Zenefits Payroll Review

Zenefits
Product:
Vendor:
Founded:
Headquarters:
Zenefits
Zenefits
2013
San Francisco, CA
Ownership:
Customers:
Deployment Model:
Free Trial:
Private
10,000+
Cloud
Yes
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Zenefits At A Glance

Good: An easy-to-use platform with features that automate many payroll functions, like deduction calculations and tax filings.
Bad: Customer support can be difficult to reach, especially after the implementation process.
Bottom Line: A full-service payroll system that connects to all HR solutions to streamline tasks and sync critical information.

Product Overview

Zenefits is an all-encompassing, cloud-based HR suite that improves efficiency by automating key tasks related to payroll, benefits, performance, compliance and more. This review will focus on the features and benefits of Zenefits’ payroll system. For more information about Zenefits’ full HR functionality, read our Zenefits HRMS Review.

Zenefits’ payroll system connects to all your HR solutions. The system automatically syncs any changes you make while managing employee information to reduce errors in critical payroll and tax documents.

Zenefits’ payroll is optional for users on the Essentials and Growth pricing plans, while it’s included in the Zen plan.

Features

Zenefits automates its payroll features so the software can practically run on its own. This allows your team to focus more on performance instead of correcting errors or making tedious calculations.

Some of Zenefits’ key payroll features include:

  • Automatic Pay Runs – Figure out the best payroll schedule for your company, and Zenefits will automatically run it for you.
  • Automatic Tax Filings – For no additional cost, Zenefits can process your W-2s and file your taxes in all 50 states.
  • Automatic On/Off Boarding – Zenefits will automatically add a new hire’s data to payroll and calculate all deductions. Zenefits will also prorate the person’s first and last pay checks with your company.
  • Automatic Upkeep – Payroll is integrated with all of your Zenefits solutions, so any updates and changes made to employee information are automatically synced.

Zenefits also has features that give you and your employees full visibility for payroll functions, allowing you to better understand when and why updates or changes were made. Those are:

  • Payroll Timeline – A complete visual history of the events that change payroll ( like start date, life changing event, etc.), which help employers answer employees’ questions.
  • Smart Stubs – To help employees understand their paychecks better, this breaks them down into a clearer format.
  • Easy Comp – Easily collaborate with your team to coordinate bonuses and commissions for each employee on a single-platform dashboard.
  • Pay Preview – Preview and manage a paycheck before the pay run to make sure everything’s correct. You’re able to edit ledgers, dig deeper into deductions and more with this overview tool.

Target Market

Zenefits has helped over 10,000 HR departments become more efficient, and it has a customer base ranging from start-up to mid-sized organizations in many industries, such as healthcare, IT and retail. We’ve listed 10 of its customers below.

  • Agency EA
  • Coney Island Prep
  • Fireclay Tiles
  • Goals for Autism
  • Impact
  • Lensrentals
  • MeUndies
  • Narvar
  • Strada
  • Ylabs

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Implementation/Integration

Prospects can sign up for a demo account and Zenefits’s support team will work with companies one on one to start the implementation process.

Each company is assigned a support representative as a main contact. The company will continue to work with that representative from the initial set-up process to launch and training to periodic software/account maintenance.

Customer Service & Support

Zenefits offers various support options to fit a customer’s needs via its online Help Center, which includes guidance on various topics and phone support.

If a company chooses to manage its benefits through Zenefits, a benefits representative will be assigned to the company for a consistent point of contact.

Pricing

The payroll feature is an add-on that costs $6 per employee, per month. As noted above, it’s included in the Zen plan. For more info on Zenefits’s base plans, please refer to our HRMS review.

Shortcomings

Zenefits is a growing company that recognizes its software limitations, and it’s diligently working to expand its features. Once bugs are found in the software, the support team quickly sets to work to fix the issues.

That said, some customers reported that their assigned representatives were difficult to reach during implementation, resulting in missed deadlines for insurance open enrollment. Other customers mentioned that Zenefits’ initial implementation support was good, but representatives became distant after launch.

Screenshots

Zenefits Screenshot 1
Zenefits Screenshot 2
Zenefits Screenshot 3

About

Co-founded by Parker Conrad and Laks Srini in 2013, Zenefits has been dubbed as one of the fastest SaaS start-ups in Silicon Valley.

With its “hub and spoke” business model, Zenefits offers an online dashboard, including all the bells and whistles to alleviate HR headaches. In 2017, it pivoted from being a digital broker to partnering with leading brokers who use its HR platform, and in 2018, it began offering advanced HR features.

Zenefits is headquartered in San Francisco, and has additional offices in Tempe (AZ), Charlotte (NC) and Vancouver (British Columbia). As of February 2022, it has been acquired by TriNet.

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Onboarding and offboarding is the main reason we use Zenefits. It's incredibly easy to use and integrates so well with our payroll system. The only issue I have ever had is come enrollment for benefits, there's been glitched in the system cause employees not get the email to enroll and subsequently losing their coverage.



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Great Software and Awesome Service

on 2019-06-27 18:39:39

We've been with Zenefits for 4 years and have seen a lot of changes. All positive ones. They engage the community, the support is always helpful and successful, they have a lot of cool features and make it easy to customize. They listen to your issues and work on solving them.



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Seamless low-cost solution for small to mid-sized companies that kills busy work

on 2018-12-06 11:34:47

Pros: With a solution like Zenefits, I have managed to reduce the HR budget year-over-year while going 100% paperless. The integration with our applicant tracking system allows me to push data seamlessly from my mobile device directly to Zenefits to extend an offer, wherever, whenever. I am no longer chained to the constraints of my desk, which is critical for an HR team of one. Easily the most comprehensive solution in the market (at this price point) that addresses onboarding/offboarding, automated and customized email triggers to employees, time and attendance, insurance, aca compliance, reporting (standard and custom) and a multitude of integrations. Since becoming a client over 2 years ago, I have gone to market year-over-year, and haven't found a solution that is comparable. Zenefits kills the busy work and allows me to dedicate time to our employees and driving meaningful initiatives, restructuring the experience with HR to being a partnership versus an administrative burden.

Cons: I wish the performance management module was baked into the subscription versus an add-on cost. The transition to a new brokerage, OneDigital, has come with its challenges, but I appreciate that the leadership teams both with Zenefits and OneDigital have been willing to personally speak with me to determine how gaps can be bridged to improve my experience as the employer.



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Very Satisfied

on 2018-11-20 15:26:01

We have been a customer for 3 years. I'm very happy with the services. Payroll, time off, and benefits. The benefits services especially have been wonderful. Super easy. The customer service has been wonderful as well.