Long-term user of HR Office
Pros
I like that it's cloud-based, but most importantly for us, it offers employee self-service for PTO requests and information updates. The key reason we've stayed with this system is that it provides automatic calculations of paid time off based on a formula we set up, automatically changing accruals on employee anniversary dates. It also allows us to easily calculate PTO that will be earned through the end of the fiscal year since we allow staff to schedule (and generally use) PTO in advance of accrual. The calculations take into consideration any accrual rate changes and adjusts out any dates already scheduled. There are other HR solutions with a simpler interface, but this feature was a deal-breaker for us. The PTO request workflows can allow for more than one approval level and sends email alerts. Support has generally been very good in all the years I've used it.
Cons
We only have 30 staff members, but years ago, they implemented a rate based on a minimum of 50 users. We recently implemented the self service to manage PTO requests and overall, we're thrilled to have made that move (we have multi-tiered approvals, which they didn't have in the past). I would really like to have more customizable fields in the request form to prompt the user for key information the supervisor needs to make an approval decision. The interface is sometimes very slow to load for the HR admin (it's a remote desktop configuration). Some of it's not intuitive -- when setting up a new employee and their PTO accrual, we get a prompt that the person is not employed 40 hours (part of our PTO calculation criteria), but rather than the person's hours worked being in the main employee tabs, you have to click out and go to a completely separate area to indicate that they are full time.

Ascentis
Overall we have implemented the system and we are using it. Ascentis support is helpful.
Pros
The recruiting feature is collects good data, candidates are able to complete the application. The performance reviews module is straight forward and the wizard makes it easy, very easy, for employees to complete their reviews.
Cons
It can be hard to get the system to do what you want! For example, our company uses the Kudos feature all the time. However it takes 3-4 clicks to find the "give kudos" button. I have made several requests to move the button, but I am told it can't be done.
Applicants see a plain white page with small font as they use the wizard to click through the application process.
Moving to Ascentis Was the Best Decision We Made for our Organization
I have never worked with a vendor who was so organized and supportive of us reaching our goals. There was never a gap when we needed help--calls and emails are always returned promptly. They are a great organization that employees top-notch experts who are there to help you. Wish other organization ran this smoothly.
Pros
The implementation process is so well-planned. You have a team of experts supporting you for each module and they really work with you to learn and get through building. They also hold you accountable for your "homework assignments" to keep you on-track for your go-live date. This was helpful to us because we are so busy but they held our feet to the fire with deadlines (and we met our go-live date with ease). Our employees like the easy to use system and we have received much positive feedback since rolling out.
Cons
Needing to use a Remote Desktop to access the back-end for set up and maintenance is cumbersome. I had to invest in a second monitor to make it easier. The end-user's interface (Employee Self Service) is 100% web-based, so no issues there. This is truly my only complaint. Everything else they said they system could do really is possible. They are honest in what they sell.
Everything you need under one roof.
Lots of integrations, great for tons of people, well managed and thoughtful design.
Pros
Employee information, comfortably managed. Useful links provided to everything you need to manage employees, or as an employee, everything you need to keep yourself on track.
Cons
Organization can be cumbersome and annoying, but it's a good problem to have. Slow, clunky load times.
Good system, Can use some work
So far i think it is a good system for the most part but it needa some work definitely
Pros
I think it is a great system to use for the most part, everything is easy to understand once you get used to how things work
Cons
Customer service is not the best. I just feel like if i send an email to support ot takes entirely too long to get assistance. Also any time we want to change something, they charge you for every little thing
Great so far
Pros
Easy implementation, user friendly. Lots of nice features and functions, customizable to our company!
Cons
Feel like implementation could be done more quickly. Other than that I think it is good over all and I would recommend.
The best!
Highly recommend!
Pros
Very knowledgable, practice and quick .
Able to keep track of hours and benefits without having to wait on HR.
small and customizable
Pros
Customizable, more one-on-one support when you wanted to set up the programs. The initial consult was involved.
Cons
You have to know exactly what you want/need or it gets set up incorrectly. This most likely due to inability of small org to really recommend a best practice, or detail consequences to the business of decisions.
Great software for derm
Pros
Very user-friendly. Easy to use, and all pertinent material is accessible.
Cons
Minor glitches. Inability to make changes without having to contact support.
I have now had Ascentis HR for 2 months, and Payroll for a month, and I can sum my experience up in 4 words:
Thank goodness for Ascentis.
We are a small to medium company with the unique feature of being made up of multiple FEINs. We are also on an aggressive growth plan in terms of expansion. Although the company has been around for more than 30 years, it's only been in the last 5 it's gone from a small family business to a regional (soon to be national) distributor.
