Namely is a cloud-based HR software that’s optimal for businesses with 50 to 1,000 employees. It integrates a suite of HR tools and compliance solutions into one platform, enabling users to efficiently handle employee-related processes. Namely also offers managed services designed to reduce administrative tasks in processing employee payroll and administering benefit plans.
What We Recommend Namely For
With Namely, you get a wide range of HR solutions—from recruitment and onboarding and benefits to payroll and talent management. This helps businesses efficiently manage all facets of the employee lifecycle while streamlining processes.
Similar to popular HR software, Namely has a customizable platform to which you can add other modules like time tracking, HR compliance, and benefits administration. It also lets you store staff data, onboard new hires, track paid-time-off (PTO) requests, and engage employees using a social media-like company news feed. In addition, it offers managed services that allow you to outsource day-to-day payroll and benefits administration tasks.
In short, Namely is best for:
- Growing businesses with at least 50 employees: Namely’s customizable platform and suite of HR, benefits, and payroll tools enable companies to easily manage employee-related processes and establish a company culture foundation while growing their business. They can also easily add one on each platform separately as the need arises and more employees are brought onboard.
- Companies with a small or one-man HR team: Namely’s managed services help HR professionals handle payroll and benefits administration more efficiently, serving as a resource so they’re not doing it alone. Its compliance product comes with access to live HR experts with whom you can discuss your challenges.
When Namely Would Not Be a Good Fit
- Small businesses with 50 or fewer employees that primarily need payroll: While Namely offers a wide range of HR solutions, its functionalities may be too complex for small businesses that require only basic payroll and time tracking tools. It also has a minimum contract amount of $15,000 for the year if you opt for all of their services, $10,000 if you only need the core HR plan, so it’s not the most affordable for smaller businesses either. For better options, check out our best payroll software guide and our list of best online payroll services.
- Employers looking for an HR platform that’s quick to set up: Namely requires an average of six to eight weeks before its platform can be ready to use. Other HR software, such as Zenefits, come with easy system configurations and fast implementation timelines. Check out our guide on the best HR software for more options.
Looking for something different? Read our guide to the best HRIS/HRMS software for small businesses to find a solution that’s right for you.
Namely Overview
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Easy to use | Pricing isn’t transparent |
| A wide range of HR tools in one solution | Not ideal for businesses with less than 50 employees |
| Cloud-based and customizable platform | Lacks international payroll capabilities |
| Offers managed payroll and benefits administration services | System setup and implementation takes a long time (average of six to eight weeks) |
Namely Pricing
Namely doesn’t publish its pricing details on its website. You have to contact the provider to request a demo and ask for a custom quote. A third-party site claims that its monthly fees start at $12 per employee. New clients are also charged a one-time implementation fee.
Note, however, that Namely requires a minimum contract amount of $15,000 if you purchase all of its services, $10,000 if you opt for the core HR plan, and $13,000 if you sign up for HR and payroll but no benefits. Businesses with less than 50 employees may opt to sign up for its services, but the contract amount may be too steep, especially for those who only need basic HR or payroll tools.
In addition, unlike similar HR system providers, Namely doesn’t have tiered pricing. What it offers is an “HR Fundamentals” package with a people operations system as its core solution. You can choose to add other paid tools such as payroll, benefits administration, HR compliance, time and attendance, and recruiting. There’s also an “Enhanced Services” option that allows you to subscribe to its managed payroll and benefits services.
Namely Features
Namely’s cloud-based solutions are designed to help you recruit, onboard, pay, and manage employees. It also offers mobile apps (for iOS and Android devices) and a self-service tool that enables employees to request PTOs and view pay slips online.
Employee Data Management
Aside from storing employee information online, you can use Namely to track important staff movements and milestones like hiring, name and address changes, terminations/separations, and rehiring. With its streamlined integrations, employee information flows seamlessly between Namely’s modules and its partner systems.
Namely’s employee profiles contain each staff’s data such as personal information, skills, banking details, and compensation history.
Recruiting and Onboarding
Finding and hiring top talents will be much easier tasks with Namely’s recruiting and onboarding solutions. Its features include custom job workflows, offer letters, a resume parser, and a searchable database.
Its integration with E-Verify and Adobe allows you to easily conduct background checks and have electronic documents signed online, respectively. Namely also has a calendar sync feature that lets you keep track of recruiting-related deadlines on Gmail and Outlook calendars.
In addition, you are granted access to onboarding templates that you can modify to fit your business’ new employee orientation requirements. Namely even helps to eliminate the need to maintain manual forms since all new hire documents are securely stored within its platform.
Employee Time and Attendance
Namely can help you monitor PTO requests and track employee clock-ins and outs. It comes with a real-time scheduling tool that allows eligible users to create and manage employee schedules.
With Namely’s mass editing feature, you can change employee schedules and/or approve PTO requests in just one click.
Payroll Processing
Given Namely’s integrated platform, all employee data (such as personal details, time and attendance, and benefits information) flow seamlessly into its payroll module. This makes it easy for you to process employee pay without having to manually extract data from various systems and upload it into Namely.
This module also has the capability to process payroll for multiple pay groups—from biweekly to monthly paid employees. You can even change employee pay cycles as many times as you need.
Apart from pay processing, Namely offers simple tax filing of federal, state, and local payroll taxes. The provider can also handle your year-end reporting such as Forms W-2 and 1099.
