Pros & Cons of Rippling: Analysis of a Top HR Software in 2024

A bad onboarding experience plays a major role in a new hire’s decision to immediately leave a company. For example, on his first  day of work, a new hire is instead buried in paperwork as HR rushes him to complete his company benefits enrollment. His workstation is still not setup because of a miscommunication between HR and IT team.

By the end of the day, the new hire feels not only unproductive and unmotivated. Situations like this are unfortunately more common that what some may think. And more often than not, it takes the right HR software to resolve these problems.

In this article, we will look into the pros and cons of an HR software solution called Rippling, and examine if its tools and features can address the issues described above. By discussing its strong points and areas that need improvement, you will know whether this software solution is worth the investment.

Human resources play a vital role in helping employees across the organization to adapt not only to new roles but also to new environments. In the midst of a global pandemic that shook the foundation of normal business operations, HR managers are also reevaluating their roles.

According to Valoir CEO, Rebeccae Wetteman, HR leaders must also be data scientists and IT experts. Both skills will come in handy in figuring out effective strategies to help business organizations survive and thrive in the current environment. To be able to do all of these, HR must leverage technology and be more creative not only in hiring and keeping employees engaged and productive, but also cared for both physically and mentally.

A recent study by McKinsey & Company involving more than 190 business leaders reveals the five activities HR is most likely to invest in the next 12 months. The activity that the respondents would like to invest in the most is workforce planning and strategy. Learning and development come in next, which can mean investing more in LMS systems to upskill and reskill employees. Rewards and recognition, as well as employee engagement and connection, are also on the list of activities. Meanwhile, hiring and onboarding placed last in the five areas HR would likely invest in the next 12 months.

Looking at this list of HR activities, it may seem like two or more applications are needed to execute them. There, however, is one software solution that can carry out these functions and more and it is called Rippling. In this article, we will look into what makes this employee management application a top HR management solution.

What Is Rippling?

Rippling is an all-in-one HR and IT software solution designed to help HR teams manage the employee lifecycle. This user-friendly application comes with powerful automation tools, including setting up payroll, 401k, health insurance, other benefits, and more. Among Rippling’s core functionalities is its recruitment and onboarding, which HR managers can use to map and automate the onboarding procedure in minutes instead of hours.

The HR application also comes with IT management services, which play a key role in managing remote employees and their devices. And as part of Rippling’s core employee management platform, payroll and benefits administration are also automated by syncing HR data with the payroll system.

Rippling is built to accommodate the needs of small- to medium-sized businesses. In terms of pricing, all services are quote-based, which allows clients to have a subscription package tailored to their business’ needs.

Pros and Cons of Rippling

Just like other software solutions, Rippling has both its advantages and disadvantages; let’s take a look at the main pros and cons in this section.

1. Fast Onboarding

Rippling takes pride in its onboarding process, which can be as fast as 90 seconds. With the help of powerful automations and tools, getting new hires onboard can be as simple as logging basic hiring information into the system. This benefits not only managers but also new hires as both can save time from having to manually complete loads of paperwork. Furthermore, this saves the company on manpower and costs.

2. Global Payroll Management

Rippling’s payroll management platform automatically calculates salary deductions, including taxes and more.

One of the services that make Rippling ideal for businesses with remote workers is its ability to process payroll for employees across the globe in a matter of minutes. What makes this possible is Rippling’s data synchronization feature, which includes tracked hourly work and PTO, compliance, wage and salary information report, tax computations, and more. Rippling also integrates with leading accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite ERP. You can also use third-party time tracking tools such as TSheets and Deputy.

3. Comprehensive Benefits Management

Taking care of employee benefits is another tedious and time-consuming process, especially if you are tasked to scout for new benefits. Rippling’s benefits management tools streamline and automate all the necessary steps, including enrolling onboarded employees. Once onboarded, new hires will automatically receive an invitation to choose their own coverage plan as they enroll in the company benefits. And to make sure that all onboarded employees can complete their benefits enrollment within the given timeframe, you can also track their progress on your dashboard.