When I took on the position with this company to build a HR department and functions, one of the task requirements/ requests from the owner was to bring payroll inhouse within the first year. Payroll was being managed by the accountants, and it was neither cost-effective or timely; corrections were always a challenge. The existing HR software, Sage, was full of bugs and not managing tasks effectively. Much of the historical data was inaccurate, as well.
Literally, I was printing out time punch reports, manually entering onto a spreadsheet, and at the end of the paycycle emailing it to the accountant with all changes/corrections the very next business day. And then sending someone an hour away to pick up checks. And same for corrections. Not anymore.
I did quite a bit of research early on for the right system. The multiple FEINs made some systems much more expensive. And even though I'm in a culture that has been embracing change, I knew doing everything at once would create shock waves. Additionally, the projected growth made it so easy, expandability was a absolute necessity. Finally, the system would need to be easy enough and intuitive enough to teach a Vice President to be an emergency backup.
Selection of Ascentis was easy, actually. I asked lots of questions, and the response was usually either "oh, yes, of course, this is how we do that...." or "that does sound a little different, let me check" followed by "ok, this is how we can do that for you...". Things fit nicely.
The implementation team has been wonderful. They made it easy, making sure I knew what they needed and when, and kept me updated on their statuses as well. I unexpectedly had to move up one of my timelines as my previous system had a different renewal date than I was originally told. It took two months to implement HR, and 3 to do Payroll, which in terms of transition is lightning speed. This is particularly true as I had other major projects going at the same time. Christy, Jean, Kimberly and the rest have been great about letting me mess around with it before going live, and been there to answer the phone as my safety net as I spend time double and triple checking things when I went live. We have had a few minor tech problems, and Jack solved them quickly and easily.
Training was almost too much. There are videos, live demo, handbooks, and the team calls. They have been great about letting me do that part at my own pace.
Once piece of advice: if you have more than one location, use the tax service. Payroll does not print coupons and is a little less helpful with the who-when part (although the related reports are awesome.)
I have now had two zero-error payrolls; I had to make up mistakes to learn how to do that piece! We are likely adding Tax very soon, and anticipate adding Time later this year. We are eventually going to add self service.
Ascentis has wonderful reports, and has cut the time involved significantly. It's less expensive, and just so easy to use. Even the Payroll person at the accountant who did it before is jealous.
We had always outsourced our HR and payroll, and as a rapidly growing company with more offices opening around the country, we were outgrowing the functionality of the third party HR firm; not to mention the enormous costs of their service fees, inflated benefit premiums, and customer service issues.
During my research of in-house support software, Ascentis stood out for its completeness. There is a lot of software that will do HR, or payroll, or timekeeping, but I wanted something that was already built to work and flow together. I was looking for something that would provide a high level of detail in data storage and maintenance, as well as be customizable for the way we already operate. Ascentis definitely provides all of that, and has a good user interface as well. I appreciate how comprehensive it is - I'm happy that it handles our taxes as well as manages data flow to our benefits carriers through Carrier Connect.
We began implementation in July 2012 and currently we use Time, Self-Service v 8.4, HR v 8.5, and Payroll 4.2.1. Since we started, there have already been big upgrades to Self Service and HR that has resolved some of the issues I was having. We have done an open enrollment already using the Self-Service, which creates a walk-through wizard for employees that makes the process of learning about company benefits and signing up for them really easy. The housing of the benefits structures is detailed and I was able to automatically build in nearly all the rules or restrictions that were associated with our plans.
Implementation went smoothly overall - it was a daunting task but the support is terrific. Everyone I've talked to in all the software components are very available and patient, and extremely responsive. This was one of the most important considerations for me. This being our first time handling HR and payroll in-house, I knew we needed to work with a company that we could have a personal relationship with, and not be lost. I also appreciate the fact that the software is continually upgrading and improving. I do not expect anything to be perfect; it is more important to me that they are working to improve and are responsive. Any issues I've had, they have received thoughtfully and log the suggestions/needs to submit for potential changes.
I'm extremely happy with the product and the company and look forward to continuing working with them.
Good for HR but not very user friendly
Pros
Great for posting jobs and applicant review. Very easy to use in that aspect. Keeps track of salary input and review status as well as employee longevity.
Cons
Back end of Ascentis is not very user friendly at all for mass communication and employee portal information unless you are very experienced in HTML format.
We transitioned a few months ago. The experience was fantastic!! Awesome support and training.
I would definitely recommend Ascentis to anyone ... large or small company. Our transition to Ascentis was well supported and has opened our processes up to today's world.
