Like any other business, a restaurant business requires managing all the HR functions, including recruitment, payroll, attendance, and leaves. If your restaurant boasts a sizable staff, recording their HR-related data flawlessly poses a massive challenge.
You can navigate the challenge if you implement HR software for your restaurant business. But it also matters which HR software you choose to implement. To make it easy for you to choose the right HR software for your restaurant business, I have explored and used a number of HR software from the most popular pack.
Based on my research, I have enlisted the top 6 HR software for restaurant business that will simplify your restaurant’s core HR functions and let you manage restaurant staff’s data like taking candy from a baby.
Key Takeaways
BambooHR – Perfect for restaurants that want to streamline onboarding, goal tracking, and performance management in one clean dashboard.
Gusto – Ideal for restaurants struggling with complex payroll and tax compliance across multiple locations.
Rippling – A powerful all-in-one HR platform that automates nearly every HR and IT task—great for scaling restaurants and franchises.
TriNet – Best suited for new or small restaurants that need easy scheduling, onboarding, and time-tracking tools built into one system.
Paycor – Excellent choice for data-driven restaurant owners who want analytics and predictive insights to reduce turnover.
OnPay – The go-to HR solution for small and medium restaurants seeking a simple, affordable, and integration-friendly payroll system.
| Feature / Criteria | BambooHR | Gusto | Rippling | TriNet | Paycor | OnPay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Simplifying onboarding & performance management | Payroll automation & compliance | All-in-one HR & IT management | New restaurants needing automation | Analytics-driven HR & payroll | Simple, affordable HR & payroll for small restaurants |
| Key Strength | Employee engagement & goal tracking | Payroll with multiple pay rates & tax filing | Highly automated workflows & fast setup | Scheduling & time-off sync with payroll | Predictive analytics & insights | Easy payroll processing with integrations |
| Onboarding Process | Automated onboarding & digital signatures | Sends digital offer letters | Onboard new hires in minutes | Self-onboarding for new hires | Standard onboarding process | Self-service onboarding |
| Payroll Management | Add-on service | Core feature with multi-state payroll | Local & international payroll | Automated payroll reminders | Automated payroll with compliance | Unlimited payroll runs |
| Time & Attendance | Add-on (customizable) | Integrated with payroll | Syncs with devices & apps | Built-in scheduling & clock-in/out sync | Integrated | Vacation calendar for time-off tracking |
| Performance Management | Self-assessment, peer feedback, goal tracking | Employee portals & feedback tools | Feedback & survey features | AI insights on staff performance | Turnover prediction analytics | HR templates & reports |
| Automation Capabilities | Workflow approvals for tasks like promotions & leave | Automated deposits, deductions, filings | Full HR workflow automation | Payroll reminders & shift updates | Predictive data modeling | Auto-sync with accounting & time-tracking tools |
| Reporting & Analytics | Custom organization & team reports | Pay & performance reports | Custom report builder | AI-based insights & data | Real-time insights & benchmarking | Custom report designer & dashboard |
| Integration Options | Integrates with other HR tools | Syncs with benefits & HR apps | Integrates with HR, IT, & payroll systems | Standard integrations | Payroll & workforce management integrations | Integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, When I Work, etc. |
| Employee Self-Service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (mobile app) | Yes | Yes |
| Ease of Implementation | Moderate | Easy | Fast (< 4 weeks) | Easy | Moderate | Easy |
| Unique Features | E-signature, goal tracking | Multi-state payroll, off-cycle payments | Manage employee devices & apps | Built-in scheduling tools | Predictive turnover insights | One pricing plan for all features |
| Ideal Restaurant Type | Medium to large restaurants | Multi-location restaurants | Small to large restaurants or franchises | New or small restaurants | Growing restaurants focused on analytics | Small to medium restaurants |
| Overall Focus | Employee growth & performance | Payroll accuracy & flexibility | End-to-end HR automation | Simplicity & scheduling | Data-driven HR management | Simplicity, affordability & flexibility |
Top 6 HR Software for Restaurant Business
Your restaurant business needs HR software that simplifies and automates your human resource tasks. Based on my research and hands-on experience, I have found the following 6 HR software tools as the best ones for a restaurant business —
Bamboo HR
Bamboo HR comes with some cracking features for restaurant staff management, including onboarding process streamlining & performance management.
When you hire restaurant staff, you can use the HR tool to send them welcome emails and new hire packets. It also allows you to allocate tasks to your waitstaff & other hires and track the progress in real-time.
While hiring new staff, you can take their digital signature on various documents with Bamboo HR’s e-signature feature. Also, for storing staff data, it offers a secure database that you can access anytime from any location.
Apart from that, it offers self-assessment and peer feedback features, helping employees to understand how they are performing. As an employer, you can also set a specific goal for your restaurant staff and track how much they have progressed to the goal.
For instance, you can give your waitstaff a daily target of serving a minimum of 30 customers, attracting repeat customers, or cross-selling & up-selling menu items and keep track of their performances.
Another outstanding Bamboo HR feature that you can avail is its number of option selections for reporting. It allows you to select reporting for both organization-wide & team-specific. Depending on your preference, you can review your restaurant’s employee data and performance smoothly.
Key Features
- Boasts self-service features that put some HR functions into employees’ hands
- Allows employers to add services like time tracking, payroll, and benefits administration
- Lets managers deliver crystal-clear and actionable feedback within the platform
- Highly customizable and seamlessly integrates with other popular performance management tools
- Automated workflow approval enables you to string a sequence of actions like promotions & time-off requests
Gusto
Gusto facilitates various HR activities, including hiring, onboarding, and compliance, but what makes it stand out is its payroll services. If you are facing challenges regarding making accurate & on-time payments to your restaurant staff, Gusto can be an excellent choice.
