UKG Pro vs. UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
UKG Pro
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
UKG delivers cloud-based HCM solutions including UKG Pro that help businesses simplify payroll computations, accelerate talent acquisition, manage time and attendance, and support proactive, strategic talent management on a global level.N/A
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Score 5.2 out of 10
N/A
UKG Workforce Central (formerly Kronos Workforce Central) was a suite of HR Management offerings targeted mainly at enterprise customers with larger-scale and more complex HR and workforce management issues. The product is discontinued.N/A
Pricing
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeRequired
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Considered Both Products
UKG Pro
Chose UKG Pro
Workday has more features like better payroll integration and talent managment and training but seems to be less user friendly than UKG Pro. UKG Pro also appears less bloated and a more refined user interface but with less robust features in certain areas. Workday seems to …
Chose UKG Pro
I've used Gusto for timekeeping and payroll and HR. I do think the Gusto interface is nicer to look at and more motivating to visit. It has less functions, but I don't use all of UKG Pro's functions anyway, so I like the clean simplicity of Gusto. However, I like that you can …
Chose UKG Pro
I think ADP is a lot easier to use and function within. While the GL maping is seperate done at employee level which is more time consuming. In my experience, the customer support seems better than UKG Pro. So far ADP points you to community support and training videos but …
Chose UKG Pro
I have used each of the other products at different workplaces. UKG Pro is a sweet spot of having the top features from each without most of the downsides of each.
Chose UKG Pro
Customer Service alone has been a tremendous change coming from ADP to UKG.
In the beginning the system wasnt quite as upgraded on the technical side but it has since them implemented some great changes that have been a great success for us.
Chose UKG Pro
We initially selected Ultimate Software with plans to use all of the integrated modules. Also, being able to process U.S. and Canadian payroll was a must. We liked the tool's flexibility. Now that we've used UKG for 5 years, I'm not sure we would have made the same choice, as …
Chose UKG Pro
UKG is far more powerful, with a fully integrated suite of advanced modules. Integrating AI is a priority, and this is in line with the currently evolving way of doing business.
Chose UKG Pro
UKG is much more flexible when processing data for employees and managers. It is more intuitive and allows for an easier process for employees.
Chose UKG Pro
We used ADP WFN prior to switching to UKG. We interviewed three different payroll companies to see what our options were. UKG stood out and aligned with our company values. The sales team was very helpful and asked questions about what we were currently doing and how they could …
Chose UKG Pro
UKG Pro and Paycom are very similar in the base function they are used for, timecards and scheduling. While I have never worked on the administrative side of Paycom, I do feel that the employee/customer facing part of the software was a bit better than UKG. It was easier to …
Chose UKG Pro
UKG Pro greatly surpasses the capabilities of TimeClock Plus. It has been so long that I forget all of the limitations of TimeClock Plus.
Chose UKG Pro
I think UKG Pro by far beats any system
Chose UKG Pro
I was hired right at the time we transition from ADP to Ultipro (UKG). It looked like only payroll was handled, but benefits enrollment was done manually. The carriers also had to be updated manually from medical, dental, vision, and Principal (401k). Now we no longer have …
Chose UKG Pro
I prefer BambooHR overall. It has a very robust ATS and is more user-friendly. As a Canadian, UKG Pro is better for payroll administration. I also really enjoy the HR Webinars that BambooHR puts on for its customers. The BambooHR Virtual Summit is a great perk to having …
Chose UKG Pro
UKG Pro HCM is much more robust and has increased functionality over that of Dimensions HCM.
Chose UKG Pro
The organization already had UKG Pro - it was nothing that was chosen. As far as ranking, it would be last on the list.
Chose UKG Pro
payroll processing in UKG is a lot user friendly than Namely and ADP. I like how you can pull up the check and make changes and see the calculated net pay. How you can add earnings/deductions from the profile directly from the check. That is not something we couldn't do at the …
Chose UKG Pro
Very easy to use and configure vs. SAP or Workday. Value - cost is much less for functionality you get
Chose UKG Pro
UKG stacks up very well. The functionality covers just about all of the essential functions that are needed to operate a large organization that is constantly bringing in new talent and moving people around to other divisions or positions. The reporting is strong, and the …
Chose UKG Pro
UKG allows for more advanced tools and technology including greater automation on a much larger scale than ADP. UKG provided a seamless and comprehensive service by having the ability to utilize the human capital management (HCM) tools to build the platform that works best for …
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
UKG Workforce Central advertises itself as a more complete system, and it is. The main area of need for us at the time was the ability to manage overtime on the fly. It does that well enough.

