You’re researching to find a new payroll provider, and you realize there are several factors you need to consider. For example, do you want to work with a national or independent payroll provider?
In addition to figuring out what kind of partner you want, you also need to ask yourself the following:
- What services does my company need?
- What services should I be using that I’m not using now?
- Which payroll providers will understand my industry needs?
- Which partners should I evaluate during this process?
At Whirks, we’ve researched the top providers in the market. We know that finding the right payroll provider is not a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Some providers make a better fit for specific industries and companies.
In this article, we’re going to explore Paylocity and Whirks by comparing their features and their pros and cons. This will help you in understanding what type of provider will be a better fit for you and your team.
Who is Paylocity?
Paylocity is a publicly-traded, SaaS-based human capital management provider founded in 1997 by Steve Sarowitz in Illinois.
Today they have over 15,000 clients and claim a client retention rate of 94% per their website.
Paylocity markets its services to small, midsize, and large employers. They offer services to a variety of industries, such as:
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
- Nonprofits
- Education
- Restaurants
- Retail & wholesale
- Transportation
- Professional services
What services does Paylocity offer?
Paylocity offers a plethora of cloud-based services for companies, including:
- Workforce management & expense management software
- Flexible Benefit Administration
- Payroll services
- Performance Management
- Recruiting & Onboarding management
- Data Insights
A dedicated account manager works with you and your team, and additional support is available as well. Paylocity provides an entire online course catalog for training administrators, supervisors, and employees on using their products.
Their implementation periods can last between 30 days and 15 weeks, according to current clients.
They do not publish pricing on their website; however, one blog published on 360 Quadrants claims that Paylocity pricing starts at $2-4.00 dollars per employee per month, depending on the specific modules purchased.
Another independent reviewer claimed Paylocity’s pricing begins with a base rate + a transaction fee. For a better idea about pricing, contact Paylocity directly.
Paylocity Pros
One of the advantages of working with Paylocity is that they are the first cloud-based HR platform in the marketplace. Customers report ease of use with the product and enjoy the dedicated support rep model for customer support and questions.
In addition to the scalable, cloud-based payroll & HR solution, Paylocity has access to hundreds of integrations, including retirement savings. They also have robust mobile capabilities for employees.
Paylocity Cons
One of the disadvantages of working with Paylocity is its extended implementation timelines. Their ancillary products for recruiting, hiring, and learning management are not as easy to use as their payroll & HR modules.
They do not have a database for reporting, which frustrates customers needing to aggregate data across multiple entities.
Customers experience frustration as Paylocity continues to grow and employ call centers, which removes a personal touch from their service.
Their pricing model is quote-specific and varies by the company, which creates ambiguity for potential prospects wanting to get a basic quote for their services.
Who is Whirks?
Whirks is a privately held HCM, payroll, and HR provider, founded in 2003 by Matt Patrick.
We started as Patrick Payroll and became an isolved in 2017 and rebranded to Whirks a couple of years later. Currently, we serve small and midsize businesses with up to 500 employees.
Our niche space is home health care, manufacturing, and white collared service providers like real estate, banking, and mortgage lending companies.
What services does Whirks offer?
Whirks offers a full suite of human capital management solutions from pre-hire to retire, including:
- Applicant Tracking
- Scheduling
- Time & attendance
- Benefits administration
- Payroll
- Learning Management
- Performance Management
In addition to HCM solutions, we also offer in-house HR consulting. This includes employee handbook creation, labor compliance, and an HR hotline.
Our pricing is divided into two tiers for small and midsize businesses. Today, we serve 300 clients and pay over 10,000 employees, with a client retention rate of 97%.
We offer our services to a variety of industries, such as:
- Restaurant and hospitality groups
- Home Health, Hospice, and Homecare agencies
- Franchise operators
- Financial Service Providers
- Gyms, Salons, and health and beauty providers
- Attorneys
- Real estate industry service providers
- Automotive industry
- Wholesale and retail providers
- Specialty medical practices
The pros of working with Whirks
We started as an accounting firm, so we are trade experts in multi-state payroll tax compliance, nexus, and tax credit consulting.
We are also the reseller of a larger tech platform, isolved, which consistently includes new product releases and technology updates. Based on customer surveys, software reviews ranked isolved as the #1 in workforce management for the midmarket.
Our small team strives to combine cutting-edge HCM technology with white glove customer service. We assign a dedicated client success specialist to your account, and you can directly contact them for any questions or concerns via phone, email, or live chat.
Implementation usually takes 30 days, while additional product rollouts can be undertaken in 14 days or less, depending on a client’s needs.
The cons of working with Whirks
One of the cons to working with us is that we only process payroll in 42 states to date, so we may not be familiar with specific needs in certain states.
We also do not own our HCM technology, which makes us dependent on isolved for product evolutions & technology updates.
Some of our past clients have been disappointed in the lack of timekeeping integrations that isolved offers and have reported being unfamiliar with several features they could have utilized.
We are not a good fit for companies with international payroll needs or employers who have more than 1500 people working for them.
Because we’re small and don’t have a call center, support is limited to office hours (8:30-5:30 CST).
Keep comparing.
There are many pros to working with Paylocity or Whirks, especially if you’re a midsize employer with custom payroll & HR software needs.
But you need to find the ideal fit for your business and your team. A national provider may offer the round-the-clock support that you want. Or, you may be a growing business that feels more comfortable with local help and in-person training.
As you continue searching for the right payroll provider, jot down which features and services matter to you the most. Continue to read articles, watch demos, and explore software reviews, so that you end up with the best fit for you.
For more information on other payroll providers, check out this article on ADP. Or explore the five crucial questions to ask a potential payroll provider.