It offers multiple pay rates, letting you perfectly pay your employees who wear multiple hats. The payroll software can also automatically adjust Fair Labor Standards Act Minimum Wage requirements, minimizing extra hassle.
If you have multiple restaurants in different locations, you can take advantage of Gusto’s multistate payroll. The HR tool automatically files local, state, and federal taxes, negating the administrative work and minimizing the risk of compliance issues.
Another stunning aspect of Gusto is providing freedom to choose the pay cycle that best suits you. You can run limitless pay cycles as you wish. To make payments outside your pay schedule for things like bonuses, reimbursements, etc. Gusto also lets you make off-cycle payments.
Key Features
- Optimizes payroll process & timeliness by automating direct deposits, payroll deductions, and tax filings
- Offers employee portals, letting each employee view their paychecks & personal info and make requests
- Runs automated payroll on schedules once you set up payroll on autopilot
- Incorporates personalized components like sending digital offer letters, setting birthday reminders, etc. letting you build good rapport with employees
Rippling
Rippling is an excellent option if you’re looking for HR software to simplify virtually all of your restaurant’s human resources needs. They offer a 100% error-free guarantee for their software and tout that the software can almost “run itself.” Rippling is designed to make your workload easier and is great for small businesses and franchises alike.
The highly customizable software allows you to create workflow and approval automation from the start. Automating certain HR functions not only reduces the potential for errors but also minimizes the time your restaurant managers spend on HR processes in the back office.
Rippling can be implemented in less than four weeks, which is ideal for the fast-paced food service industry. Restaurants usually experience a lot of turnover as well, so the fact that new employees can be onboarded within minutes is a significant win.
It has integration capabilities with various systems, including IT and HR platforms, resulting in a consolidated solution that manages not only payroll but also staff devices and apps should you choose.
The software has survey and feedback features, so you can easily monitor how your chefs, waitstaff, and other employees feel across your restaurant.
Key Features
- Automate onboarding and offboarding within the Rippling platform
- Option for running payroll both locally and internationally
- Allows for checking & comparing payroll runs against each other to figure out any irregularities before giving approval
- Able to manage compliance across multiple countries having different labor laws that make payments to employees easier
- Creates customizable reports that showcase your desired information
Trinet
Trinet can be an excellent HR software if you are starting a new restaurant. It can help you automate different HR processes, including onboarding, compliance, and time-off & document management.
For instance, when you hire restaurant workers, they can onboard themselves by walking through payroll and benefits enrollment details. This saves your managers many hours of manual work and reduces the potential for errors.
All three of the TriNet HR platform plans include employee scheduling tools. Not all competitors automatically include scheduling, and it can be a game-changer for new restaurants that are still nailing down the ideal employee rotations.
You can create and edit shifts, and employees can receive notifications as schedules are made. When employees clock in and out for their shifts, their attendance information is synced to payroll for accurate timekeeping.
Key Features
- Simplifies the employee onboarding process
- Lets restaurant staff use a mobile app to sign in and out, request time off, view pay info, and so forth
- Time & attendance functions automatically sync time clock hours and PTO with HR and payroll in real time
- Sends email reminders when it’s time to do payroll
- Integrates AI into the platform to bring forth actionable insights, data, and predictions
Paycor
While Paycor can handle many essential HR functions, like payroll, talent and workforce management, benefits administration and compliance support, we especially like the analytics.
Restaurant owners can view real-time insights and benchmarking to see how their business is performing and where improvements can be made.
Some analytics we think would be helpful to restaurants are the reports regarding headcount and turnover. Restaurants already tend to have high turnover rates, but things like poor training and low employee engagement can lead to even higher turnover.
Also, Paycor’s predictive analytics tool uses a predictive data model to identify the probability of future turnover.
Paycor is worth considering for its payroll features too. It incorporates automation, compliance, and integration, providing a robust platform that simplifies payroll management.
OnPay
OnPay is an easy-to-use cloud-based payroll processing and human resources (HR) platform that can be a perfect pick if you own a small or medium-sized restaurant.
The software stands out from the crowd with its simplicity, flexibility, high speed, robust features, affordable pricing, and more.
Payroll processing is the main draw of OnPay, but there are also helpful HR tools and features, including an HR resource library, new hire reporting, and custom personnel checklists (which can be helpful for compliance audits).
OnPay doesn’t have built-in accounting and time tracking software, but you can integrate third-party apps.
OnPay helps you set up or customize your accounting or time-tracking software integrations. It syncs with well-known tools like QuickBooks Online, Xero, When I Work, and QuickBooks Time.
Also, the tool comes with advanced capabilities that facilitate various HR processes. The custom report designer and dashboard simplified payroll reporting. The HR suite centralizes personnel files and has a vacation calendar, which makes reviewing time off convenient.
Key Features
- Self-service options for new employees to upload their information, saving them time and prompting them to start working shortly
- Offers HR services like PTO tracking, employee onboarding, documentation keeping, and HR templates.
- Allows for unlimited payroll runs every month
- Comes with only one pricing plan giving employees access to all its features
Over to You
Now, the ball is in your court to choose your HR software for the restaurant business, depending on your budget, needs & pain points. Highlight your pain points and find out which of the HR tools ticks off all the boxes.
Remember, your restaurant’s HR department has plenty of complex functions like recruitment, payroll management, performance evaluation, etc. that need to be easily dealt with.
So, prioritize HR tools for your restaurant that offer flexibility, ease of use, and automation features alongside your other needs. Once you implement your preferred HR tool, managing your HR functions should be like shooting fish in a barrel.
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