Benefits Administration
Its benefits administration solution features plan management, online employee benefits enrollments, carrier feeds, and embedded help tools. It comes with Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting in which Namely files 1094 and 1095 forms on your behalf.
After your employees have selected their plan options in Namely, they can be automatically enrolled with benefits carriers using EDI feeds.
Talent Management
With its talent management solution, you can assess employee performance and automate review cycles. It comes with configurable templates, intuitive forms, goals management, and unlimited performance reviews. You can even use it to define and add competencies, allowing your employees to pull these directly into their performance review forms.
Namely can help you track the progress of annual performance review cycles.
HR Compliance
With its HR Compliance module, you are granted unlimited access to certified HR advisers who can help you mitigate employee-related compliance risks. It comes with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) logs for recording workplace injuries, an updatable “living handbook” that contains your company’s policies, and a learning management solution to educate employees about business-related regulations.
Company News Feed
One way to keep your workforce engaged is to recognize their good work. With Namely’s company news feed, you can praise your employees while keeping them informed of important company updates. What I like about the tool is that it has a social media platform feel to it, enabling employees to “like” posts and add comments.
Namely’s company news feed shows the employees who were recently hired and are celebrating important milestones such as birthdays and work anniversaries.
Integration Options with Open API
Namely’s open application programming interface (API) allows users to connect it to other business apps, such as applicant tracking systems (ATSes), learning solutions, benefits account and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) administration providers, and international payroll tools. Here are some of its partner systems.
- ATSes: Greenhouse, JazzHR, Breezy, Jobvite, ApplicantStack, Recruiterbox
- Benefits and COBRA administration providers: Discover Benefits and Ameriflex
- Identity management and single sign-on tools: Okta, BetterCloud, and Google Workspace
- International payroll solutions: Blue Marble Payroll, iiPay, and Vistra
- Employee recognition systems: Bonusly, Kazoo, and Fond
- Learning platforms: Absorb, Litmos, Travitor, and Lessonly
- Employee feedback software: Culture Amp, 15Five, Lattice, and Small Improvements
- Compensation management tools: SimplyMerit, CompensationCloud, and Payfactors
- Time and attendance solutions: QuickBooks Time (formerly TSheets), Boomr, and Replicon
- Other business systems: Workato, Pingboard, OrgChart Now, and Zapier
Reporting Tools and Analytics
Namely has a comprehensive reporting tool, wherein you can either run pre-made reports or create a custom one that meets your needs. It also comes with point-in-time reporting, allowing you to compare key HR metrics based on specific dates.
You also get dashboards that contain visual analytics on various HR metrics.
Namely Ease of Use
- User-friendly interface
- Onboarding tools
- Implementation specialists
- Employee self-service and mobile apps
- In-app help button
- How-to guides and a community forum
Customizability and having a user-friendly interface are some of the factors you need to consider when looking for an HR software. With Namely, you get platform configurability and a comprehensive solution suite designed to help you efficiently manage all aspects of the employee entire lifecycle. Plus, it has an interface that’s easy to learn and use.
Similar to popular HR platforms, Namely offers self-service tools that let your employees manage basic HR tasks themselves like requesting and tracking PTOs, accessing pay slips, and viewing benefits information online. This enables you to focus more on business building strategies and spend less time handling day-to-day HR processes.
In case you need help or have questions about its functionalities, Namely offers live phone support. The provider also has an online chat and an in-app help tool, or you can even connect with other Namely clients through a community forum.
Top Namely Alternatives
Best for: Small businesses wanting an all-in-one payroll and HR software | Best for: Small employers needing an integrated HR platform | Best for: Startups (with up to five employees) that want free to use HR tools |
Monthly fees from: $99 per employee | Monthly fees from: $10 per employee | Monthly fees from: Free (up to five employees); $1 per employee if more than five |
What Users Think About Namely
Many users who left Namely reviews online said that its ease of use, customization options, and onboarding tools are its standout features. They also like that it has a wide range of HR solutions, enabling them to efficiently manage employees, staff information, and payroll.
On the other hand, there are mixed reviews about its customer service. Some users said that the support team isn’t always responsive, while others commented that they received good service. There are also those who complained about occasional data sync issues, open benefits enrollment errors, and “clunky” workflows.
At the time of publication, Namely reviews earned the following scores on popular user review sites:
- Capterra: 4.1 out of 5 based on 392 reviews
- G2: 3.8 out of 5 based on 192 reviews
When reading through user reviews, I noticed some of these trends:
Users Like | Users Don’t Like |
|---|---|
Easy to use; has a modern interface with many customizations | Not all of its features are intuitive; you sometimes have to click several tabs instead of just one |
Efficient onboarding tools | Some of its HR tools are “clunky” to use (such as workflows and benefits enrollments) |
The community forum is a helpful resource | Inconsistent customer support |
Bottom Line
Namely is an ideal option for businesses (with 50 to 1,000 employees) that need a customizable HR platform with employee management, payroll, and benefits administration tools. System setup may not be as quick as other HR software providers, but you are granted access to a team of specialists who will help guide you through the implementation process. If you need assistance processing employee payroll and benefits, you can subscribe to its managed services in which Namely will handle the said processes for you.
Sign up for a free Namely demo today.
