Oracle Cloud HCM Review

Download Vendor Comparison Guide

Product Overview

Oracle markets two different solutions in the HRMS space: Oracle Cloud HCM and Oracle PeopleSoft. This review will focus on the Oracle Cloud HCM.

The Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM (also known as Oracle Cloud HCM or Oracle HCM) is a comprehensive HRMS solution for mid-size to large enterprises. It helps companies not just manage their core HR tasks, but also manage strategic tasks throughout the organization. Oracle Cloud HCM delivers an end-to-end modern interface that includes all functions of the employee lifecycle.

The software also streamlines routine HR tasks with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) functionality, such as digital assistants and virtual reality.

There are several modules that’s grouped into four categories: Human Resources, Talent Management, Workforce Management and Payroll. Companies have a choice of purchasing all modules for a comprehensive solution or individual modules as stand-alone products. We give a brief summary of the modules in our Features section below.

In addition, there’s the Oracle HCM Analytics solution that includes prebuilt key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards and data models to help users take quick action on critical aspects of their workforce. Some of its features are in-app collaboration tools, the ability to import third-party data, a custom KPI creation tool and geographic overlays.

Oracle Cloud HCM also integrates with the Oracle Cloud ERP for a more unified solution.

Features

Here is a brief summary of the Oracle Cloud HCM modules:

Human Resources

The Core HR module helps larger companies, especially companies with multiple locations, streamline their HR processes. Some of its features include self-service functionality, workforce directory and position management (i.e., the ability to manage headcounts by visualizing open and filled positions).

Oracle Benefits gives companies flexible benefits programs that’s tailored to their specific needs. It includes an enrollment wizard that gives a step-by-step guide to employees in signing up for benefits. Another feature is the extraction tool for sending information to third-party benefit providers.

Workforce Modeling and Predictions includes predictive analytics that help HR and managers determine potential organizational changes and impacts (e.g., risk of leaving company, promotions), so they can work on retaining their top performers or any succession planning. It has prebuilt modeling attributes to enable users to create or modify workforce plans.

The Strategic Workforce Planning module help employers align the employees and strategies for future workforce needs. Users can merge headcount plans with financial plans across business units and locations. They can also evaluate current workforce skills, any expected attrition (such as retirement) and predict where future skill sets are needed.

The Work Life module’s purpose is to help companies retain employees by providing tools to achieve work/life balance. Some of the features include My Volunteering (personalized recommendations for nonprofit organizations for volunteering based on employee interest), My Wellness (tracking wellness activities) and My Brand (employees promote and maintain their personal brand).

Oracle Advanced HCM Controls helps companies adhere to security and regulatory compliance by easily detecting security access anomalies, using comprehensive controls leveraging AI and machine learning. It uses security dashboards to monitor and manage exceptions and policy violations.

Experience Design Studio empowers users to set up their own workflows without having to rely on IT. They can use prebuilt rules or create their own without requiring coding knowledge. They can also personalize the data or workflow view based on job role, location, business unit or other parameters.

Oracle ME (employee experience platform)

Falling under the Human Resources category, Oracle ME is an employee experience platform that allows employees to connect with their colleagues and do their best work. It has seven modules.

With the HCM Communicate module, HR can send personalized messages to employees or teams about company announcements or specific topics (e.g., benefits, wellbeing). They can track the email responses, such as clicks or reads, and then send targeted follow-up messages if needed.

The Connections module allow employees to find key information on their colleagues (e.g., backgrounds, skills, interests) for cross-functional collaboration. It integrates with employee directories or organizational charts, and employees can import their LinkedIn profile data into the software.

The Digital Assistant solution users a conversational approach to guide employees in accessing specific HR features (e.g., pay info, leave balance). Employees can ask a question by text or voice, and the assistant can provide an answer based on machine learning. They can access the assistant from a different software like Microsoft Teams or Slack, as well as in their native language as the assistant support multiple languages.

The Journeys module provides employees a personalized guidance into their professional and personal developments. HR users can build journeys with the Journeys Creator feature or choose from a library of 30 journey templates. The journeys can also include content from HR Help Desk (if an employee needs guidance from their HR team) or a third-party application. Once the journeys are launched, employees can find relevant to their job or personal needs, and they can receive embedded support within each journey, such as training or videos.

The Grow module uses AI to guide employees on opportunities for them to grow within a company (e.g., stretch projects, learning curriculum). It provides personalized learning paths for different skills and roles, as well as curated learning playlists, recommendations and resources. In addition, managers can use Grow to see if their employees need development in specific skills, how to close those skills gaps and get updates on their employee’s upskilling/reskilling progress.

Touchpoints is an employee engagement module that helps managers improve their relationship with their team by capturing employee sentiment (e.g., surveys). They can use the software to check in on the employee and provide and receive continuous feedback. Managers can also get recommended engagement actions, see employee sentiment in real time and compare their team’s sentiment with the rest of the company.

The HR Help Desk helps employees get the right HR answers quickly by leveraging a robust and AI-enabled knowledge base. It also intelligently routes each query to the right HR specialist.

Talent Management

The Oracle Recruiting module addresses the challenges of recruiting by leveraging a data-driven approach and a mobile-first user interface (UI) to source and engage both internal and external candidates, and apply business insights across all of HCM for better hiring decisions.

Users can streamline the onboarding process with the Oracle Onboarding module. Employees can easily fill out their paperwork electronically from any device, and the digital assistant provides step-by-step guidance in completing the tasks.