This function also automates the computation of deductions, such as tax and insurance coverage. Furthermore, Rippling’s benefits management also helps in assessing which employee qualifies for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).

In terms of health insurance for employees, this platform also gives you access to more than 4,000 benefits plans from the country’s leading health insurance carriers such as Aetna and BlueCross Blue Shield.

4. Centralized Employee Database

Employees’ company profiles are created during onboarding and updated automatically as employees change their status, roles, departments, etc., during their stay in the company. Having a centralized employee database also makes it easier to manage and track employee benefits in real-time.

5. Robust Security Measures

Rippling is equipped with robust security features, including RPass, which is a built-in password manager. RPass generates and saves a strong password for the team, as well as enables two-factor authentication when logging into applications or websites. RPass also allows password autofill on and sharing login credentials on trusted apps and websites. Furthermore, Rippling conducts regular security checks to ensure cybersecurity compliance.

6. Real-Time Activity and Device Monitoring

Also called real-time activity stream, this gives you view access to the employees’ devices and monitors app activity. This feature allows you to see what applications are being used, the users that log in on devices, the login time, as well as the location where a user logs in on an app. While this may seem invasive to some, it is important to note that this feature is only enabled in company-provided devices that come preinstalled with activity monitoring solution to ensure productivity and security. This feature also functions in a similar manner to a remote support software.

7. Extensive Third-Party Integrations

Rippling seamlessly integrates with hundreds of applications, including leading communication and collaboration software solutions.

In terms of integration, Rippling can seamlessly integrate with 500+ applications. These include communication solutions, LMS tools, and even your existing HR system. Rippling’s integration capability helps in the fast onboarding process of new employees. Rippling also makes it easy to provision applications. IT or administrators no longer have to create and set up accounts for each new employee; instead, they only have to add new hires to groups and grant them access to the applications they will use. In terms of deprovisioning apps, admins only have to disable the access of offboarded employees.

8. Learning Management

HR’s role goes far and beyond recruiting talents, onboarding, handling payroll, and onboarding employees. Another vital role of the HR department is helping employees grow as professionals. While Rippling does not include a built-in LMS functionality, HR teams will have easy access to leading LMS solutions through a robust integration module, ensuring that employees are up-to-date in compliance training as well as other training courses for upskilling and reskilling.

9. Self-Service Portal

Rippling enables employees to enroll themselves in company benefits, as well as choose their own coverage plans.

Rippling encourages employees to participate in administrative processes. This not only takes workload off the HR teams’ shoulders, but it also reduces information errors as the employees themselves will be the ones to enter them into the system, such as when employees enroll in the company benefits by selecting their own coverage plans.

10. Excellent Customer Support

Rippling not only offers a great platform for your business’ HR and employee management needs but it also provides great customer service tools to enhance responsiveness. Rippling’s customer support also takes customer feedback and recommendations seriously, which shows how they use customer recommendations to improve the software. Rippling also does not hold back in helping clients learn how to utilize different tools and features by providing extensive learning and training materials.

11. Cost-Efficient Quote-Based Pricing

Customers can monitor and manage the number of users and their access in the command center dashboard.

Rippling offers its services by quote, which starts at $8 per user per month. The pricing is cost-efficient considering the advanced tools and features that come with the application. The lack of standard subscription plan options, however, may be a downside to some. Despite this, Rippling’s quote-based pricing model may appeal to businesses that want a subscription plan tailored exactly to their needs.

How customizable is Rippling for different business needs?

Rippling offers flexibility that caters to businesses of various sizes and industries. This adaptability allows organizations to tailor the software to their unique requirements, such as employee data management, payroll processes, or benefits packages. With custom workflows and task automation, HR teams can design processes that align with their specific operational goals.

Key customizable features include:

• Custom Reports: Tailor reports to your business needs, whether for payroll, benefits, or performance management.
• API Access: Integrate with other systems and applications that your business uses, offering a more cohesive experience.
• Employee Onboarding: Configure onboarding workflows to reflect your company’s culture and role-specific requirements.