The integration with job boards is just OK. It could be better as it is not as fluid …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
In comparison to Kronos, UKG Workforce Central offers an enhanced user experience. Employees are notified of their schedules for the coming weeks. The system allows users to view the work schedule of others on their team for that day, making shift swapping more convenient.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Most of the business simply used manual timesheets and Microsoft Excel to track time and attendance before we acquired UKG Workforce Central.
Obviously this method of tracking is very prone to user error and manipulation. UKG Workforce Central has been a revolution for us in …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
We looked this product first and actually started the conversion process before we realized it could not do some essential functions we needed. One of the simple ones was allowing for employees to select to clock in or out and not just assume the direction based on their …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
UKG Workforce Central (formerly Kronos Workforce Central) is really an all-in-one solution that can be used to solve a myriad of issues: workforce management, scheduling, integration, self service, time and attendance, absenteeism, lateness, compliance, HR, payroll, data …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Kronos Workforce Central is a robust software and is very easy for everyone to use. From management to employees, each person plays their part in using the software and our department was able to learn how to use it right away. We are constantly still learning new things but …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
I used Oracle People Soft HCM for four years at my last organization and rarely had a good day with it. While I was not part of the selection process for Kronos as it was already in use at my new organization when I began there, I have found Kronos much simpler to use. Many of …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
I'm just a user - not involved in the selection process.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Since I have been employed at my job, we have never used anything other than Kronos Workforce Central and it's perfect for what we need. I believe it was selected before I became an employee here and I know that the process of finding products, this one would have been chosen …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Kronos Workforce Central had a more straightforward way to use it and a more user-friendly platform. Kronos Workforce Central had better pricing than UltiPro.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Kronos Workforce Central and Calabrio One are used for two completely different tasks, so it's hard to compare the two.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
We believe ADP would have been easier to implement but Kronos was more cost-effective.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
We have had Kronos timekeeping for many years, and before this we used a very manual process. I was not a part of the team that chose the Kronos timekeeping system, so I really cannot say what other systems were considered for this application, if any. Kronos has done the job …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
The company implemented Kronos long before I took my role, but I have been present for the upgrades to the system. I have also used other versions of Kronos in my past roles. Workforce Central is definitely the more modernized version of Kronos. It definitely has its issues, …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
There were some functionalities in Kronos that we needed that the other systems did not have readily available or easily deployable.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Kronos is the only company that isn’t company owned that I’ve used. I’ve used it at two different companies and really enjoy it.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
We evaluated Paychex, Paycor, and Kronos and ending up choosing Kronos essentially because they had the best salespeople.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)

Kronos and Dayforce are the two timekeeping systems I’ve worked with in recent years. Kronos feels a little more comprehensive and is my primary timekeeping tool both for myself as well as my staff. Kronos is a great tool for a wide range of shifts, working locations, and pay …

Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
During my tenure at my organization we've only used Kronos and have not considered moving to another application to document employee time.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
KRONOS is by far one of the best, if not THE best multi-faceted systems I have used. Right up there with ADP but slightly better for what I needed it for.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Other than Kronos, I've only used Oracle Peoplesoft HCM for time and attendance. In comparing the two, I find that Kronos is far more high-end and busy and complicated, whereas PeopleSoft is simpler and to the point. With Kronos, there is some refining to do to it to get the …
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Can't compare. Quickbooks was easy, but lacked functional reporting which is essential to manage employee time.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
WFC was and still is - the best single point HR/PR and Timekeeping system on the market - bottom line.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
I have not been involved in the product selection process.
Chose UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
I've worked with this when it was called e-time. Nowhere near as good as Kronos.