Oracle Performance Management fully automates the performance process and provides executives, managers, and employees with valuable and immediate insight to workforce performance progression and its alignment with organizational objectives. Performance Management is designed to support various performance conversations, from day-to-day informal, spontaneous ongoing feedback to more structured semi-annual or annual reviews.

The Compensation module helps companies align compensation, bonuses and other rewards to an employee’s performance. Users can provide tailored rewards to specific groups within the company. The module also supports an unlimited number of compensation plans.

Oracle Career Development provides a way for employees to identify career opportunities and maintain a development plan to bring them closer to their career goals.

Oracle Learning will enable the organization to quickly respond to changes in the business environment, increase productivity through collaboration, and enable knowledge sharing across different communities.

Oracle Succession Planning leverages the power of the talent profile to provide the most complete, integrated talent review and succession solution.

Oracle Opportunity Marketplace is a solution that’s a one-stop shop for employees that want to grow within the company. It provides a personalized recommendations for specific jobs the employee can apply for based on their skills or interests. They can also apply for internal gigs or projects that can help them acquire new skills in a particular area.

The Dynamic Skills feature lets employees and managers continuously keep their skills up to date. Each employee gets their own personalized portal for keeping track of their skills and any recommendations they receive, and they can solicit skills endorsements from their colleagues. In addition, managers can track their team’s skill developments via the Team Skills Center.

Workforce Management

Oracle Time and Labor allows all employees (hourly or salaried) or contractors to track their time. They can also access their leave balance and submit time-off requests to their managers. Managers can also schedule shifts based on business demands. Finally, there’s a rules engine that automate overtime, premium, differential and payroll calculations.

Oracle Absence Management allows businesses to manage absences of all its locations on a global scale with localization practices. The module includes a configurable engine for policies, accrual definitions and absences without having to modifying the codes. Managers can track absence and turnover trends with the absence data analytics.

Oracle Workforce Health and Safety provides an easy-to-use tool for reporting safety violations, accidents and other incidents. Managers access real-time data for visibility into these incidents for immediate action.

Payroll

Oracle Payroll supports payroll processing in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. It support local payroll taxes in those countries and delivers payroll tax reporting that complies with regulatory requirements.

Target Market

Oracle Cloud HCM serves many different industries, such as higher education, retailers and financial services.  Below is a partial list of Oracle’s customers:

Implementation/Integration

Oracle Corporation offers the following deployment options for its Cloud HCM solution:

Public cloud – With the public cloud option, applications are accessible by the general public and provided on a subscription basis, with no need to purchase additional support or licenses. The services are hosted by Oracle business partners or Oracle over the internet.

Private cloud – The private cloud deployment includes managed services of both hardware and applications that are available internally, covered by a firewall and hosted by Oracle business partners or Oracle over the web. Oracle conducts patching, monitoring, upgrades, security and system management services.

On-premise – On-premise implementation includes software licenses, support and hardware that clients purchase and host at one or more of their sites. Customers are responsible for the management, patching, upgrades and security.

Hybrid – With the hybrid option, clients can maintain their existing legacy software on-premise and purchase applications that are hosted in the public or private cloud.

Customer Service & Support

Oracle Corporation offers a range of support services. First, Oracle Premier Support includes 24/7 issue prevention, tech support and access to product upgrades. Customers also get a Lifetime Support Policy that allows them to upgrade whenever they’re ready. Second, Advanced Customer Service Support is ideal for complex environments, such as IT clusters in big organizations. Third, the My Oracle Support portal enables users to send requests for tech support, communicate with other Oracle Cloud customers and download application updates.

Pricing

Note that pricing for Oracle Cloud HCM is no longer publicly available. The prices listed below was accurate at the time of original publication. Please contact the vendor for a quote.

Each module includes a separate pricing plan. Here’s a snapshot of each plan:

The Global HR module subscription is priced at $15 per employee per month for a minimum of 1,000 employees. Note that the help desk feature is a separate cost at $4 per employee per month. In order to purchase the help desk plan, a subscription to the Global HR module is required.

The Global HR subscription also includes these additional Oracle Cloud HCM modules: workforce rewards, workforce management and the Work Life solution. However, a few features within these modules will be a separate cost.

The talent management module is priced at $10 per employee per month with a minimum of 1,000 employees. It includes performance management, career development and succession-planning features. However, the talent acquisition, recruiting and learning features cost extra: recruiting and talent acquisition is priced at $5 per employee per month each and learning costs $3 per employee per month.

The payroll feature in the workforce rewards module is an additional $7 per employee per month, and the time and labor feature in the workforce management module costs an additional $4 per employee per month.

Shortcomings

The Oracle Cloud HCM is not intended for companies with less than 100 employees. Those companies can check out our other HRMS reviews, such as BambooHR or Sage HRMS.

Screenshots

About

Oracle Corporation manufactures, sells and hosts platform services, infrastructure-as-a-service solutions and software-as-a-service (SaaS) application suites for IT environments worldwide. It was co-founded by Larry Ellison, Ed Oates and Bob Miner in 1977.

Since its inception, the company has made continuous efforts to remove the complexity from IT by designing software and hardware that work in harmony – both in the data center and in the cloud.

Today, Oracle offers enterprise resource planning, talent and human capital management, project portfolio management, business analytics, procurement and customer experience software, as well as risk and compliance, governance and financial management applications. In addition, it licenses the Oracle Database for manipulation, retrieval and storage of data.

Headquartered in Austin, TX, Oracle Corporation serves over 430,000 customers in more than 175 countries.

Download Vendor Comparison Guide

Related Solutions