
Vendor:
Founded:
Headquarters:
Ascentis
1980
San Francisco, CA
Customers:
Deployment Model:
Free Trial:
1000+
Cloud, On-Premise
Yes
Ascentis At A Glance
Product Overview
Ascentis is a robust HR platform that empowers companies through six unique tools that cover much of the spectrum of core and strategic HR software.
The human resources management software offered by Ascentis is Ascentis HR, an on-demand tool that gives users the ability to manage employee data throughout their term with the company. This high-level, broad tool helps managers organize benefits utilizing rules-based benefits engines. As a distinct software, this tool can be fully integrated with Ascentis Payroll.
Online payroll services are executed through Ascentis Payroll, the program that was formally know as InstaPay when it was owned by EBS On Line. This cloud-based payroll software gives managers the ability to process payroll in real-time, ensuring security and complete accuracy. No batch uploads are neccessary, and information is processed speedily.
Ascentis’ time and attendance software is Ascentis Timekeeper, which helps managers keep track of things like employee scheduling, resource utilization, and labor cost, among others. As a simple self-service tool there is no need to involve IT, and much time is saved by automating formerly time-consuming processes. Timekeeper integrates completely with Payroll and Ascentis HR.
Ascentis Recruiting is an applicant tracking system that helps managers organize their hiring system to optimally recruit the best talent. The recruiting software gathers and organizes candidate information in a single place to simplify and automate the entire process. It also can create a unique application portal on the company website to process applications swiftly and fairly.
Employee and manager self-service capabilities are available through Ascentis as well.
Ceridian, Paychex, and Kronos are Ascentis’ prime competitors, operating in the same space and offering similar strengths.
Features
In addition to the product features explained above, Ascentis offers users the following capabilities:
Benefits Administration
- Vacation / Leave Tracking
- Benefits Management
- FMLA Administration
HR Management Information System
- Email Notifications
- Reporting
Payroll
- Compensation Management
- Payroll Management
- Salary History
Performance Record
- Position History
- 360 Assessments
- Performance Tuning
Recruiting
- Recruiting Management
Training / Learning Management System
- Employee Lifecycle
- Learning Management
- Onboarding
Work Time
- Attendance Management
- Customization
- Customizable Fields
- Customizable Reporting
Target Market
Ascentis works with companies across a wide spread of markets, but is focused primarily on mid-sized companies, with between 100 and 2,500 employees. Below are listed some of their premier clients:
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
- Francis Ford Coppola Winery
- Area Agency on Aging
- CALIBRE
- Bare Escentuals
- GAT Airline Ground Support
- Community of Christ
- Mona
- Monster
- Ghiradelli
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Implementation/Integration
Ascentis has a team of technical experts that work with clients on implenting their software in all stages. Below are listed their key offerings:
- Installation
- Data import
- Data conversion
- Customization
- Benefits configuration
- Time and attendance program structure
- Training
- Alerts setup
- Custom Alerts creation
- Payroll link initiation
- Self-service implementation
- Training
- System configuration
Customer Service & Support
Ascentis online support includes multiple account managers, who are available by email and phone “more than 99% of the time” according to the Ascentis website.
Specific technical support includes Go-To-Assist, which is live remote assistance where you allow an Ascentis representative to log on to your computer to address your issue remotely.
LeapFile is a trading of files through a special program that allows users to securely upload documents and share with Ascentis experts.
Pricing
Ascentis doesn’t publicly display their pricing information. Please contact them directly for a quote.

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Some users expressed concerns with Ascentis’ implementation tactics. However, more concern has been noted with how employee information, like specific benefit choices, can be moved from the software to Payroll without any error.
Others have noted that the Time module can tend to be buggy, and the cooresponding lag frustrating. This usually only occurs when the system is very busy.
Ascentis lacks customizable features, such a toggle to change shift differentials and shift rules depending on the preference of the customer.
Screenshots
About
Ascentis today is a combination of two companies: InstaPay and HROffice, whose 2007 merger created a diverse and complete core and strategic HR software company.
InstaPay, founded in 1980 by EBS On Line, became Ascentis Payroll, focusing on customer service and processing payroll in real-time.
HROffice was designed by Ascentis corporation in 1994 as a general human resources platform dedicated to small and medium sized businesses, focusing on areas like benefits management.
Headquartered in San Francsico, Ascentis now has offices in Seattle, WA, Sacramento, CA, and Jacksonville, FL.
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