Features
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.2
Ratings
4% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Employee demographic data8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Employment history8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Job profiles and administration7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Organizational charting7.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Organization and location management8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.8
Ratings
10% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Pay calculation9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Benefit plan administration8.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
7.2
Ratings
10% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Approval workflow7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Balance details7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment7.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
9.0
Ratings
11% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
View and generate pay and benefit information9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Update personal information9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
View company policy documentation9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Employee recognition9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
View job history8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.1
Ratings
0% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Tracking of all physical assets8.10 Ratings00 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
7.7
Ratings
3% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Report builder7.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data7.60 Ratings00 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.7
Ratings
10% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
New hire portal8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.5
Ratings
7% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Corporate goal setting8.90 Ratings00 Ratings
Individual goal setting8.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility8.80 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance tracking7.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
8.1
Ratings
3% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Performance plans8.50 Ratings00 Ratings
Performance improvement plans8.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Review status tracking8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Review reminders6.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Multiple review frequency9.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
9.3
Ratings
17% above category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Create succession plans/pools9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate ranking9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate search9.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Candidate development9.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
UKG Pro
7.5
Ratings
3% below category average
UKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
-
Ratings
Job Requisition Management7.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Company Website Posting8.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to Social Media7.10 Ratings00 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting8.20 Ratings00 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention6.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Applicant Tracking7.40 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts7.30 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
When I Work
When I Work
Score 8.6 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
Beeline Extended Workforce Platform
Beeline Extended Workforce Platform
Score 7.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
7.7
(0 ratings)
6.6
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.6
(0 ratings)
5.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.6
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
5.7
(0 ratings)
7.1
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.9
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
7.8
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.5
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
UKG ProUKG Workforce Central (discontinued)
Likelihood to Recommend
I would say, well, I don't want to focus on less appropriate. I want to be well suited. I really feel like if the transparency with our count rep and then just diving in onto how to problem solve and how to troubleshoot, I think that's most important with that.
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We use Kronos Workforce Central only for it's timekeeping and scheduling/forecasting capabilities. It absolutely meets our needs for these areas. The reporting functionality also serves us well; exporting reports in excel covers the needs for most teams that use the system. Finally, business leaders and local HR crews are able to run reports on the teams they support.
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Pros
  • UKG has an amazing support team to reach out to if assistance is needed
  • All add-ons of UKG Pro integrate seamlessly making it a powerful software program
  • UKG Pro is very configurable to meet the specific needs of companies
  • It is easy to use and navigate
  • The mobile app is loved by all employees and provides on-demand access
  • The Ultimate Community is amazing!! On-demand information on all products and how they are used. Connect with other companies that use UKG Pro and learn from each other.
  • The Learning Centre is also amazing!! Learning right at your fingertips anytime, anywhere.
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  • As a full service hospital there can be demands of staff to respond to high census or staffing shortages. Kronos has offered great utilization in floating hours between units and departments, identifying direct or indirect patient care hours, and ultimately offering analytics to clinical and operational leaders. This ability to specifically move hours while at work is exceptional for reporting and planning purposes across the organization.
  • The self-managed and leader managed options of an employee’s time card is of huge benefit. As a 24/7 hour operation it is critical that each individual is accountable for their own timekeeping. Kronos allows each employee to manage and submit adjustment, updates, and changes while at work without having to have their manager do it for them. The proceeding approval/acceptance process with these changes is well established and easy to authenticate.
  • The ability to access and navigate the user interface is very friendly and forgiving. Other systems can be quite cumbersome and hard to navigate, update, and easily change, but Kronos is pretty straight forward both for users and administrators. This ability to easily orient new team members and managers has been a great benefit to the organization.
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Cons
  • Offer a fully integrated reporting solution that pulls from all modules versus a separate analytics tool in each module.
  • Ability to use the ideas UKG Pro presents without being forced into specific modules. Ex Provide a Learning space where ANY learning platform the customer chooses plugs in, a Recruiting/Onboarding Space where ANY platform will plug in, EE Engagement, Performance, ... then the data connects to the data points within the architecture. With this model, anyone would be able to use the Career Designer versus limited to only those who have the perfect combination of products. This is just an example. Many times the products are created by UKG Pro that are amazing, then comes the "You must have A, B, C, D modules to use it" which excludes many customers and limits UKG Pro's selling potential.
  • At my last organization, we had what was formerly referred to as a "Global" account rep. This person had very limited amount of clients, we met on every case. They delegated our cases immediately in products outside of core to the same team member from that product. Our response time was usually less than one day. It was the best customer service I have had in 10 years as a client. Why is this model not looked at for everyone versus 3 different reps. This one person handled everything except sales. IT was beautiful. We met weekly. We never had cases go beyond a few days unless a JIRA was in play. Customer Service matters so much where many companies sell similar technology.
  • Org Chart - Executives would like the ability to stage movement and budget to see what the org would look like in a reorg planning. There is no ability to move, rearrange, export to different applications like PowerPoint.