Pros
Ascentis is very user friendly. I'm still getting familiar with a lot of the features but I have not found anything to this point that is overly challenging or difficult to get understand. I like the way HR and Payroll sync, which eliminates double entry. And our supervisors love the access to their crews through Self Service
Cons
The reporting features are somewhat challenging only because I'm still getting used to them. There are a lot of selections and I'm still finding my pathways
Great HRIS system
Pros
Ascentis was our HRIS system several years ago and it was a great way to keep all of our employee data. It was very customizable and the help desk was great!
Cons
Unfortunately the remote desktop style was not for us and we moved to a cloud based HRIS system. But I do miss the flexibility of HRO.
The Switch to an HRIS System
Pros
Our company experience rapid growth over the course of two short years, and we desperately needed an HRIS system to house all of our information. There is no way we would've been able to keep up with our growth had it not been for the implementation of Ascentis HRIS and Time/Payroll.
Cons
We experienced some implementation woes, as was to be expected, but the main issue has been with the flow of our HR employee info and benefit elections flowing over accurately to Payroll and our carrier connect pieces.
Happy we made the switch
I chose Ascentis in a very short time frame after viewing 10 Payroll/HR/Timekeeping software solutions. I am very happy I made the choice I did! The software is flexible, reliable and accurate - three must-haves in payroll.
Pros
It is completely customizable, no "cookie cutter" software with Ascentis. The implementation team is great and they helped keep us on track for an expedited roll out.
Cons
Timekeeping side (Novatime) can be a little slower in response for support, but the product itself is amazing.
Ascentis
By allowing the end users to manage some request like vacation, offloads some work off of the payroll department and managers.
Pros
We get weekly reports emailed. Also able to see PTO, taxes and other cool features like performance reviews.
Cons
The actual accounting user interface is a bit dated.
Ascentis
Ascentis is very user-friendly. All fields are self-explanatory. You need no guidance to use this product. It is very simple to use. I highly recommend this product.
Ascentis user experience
Pros
I find the application easy to use and very straightforward. The vendor team has great customer service and is very helpful.
Cons
Setting up the reporting is difficult at first, but once it is run the first time, you can save and re-run it with different dates.
We brought payroll in-house after outsourcing it for over 15 years. We were tired of having vendors add ridculous fees and for stifling our ability to make back-end changes. In addition, they made numerous mistakes in processing taxes and garnishments.
The choice to go with Ascentis was made in large part because of the incredible ability to customize it. The setup of the system (employee records, reporting, back-end) is very logical and easy to navigate.
The implementation was fantastic, and who ever says that about changing payroll systems? Our Implementation Manager, Elissa, was extremely knowledgeable, not only about Ascentis, but payroll processes in general. She was incredibly fast at responding to questions and to implementing all the data as it came in. She provided us with an action timeline outline who was responsible for each part along the way. We had our implementation complete and parallel payrolls processed AHEAD of time!!
So far we have loved the ability to run off-cycle checks, and payroll has processed without a hitch. The off-cycle paychecks alone have saved us thousands in fees we would have normally paid. We also implemented Employee Self Service for the first time and my employees love having access to all their pay information online. The few times we've needed to access the customer support team they have been incredibly responsive.
I would highly recommend Ascentis to anyone!!
We switched from an old-fashioned punch clock to this software a couple of years ago
Pros
It is a vast improvement to our old system and we are generally pleased.
Multiple areas to personalize the system and classify the employees (ability to assign departments, etc.)
Ascentis Review
Pros
The easy of use is great. The implementation team is fantastic! Our company experience has been great. We transitioned to several modules that included: HR, Payroll, Time, Recruiting/Onboarding, Performance Management and Learning. Each team lead has been responsive and has provided great support and education thru the process. Support members are extremely knowledgeable and timely.
Cons
Only concern could be working with several other systems vs. single system. We view this as both a pro and con, but the pros out weigh the con's, without a doubt.

As an employee, this is great
I don't really like the color scheme, so if they ever gave the option to switch to a different color I would take it. That is not a complaint or a problem.
Pros
It's very easy to punch in/out using this system. When I forget to punch, or there's any issue, it's simple to put in a request to my supervisor.
Cons
It took a while to get used to the format, but I am starting to find it enjoyable and easy to use. Beats filling out the antiquated print-outs of time cards and remembering to get them to my boss.
Clean interface but a bit pricey
Pros
This software is extremely user friendly with a clean interface and rarely any glitches or slow downs.
Cons
Definitely proven to be a slight bit more costly than others and the customer service team is pretty slow to respond.
starting out
Our first week using, we've had a few things that needed fixed. Par for the course for anything new. Hope we grow to love it. It's our first HR software.
Pros
Adjusting to this new software, all first-time users. Getting used to the format and all it has to offer.
Cons
Some employees are asking HR to check with Ascentis to see if an app is available for mobile users. Hope so!
We've used HR Office for about 20 years now -- started out with the in-house Access version and have used the .asp version since about 2001/2002.