The Best HR Tools

Choosing the right HR tool can be the difference between simply managing processes and truly driving change. The best platforms don’t just handle payroll or performance reviews. They give HR leaders the evidence, efficiency and insights to make fair, confident decisions that shape the future of work.

In this guide, we’ve highlighted some of the leading HR tools on the market today. Each one earns its place on the list for how it helps organisations simplify people management, strengthen workforce strategy, and create better outcomes for employees and the business.

HR Datahub - Real-time salary benchmarking for confident pay decisions

Why it made the list: It gives HR leaders live, UK-specific pay data to make fair, confident decisions.

HR Datahub is a UK-specific salary benchmarking tool that taps into over 30 million live job postings, pulling fresh pay data daily from across the country, including niche roles and local trends, so you always have the most accurate and current market insight. 

• Real-Time Reach: Data is updated daily from 30M+ UK job posts, so you can track shifting salary dynamics in real time.
  
• Local Insight on Demand: Search pay by job title, industry or UK location within seconds.
  
• Competitive Edge: The platform surfaces what competitors are paying, helping you stay market-competitive and retain top talent without overpaying.
  
• No Submission Required: Benchmark instantly – no need to submit your own salary data or wait for survey results. It’s all done for you, in real time.
  
• Time Saved = Strategy Time: What used to take weeks of data collection now happens in just a few clicks, so you can focus on shaping equitable reward strategies.

HR Datahub gives you data-led confidence, helping you make salary decisions that are equitable, defensible, and strategically sound, whether you're closing gender pay gaps, planning budgets or preparing for pay reviews.

Workday - Unified Cloud Platform for HR, Finance and Planning

Why it made the list: For offering large organisations a powerful, scalable system that seamlessly combines HR, payroll, finance, planning, and analytics in a single platform.

Workday is a cloud enterprise platform designed to put people and your bottom line at the centre of business operations. Built on a foundation of modern architecture, Workday unifies human capital management, financial management and planning, so you gain faster, data-driven insights and smoother cross-functional workflows.

• One System, Less Friction: Workday breaks down silos between HR and Finance, giving teams the flexibility to manage people and money in one configurable system.
  
• Agile, AI-Powered Intelligence: Workday Illuminate™ and embedded AI help automate routine tasks and surface insights that drive smarter decisions across finance and people operations
  
• Global Scalability with Local Relevance: It supports global enterprises with compliance, payroll, and HR functionality across multiple regions.
  
• Security + Adaptability: Designed for change and scale, Workday delivers enterprise-grade security and privacy controls, with an open platform for extensions.

Workday is ideal for large organisations looking to unify HR, finance, and analytics under one roof to create a single "system of work" that drives organisational clarity, collaboration and agility.

Gusto - All-In-One Payroll, Benefits & HR for SMEs

‍Why it made the list: Simplifies core HR tasks such as payroll, compliance, benefits and onboarding into a single, intuitive platform.

Gusto is a modern, cloud‑native HR platform that puts people first by automating and streamlining your payroll, benefits and HR in one refreshingly easy-to-use system with access to licensed benefits advisors and (on Concierge) certified HR pros. It’s particularly well-suited for small and medium-sized businesses that want enterprise-grade functionality without complexity or hidden costs.

• Effortless Payroll & Compliance: Gusto makes payroll fast and reliable with unlimited runs, automatic tax filings, and built-in compliance.
  
• Integrated Benefits & Employee Support: You can manage health, retirement, workers’ compensation, financial wellness tools and more, all from one platform.
  
• Connected HR Functionality: From hiring and onboarding to time tracking and document templates, it helps ensure HR workflows are efficient, organised, and people-centred.
  
• User-Friendly & Time-Saving: Users' testimonials praise ease of use and quick setup.

Gusto is perfect for small to mid-sized businesses that want a single platform to handle everything from paying teams and offering benefits to managing compliance and HR basics. 

TalentLMS - Scalable, AI-Powered Learning Management System

Why it made the list: Makes corporate training approachable and impactful by helping HR and L&D leaders deliver meaningful learning experiences with minimal friction.

TalentLMS is a cloud-native Learning Management System (LMS) that empowers organisations to launch training rapidly, equip learners across teams or regions, and measure outcomes with clarity and ease. It’s built for internal learning, compliance training, onboarding, partner education and skill development.

• Fast, Hands-off Setup: Get training up and running in days, not weeks with self-service templates, intuitive dashboards, and ready-made courses from TalentLibrary™.
  
• Built for Engagement & Measurable Results: AI tools generate course content on the fly, gamification (leaderboards, badges, points) drives participation, and learning paths guide progress with visible milestones.
  
• Enterprise Scalability with Flexibility: Support thousands of learners with features like branches (separate learning portals with custom branding), multilingual capability, mobile access and detailed reporting.
  
• Trusted Across Sizes and Sectors: Used by tens of thousands of teams, TalentLMS offers the structure and tools needed for internal, partner and customer training.
  
• Designed for Learning Efficiency: Learner-friendly dashboards, built-in automation, and analytics save administrators time while ensuring training is engaging, inclusive and impactful.

TalentLMS is a solid choice for HR professionals and L&D teams who want to accelerate learning, boost learner engagement and drive measurable development, without losing control or visibility.

UKG - Enterprise-Grade HCM & Workforce Management with a People-First Ethos

Why it made the list: Gives organisations a comprehensive, AI-powered platform that streamlines HR, payroll, scheduling and workforce analytics.

UKG offers a robust Human Capital Management (HCM) and workforce management suite valued by more than 80,000 organisations worldwide – from small businesses to large global enterprises.

Key Strengths

• A Unified HR & Workforce Platform: Whether you’re hiring, scheduling, analysing or paying your teams, UKG consolidates operations into one streamlined suite.
  
• Deep, Actionable Insights with Scale: UKG’s analytics tools and reporting help you reduce labour costs, improve productivity and build trust across your organisation.
  
• AI-Powered Guidance & Employee Experience: Gives personalised, timely support, helping employees navigate tasks, schedules or workplace challenges.
  
• Intelligent Scheduling & Time Management: Whether salaried, hourly, hybrid, or gig-based, UKG simplifies even the most complex scheduling and time-tracking scenarios.
  
• Built for Culture-First Organisations: Helps build seamless automations, inclusive experiences, and self-service workflows that support people at every stage of their career.

UKG is an integrated suite that blends strategic workforce planning, AI-led insights, and culture-led design. It's an ideal choice for HR leaders aiming to unify people, purpose, and processes.

Making the Most of HR Tools

The best HR tools keep the wheels turning and empower HR leaders to make fairer, smarter decisions and create workplaces where people thrive. From payroll to performance, each tool on this list has its own strengths. But when it comes to pay decisions, HR Datahub gives you something unique: real-time salary benchmarking that turns fair pay into a competitive advantage.

Ready to see how your pay stacks up? Explore HR Datahub’s features today and sign up for a free trial.