17 Great HR Resources for Entrepreneurs All of these tools can help you effectively manage your HR needs, giving you the time needed to focus on what you do best.
By Sujan Patel Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Being an entrepreneur is hard work, and one of the biggest struggles you'll encounter is learning how to wear so many different hats on a day-to-day basis. Running your own human resources department can be one of the hardest of these challenges to take on, especially considering the number of legal requirements involved and how much can go wrong if you ignore them.
To start, check out any of the following resources. All of these tools can help you effectively manage your HR needs, giving you the time needed to focus on what you do best.
Payroll and accounting
Tracking revenue and making sure employees get paid is one of the most important aspects of any business. These two programs will help keep your accounting straight and your payroll running smoothly:
1. ZenPayroll allows employees to fill in their own personal details and automatically reports new hires to the government for you. Staff can easily access payroll stubs and even manage charitable giving from within the system.
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2. Wave Accounting is a cloud-based accounting system designed specifically for companies of 10 or less. If you're just starting out, Wave gives you the tools needed to process accounting, invoicing, and payroll from one central location.
Healthcare and benefits
To attract the best employees, you'll probably want to offer health-care packages and other perks. Being a small company doesn't have to prevent you from doing so!
3. SBA Health Insurance Law Guide gives you all the information you need about navigating health-insurance needs in accordance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
4. AnyPerk allows you to easily offer your employees perks and discounts as part of an overall benefits package.
Recruiting and hiring
Hiring the right people is the lifeblood of any growing company. The resources below will help you get your opportunities in front of the best candidates, as well as show you exactly who you're hiring.
5. ZipRecruiters is a tool that lets you to post your job openings to over 50 job boards with a single submission, saving you time and money.
6. Career Sushi is a unique job board that allows you to see visual candidate profiles, which can be an important consideration when trying to create and maintain a company culture.
7. BambooHR's Onboarding 101 Guide will show you what to do to get your new employee up to speed once you've found the perfect hire.
8. Intelius will help you review the background of everyone you hire, minimizing the risk of unexpected "surprises" from disrupting your new employer-employee relationships.
All-in-one HR solutions
Sometimes, it's easier to use all-in-one solutions to handle your HR needs, rather than relying in individual, piecemeal tools. In these cases, check out the following tools:
9. Zenifits is an all-in-one platform providing benefits management, payroll processing, onboarding assistance, and more. Many features are automated after initial setup, saving you time.
10. BambooHR is a leading HR solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It includes a centralized employee database, automated reporting and custom reminders, all in an intuitively easy-to-use package.
11. SumHR offers a streamlined solution for employee management and payroll, all in a scalable format where you pay per employee, per month.
Related: 3 Keys to Examining One of the Most Overlooked Business Costs: Workforce Management
Legal
Meeting the legal requirements of human resources isn't optional, and these companies can help you get the job done easily:
12. UpCounsel gives you access to a business attorney on demand. You simply post a job description seeking assistance in a variety of categories and receive free proposals from vetted and rated legal professionals.
13. G.Neil is your one-stop-shop for legal notices and forms. Whether it's a new OSHA guideline or a required disclosure poster for your startup, you'll find it here.
Employee development and discipline
As your company grows, so will your staff. The tools below will help you develop those who need assistance growing, and let go of those who don't perform to your standards.
14. HR Webforms provides all the paperwork you need to run your HR department, from appraisals and reviews to terminations and more. Sold in easy-to-use bundles, the forms are available in both English and Spanish.
15. Halogen TalentSpace includes a variety of computerized evaluations and reviews for use at your company. From Myers-Briggs assessments to 360 feedback and learning tools, Halogen TalentSpace aims to help you succeed at staff development.
HR blogs
When it comes to everyday HR advice, you'll find a wealth of knowledge on industry blogs. Check out the two below for insightful, actionable advice:
16. Ask a Manager is a fun blog that shares reader stories, answers questions and offers other helpful information for HR newbies.
17. Evil HR Lady is another great blog where you'll find loads of information and advice about the HR situations most entrepreneurs are faced with. She also fields reader questions regularly -- consider writing in if you encounter a situation you can't navigate on your own.
Being an entrepreneur can feel like running on a never-ending treadmill, especially when you're juggling HR, accounting and other departments in addition to leading your company. Use the resources above to help manage your workflow and to ensure that your startup remains in compliance with the HR-legal issues that represent major business threats if they aren't addressed appropriately.
Have you used any of these tools before? What's the best HR resource you know of for entrepreneurs? Share your recommendations in the comments section below!
Related: Avoid These 3 Employment Compliance Mistakes or Risk Fines
