10 Best Namely alternatives for small businesses

Namely is a relatively popular human capital management platform (HCM) for businesses that want to get organised with HR tasks and processes. It allows busy HR teams to take care of core HR and other elements like payroll from one central dashboard.

But Namely isn’t the only HR tool out there, and by the looks of it, you’re ready to consider something different for workforce planning and human resources management.

Finding the right HR solution takes time and energy. We know you’re short on both, so we’ve put in the hours to bring you this informed guide on the best Namely alternatives to consider for small businesses.

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What is Namely?

Namely is a cloud-based HR software solution designed to help HR teams manage core HR, compliance, and employee engagement. With Namely you can also opt in to services like payroll administration and benefits advice, but this is only suited to businesses based in the US. 

With its range of services and features, Namely works best for mid-sized companies with 25-1,000 employees. Smaller businesses often find the platform isn’t quite what they need, and much larger businesses would see benefits from switching to an enterprise-level software instead.

Reasons to use Namely for your business

There are lots of HR software tools out there, and Namely has a lot to offer the right audience. Let’s explore some of the main reasons why someone might choose Namely for their business.

Wide range of features

Namely’s features span across the entire employee lifecycle, and you can manage not only core HR but the platform also features benefits administration and payroll management software. This is attractive to companies that want to scale back to using just one (or a handful) of tools to manage HR and operations. 

Access to mobile apps

Not every HR platform has a dedicated mobile app, but Namely does. The iOS and Android apps are free to install and give you and your team members access to profiles, time off management, employee updates, and payslips. If you have lots of employees that aren’t office based or travel regularly, this can be a real pro.

Can also streamline your payroll processes

Namely can support HR teams to streamline payroll by either integrating it within the platform or using their managed payroll service. The software supports timesheets, scheduling, expense tracking, payroll cycles, and more. Note that this is designed for US businesses, and isn’t suitable for payroll for UK businesses.

Cons of using Namely for your small business

Namely offers plenty of core HR features, but these aren’t always intuitive to use compared to alternatives. Learn about Namely’s weaknesses and what other customers say about their experience. 

Complicated onboarding process

When new employees first sign up to Namely, the onboarding steps aren’t as clear and automated as other HR software tools out there. For example, there is no handbook integration to give employees visibility on company policies straight away, and no checklist to keep track of onboarding tasks.

This means some information needs to be manually communicated to new joiners (not ideal if you’re a one-person HR team at a small company!). Alternatives offer onboarding processes designed to ensure new joiners have all the information they need directly from their HR platform.

The product is clunky and not updated regularly

Namely’s platform has lots of features but these don’t always work as smoothly as expected, which affects the ease of use. User reviews note that the benefits feature is difficult to use without lots of training, and the performance review function is challenging to set up.

Customers have also commented on the lack of regular product improvements. If you’re looking for an HR platform that listens to feedback and makes regular improvements, there may be better alternatives for you — like Charlie.

It lacks features for employee engagement

Although culture-building is listed as one of the main highlights on Namely’s website, the product itself lacks culture and employee engagement functionality.

Unlike some alternatives, the platform doesn’t offer surveys or polls to gather employee feedback. There’s a company newsfeed and employee recognition, but businesses looking for a culture-heavy solution may be disappointed.

When to consider a Namely alternative

We’ve explored some of the pros and cons of choosing Namely as your main HR software, but how do you know when it’s time to switch or find an alternative?

Here are some of the main reasons we think you should look for an alternative to Namely:

• You want a software tool designed for UK-based small businesses
• You’re juggling HR alongside other responsibilities, like being CEO or managing director
• You want software that’s affordable
• You want a quick and easy onboarding process — both for you and your employees
• You don’t want to sit through sales calls and demos
• You just want to get started now, without waiting weeks for onboarding

This isn’t a complete list, and you might have another reason for seeking out another way to manage your core HR needs. Every business is different, and it’s our goal with this guide to help you find the right alternative to match your needs.

Support your small business with the best Namely alternative

There isn’t a shortage of alternatives to Namely, but some are better than others. It all comes down to what you need the software for, what your priorities are, and what your budget is.

‍If you’re a small business in the UK though, our recommendation is Charlie. We’ve designed Charlie to have everything a small business needs to streamline time-consuming HR tasks and cut down on repetitive admin. 

Here’s why we think Charlie is ideal for small businesses: 

• Focused on the actual needs of small businesses in the UK
• Developed based on our experiences as a UK SaaS company and customer feedback
• Simple and user-friendly
• Affordable for even the smallest of teams and micro businesses
• Covers the entire employee lifecycle from onboarding to offboarding
• Automations to simplify workflows and processes
• Access more than 30,000+ employee perks, at no extra charge
• Responsive and personalised customer support
• Charlie Recruit and Charlie Advice allow you to get even more from the software

It’s hard to know whether something is right for you without trying it first. That’s why we’re inviting you to take a free trial of Charlie to experience it for yourself. Sign up now, with no credit card or commitment required, to see how Charlie can help you transform the way you handle HR.