: Leaves: What leaves are required to be paid vs unpaid, and at what rates? Overtime: At what rate do you need to pay employees overtime, and for how many hours? Absences: How do you track absences and know whether they’re paid or unpaid, excused or unexcused? Holidays: What holidays are paid and at what rate? Step 3: Determine Salaries & Ensure Compliance The cost of living in Japan is much less than in the US, generally about half as much. In 2021, the average Japanese worker made ¥3,688,800 ($26,509.56) in a year. When determining what you’re going to pay your Japanese workers, consider their experience and skills, in addition to the cost of living. You may be able to save money by having Japanese workers, but you’ll still need to pay competitive rates to ensure you attract and retain the best talent. Payroll & Employment Law Compliance Japan has similar employment and payroll compliance laws to the US, but some go further in providing additional benefits to employees. It’s vital that you understand these differences so you remain compliant. Step 4: Collect Employee Data & Forms As with US-based employees, you’ll need to collect certain data from your Japanese employees. Japan doesn’t require employment contracts, though they are commonly used. Whether an employment contract or offer letter, your document must include the following, showing that both parties agree to the terms: The term of employment The physical location of the work The job description Working hours, overtime, rest periods, holidays, and leave Hourly rate and regular wage Terms for wage increases Termination of employment procedures You’ll also need to collect documentation to provide to government authorities. For example, you’ll need to submit pension and health insurance forms within five days of an employee’s start date. Step 5: Collect Time Sheets & Calculate Payroll When a business first launches, they often use paper time sheets. We don’t recommend this, as it’s ripe for errors and misuse. The best and most effective way to keep track of employee hours is to use time tracking software. Your employees clock in and out electronically, and your managers can review and approve time sheets before they get to your payroll team for processing. Once payroll gets the time sheets, they should still review them for accuracy. A second set of eyes to spot any glaring errors is crucial to ensuring your company runs payroll correctly each time. It’s easier to fix these errors before running payroll, and it creates a smoother process for everyone involved. When calculating your Japanese payroll, you’ll need to account for tax and payroll deductions. Missing these will leave you out of compliance and could cause costly fines and penalties from Japanese government agencies. Besides these payroll withholdings, you’ll also need to withhold appropriate income tax from your employee’s paychecks. Here are the current tax brackets in Japan. For reference, the top tax bracket here is equal to about $290,000. It’s also important to note that Japanese taxpayers are frequently taxed at the local level, usually at a flat rate of 10%. Step 6: Pay Employees Now that you’ve reached the point of calculating your payroll, it’s time to pay your employees. Make sure you’re following the pay schedule you’ve previously outlined and put into your employee’s contracts. If you have just a single or handful of employees in Japan, you may want to outsource your payroll to a local provider. They will be licensed and familiar with Japanese payroll laws and processes. While you’ll pay them a fee, it’ll likely be worth your time for just a few workers. However, if you have more employees or plan on dramatically expanding your Japanese workforce, you may want to hire an international payroll and HR expert to handle payroll in-house, depending on cost differences. If you opt not to outsource, make sure you or your payroll team are familiar with Japanese payroll laws and deductions to ensure you’re making the right deductions from employees’ paychecks and sending tax payments to the right Japanese government authorities. Step 7: Document & Store Your Payroll Records Payroll records in Japan must be kept for up to seven years. Your payroll records should include, at a minimum: Each employment contract for each employee The dates of employment and rate of pay The frequency of pay Deductions Total regular and overtime pay Net employee pay A Note on Japanese Culture Japanese work culture is quite different from US work culture. While both cultures encourage workers to work long hours and take little vacation time, US workers tend to be more forward than their Japanese counterparts, who often seek managerial approval for even routine decisions. This is a nod to traditional Japanese culture called ho-ren-so, yielding authority to elders and those in higher positions. This often results in slow decision-making processes and a feeling of micromanagement since employees must seek approval for all decisions. While remote work is becoming more common, if you have a workplace in Japan, expect it to be much more formal than in the US. Business casual isn’t really an idea in Japan. Most workers who aren’t in uniform stick to traditional business attire. In the US, we often see co-workers at the bar together having a drink and letting off steam. In Japan, they do the same thing and while it’s not a requirement, there is more social pressure and even an expectation to engage in these activities. There’s also more focus in Japan on the company’s goals instead of the career path of the individual workers. While workers band together as a team, that can come at the detriment of their individual career interests. This is why cultural fit is extremely important when hiring in Japan. Bottom Line Doing payroll in Japan for the first time is overwhelming but it can be done. If you’ve determined that adding Japanese employees is right for your business, make sure you stay compliant by following this guide.