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  • Training required to use the product effectively, not simple at first
  • Dependent on Java, frequent updates to Java necessary to continue using the Kronos platform
  • Reporting tools are extensive and solid, though some reports can only be extracted in PDF, not in the more usable Excel format. How Kronos determines which can be extracted in Excel vs. PDF, I can't tell.
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Likelihood to Renew
The only reason that I give a 9 rather than a 10 is because, while I am an influencer in the decision making process, the final decision to renew vendor relationships is by committee. If the final decision is up to me, Independent Bank would be a partner with Ultimate Software for the rest of my career.
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Now that the system is installed and operational, the "pain is gone"...therefore we see no reason to change to a different application. There is no functionality that is missing from the system that would drive us to consider another solution at this time. Maintenance support from Kronos is sufficient and updates occur regularly.
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Usability
It gets the job done, but not with a few deep sighs. Once you know where stuff lives, it's manageable, but the first learning curve is steep, some menus feel buried. However, it's consistent, reliable and doesn't crash on me, which counts for a lot. With a little UI glow up it could push into a 9 zone.
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No answers on this topic
Reliability and Availability
Our up time has been 100% in the 2 and half years as I recall. We have had between 5 to 10 situations where Ultimate proactively advised us that there were global system issues and provide us with updates status until the issue has been resolved. I do not recall any internal incidents from our employees about an inability to access the system of UltiPro
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No answers on this topic
Performance
Normally UKG Pro loads quickly. We had been having major issues with reports running in a timely manner but recently they broke out our virtual server to another instance where is wasn't sharing resources and that seems to have helped reporting run more efficiently.
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No answers on this topic
Support Rating
The quality of UKG Support is related directly to the UKG rep. who handles the issue. In some cases you get someone who really is good at supporting the product and others may not have as much experience and it shows
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Kronos Workforce Central's support is amazing! From the support the software alone gives our department to the customer service team, we have never been more thorough as we are now. There are plenty of trainings provided and assistance is always there when you need it. The launching process was very detailed.
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In-Person Training
I've been to a few in-person (hands on) training sessions and it is very similar to the online classes. You have the same reference material to look back on after the training. So regardless of in person training or online you really get the same thing.
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No answers on this topic
Online Training
Most of the online training was very generic (to be expected) but we had specific requirements for configuration that could have been better addressed with more individual sessions earlier on from our project team. However, we did finally begin booking training sessions with our implementation team which were recorded, and so provided additional information for how to correctly configure and test the system.
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No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
UltiPro made it very easy to implement. I implemented UltiPro on my own (as we were short-handed), in addition to my other duties, and was able to stay on track with our original implementation timeline. The process is laid out in a very detailed method. This was by far the most thorough and easiest implementation that I have been through
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
We used ADP WFN prior to switching to UKG. We interviewed three different payroll companies to see what our options were. UKG stood out and aligned with our company values. The sales team was very helpful and asked questions about what we were currently doing and how they could assist with simplifying things. I personally had a side meeting with them to see if there were options for a process that we manually process and if UKG could actually eliminate the process. We came to the conclusion that we weren't able to get it 100%, but we could pull 80% of what we needed from UKG, and then we would only need to manipulate 20% of the information. It was also determined from that meeting that we wouldn't need to pay extra to have a special report built. The customer service is what we were sold on. The other companies that we looked at didn't give us the confidence that their customer service would be any better than what we previously had.
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We looked this product first and actually started the conversion process before we realized it could not do some essential functions we needed. One of the simple ones was allowing for employees to select to clock in or out and not just assume the direction based on their schedule or last punch. With bus drivers working multiple routes or shifts this was imperative that they be able to select this as while they may forget one punch being able to select the direction helps identify where the missing punches are. I'm hoping this has since been corrected because it absolutely floored me that such a relatively simple thing was not an option.
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Scalability
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No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
  • My company acquired another company, and with a UKG partner, we were able to bring them online in UKG within two months of the acquisition date.
  • When COVID sent us remote, we could configure custom fields to track vaccination status.
  • The C-suite can get custom reports done in minutes, or ours, where our previous HRIS would have taken days to accomplish, as data would have had to have been exported to Excel and then manipulated inside Excel.
  • UKG has allowed to go virtual paper free as both a candidate and employee.
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  • Kronos is much more expensive than the previous systems we were using, so at this point the ROI is negative. The idea is that it will allow us to scale and grow the company more easily so time will tell if that is the case.
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ScreenShots

UKG Pro Screenshots

Screenshot of included workforce analytics.Screenshot of the payroll gateway.