Rippling’s scalability and integration options ensure that the system can adapt even as your company grows without disrupting your HR processes. Whether you have a small startup or a large enterprise, Rippling’s customization options can meet your needs and evolve as your business expands.

Keeping up with the changing work environment

Technology does not only help bridge the gap created by the sudden transition to the work from home setting. Technology also helps companies to be more creative in managing their employees. Companies accomplish this by exploring innovative options that would have probably been left ignored under normal circumstances.

HR teams are key players in employee management and development. Because of this vital role, they bear the responsibility of being at the forefront of helping employees acclimate to the changes by keeping them equipped and engaged. This, however, does not mean that HR teams must get the shorter end of the stick just to make things easier for everyone else.

Rippling is a software solution built to make a significant difference in how HR teams handle employee management, engagement, and growth. This is particularly helpful in the current situation, especially to employees who struggle in coping with the new work environment. For other software solutions vital to remote work, you can check out our list of vital remote employee management tools.

Key Insights

• Enhanced Onboarding Experience: Rippling’s onboarding process can be completed in as little as 90 seconds, reducing the administrative burden and allowing new hires to start their roles quickly and efficiently.
• Global Payroll Capabilities: Rippling supports payroll processing for employees worldwide, making it an ideal solution for businesses with remote and international teams.
• Comprehensive Benefits Management: The platform automates benefits management, including enrollment and deduction calculations, ensuring that employees are adequately covered without extensive manual input.
• Centralized Employee Database: All employee information is stored in a centralized database, which updates automatically as changes occur, simplifying record-keeping and data management.
• Robust Security Features: Rippling includes advanced security measures such as password management and two-factor authentication, ensuring data protection and compliance with cybersecurity standards.
• Extensive Integration Options: The software integrates seamlessly with over 500 third-party applications, including communication tools and learning management systems, enhancing its functionality and adaptability.
• Self-Service Portal: Employees can manage their own benefits and personal information through a self-service portal, reducing the HR team’s workload and minimizing data entry errors.
• Customer Support and Training: Rippling provides excellent customer support and extensive learning materials, helping clients maximize the use of the software and improve their HR processes.
• Flexible Pricing: Rippling offers quote-based pricing, starting at $8 per user per month, allowing businesses to tailor the subscription to their specific needs and budget.

FAQ

1. What is Rippling? Rippling is an all-in-one HR and IT software solution designed to manage the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding and payroll to benefits and compliance.
2. How does Rippling streamline the onboarding process? Rippling automates the onboarding process, allowing new hires to be set up in as little as 90 seconds by logging basic information into the system, which reduces administrative tasks and saves time.
3. Can Rippling handle payroll for international employees? Yes, Rippling supports global payroll management, processing payments for employees across the globe while ensuring compliance with local regulations and tax laws.
4. What benefits management features does Rippling offer? Rippling automates benefits enrollment and management, calculates deductions, and provides access to over 4,000 health insurance plans from leading carriers, simplifying the process for both HR and employees.
5. How does Rippling ensure data security? Rippling includes robust security features such as RPass, a built-in password manager, two-factor authentication, and regular security checks to ensure data protection and cybersecurity compliance.
6. What third-party applications can Rippling integrate with? Rippling integrates with over 500 applications, including communication tools like Slack, LMS systems, and HR solutions, enhancing its functionality and allowing seamless data synchronization.
7. Does Rippling support self-service for employees? Yes, Rippling provides a self-service portal where employees can manage their own benefits, update personal information, and access company resources, reducing the HR team’s administrative workload.
8. How does Rippling support remote work management? Rippling includes features for monitoring employee devices and activities, provisioning and deprovisioning applications, and ensuring compliance with security protocols, making it ideal for managing remote teams.
9. What type of customer support does Rippling offer? Rippling offers extensive customer support through live chat, 24/7 phone support for 18 countries, and comprehensive training materials to help clients utilize the software effectively.
10. How is Rippling priced? Rippling uses a quote-based pricing model, starting at $8 per user per month, allowing businesses to customize their subscription based on their specific needs and budget.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.