Reviews of UKG Ready

Overall: The program is fantastic, and I appreciate being able to manage Payroll, TLM, and Benefits Open Enrollment in one location. UKG Ready eliminates the need for employees to manually enroll and maintain their personal information and leave balances.

Pros: The information is available to all employees so they may keep it up to date through regular reviews and edits. From a human resources perspective, everything is stored in a centralized database. When it comes to tracking time and managing resources, Kronos has everything a medium to large business may need.

Cons: There is no drawback, everything functions properly, and it greatly improves the quality of life for Human Resources experts. UKG has highly trained employees who are experts in their own system.

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: All of our issues have been resolved, most notably the transition to conducting Open Enrollment using the UKG portal rather than distributing paper forms to employees.

Pros: NOTHING! Hard to say what works best when nothing works at all.

Cons: The contact and implementation team. We have had to pull the pin and give up on implementing Kronos as we have spent tens of thousands of $ and hundred and hundreds of hours trying to get the system up and running and have gotten no where.

Overall: My experience has been phenomenal. I have a wonderful working relationship with a number of team members and have even gotten to speak 1 on 1 with the [sensitive content hidden] of the Company. I have not seen any other major company where the [sensitive content hidden] is that available AND willing to talk to you,

Pros: UKG Ready is a highly customizable solution. Like a buffet, you can take a little of this and a little of that to get the features and functions you most want or need. The system is also highly scalable and expandable. We have added on more features over the years and it is a seamless integration with existing data when adding on. The support team is Best In Class. I feel like I have my own support team when I have a question or I have broken something because I didn't read some of the support tools available. This support team is assigned to your company so you always know who you will be working with.

Cons: I have nothing negative to say about UKG Ready. It is a powerful tool which works for you 24/7/365.

Reasons for Choosing UKG Ready: Ready seemed to have all of the features we were looking for and the support to back it up.

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: Cost and support was slipping. It made sense to do an RFP and we ended up with UKG Ready.

Overall: I am a little frustrated with at times the communication flow. Frequent cancellations of meetings. Not always meeting deadlines on things. Sometimes not communicating proactively updates on where we are at with fixing certains issues. The latest hiccup occurred when the system went down and we reported this. Then we found out that we were supposed to sign up for the workforce community to get the updates when something goes wrong. This was either not communicated to us, or not quite communicated in a way that any of the implementation team understood. Not one of us either remembered or understood this. Separate from that I am very disappointed that important notifications are not automatic - instead we have to sign up for those notifications. My question is why? Shouldn't important notifications be standard? I have never had a product where we've had to sign up for those. You really need to reconsider that. There are other minor issues that make no logical sense to me as well. Like how to request PTO and not having the option to request a flat number of hours over several days. We are a healthcare operation with various schedules and requesting two weeks cause odd things to happen. Seems like this is something that should have been offered as an option long ago. Our first go-live date was December 23rd and now it is August 16th and we still have not gone live because there are still numerous issues to work through. That is frustrating for all the staff here.

Pros: I've used time and attendance systems before and generally like them.

Cons: We've have a tough time pulling the trigger to go live. I recognize that some of that is related to our unusual rules. However, I get a little disappointed about the lenghthy time and some of the hiccups seem to be for other reasons.

Reasons for Choosing UKG Ready: We had abandoned Kronos before because there was apparently some communication that due to our complicated rules, Kronos could not accommodate us. There was a perception that the right team was not in place before to make this happen (on both sides). Given the difficulties we are still having to try to go live, I am concerned. Our first go-live date was December 23rd and now it is August 16th and we still have not gone live because there are still numerous issues to work through.

Pros: It’s quick and easy to access. Easy to read

Cons: Hard to use for tax purposes. Not easily usable

Overall: 100% of our admin staff working with the new Kronos system is unhappy with it. We all agree that it seems like it is too complicated. We came from PayCom and it was soooooooooo intutive. So straight forward. And much cheaper. Kronos needs to come up with 5-8 templates that are a basic look for how the build-out would look. I think when they try to be all things to all clients they end up being overly complicated. They need to reduce 80% of the options. In hindsight we should have purchased a simpler system.

Pros: The potential is what I like most. The demo team from Kronos, during our research phase, far outshined the competition on how Kronos would make our lives better. However, that is not the case in reality. I will update this review in 6 months to see is this is improving. Customer service is trying to help. But literally every day is a struggle.

Cons: * Too many options * Too many drop-downs * Too complicated * Can't drag and drop * The set-up process was entirely from scratch with no examples to go from, no best practices * NOT INTUTIVE in the slightest * Makes me sick to my stomach thinking we are stuck with this for at least the next 3-4 years * Company seems too large to be nimble * We invested well over 500 EE hours in set-up? Do you want your staff doing that? * I feel like we are at the programmers level, this barely seems like software from this decade * Customer serve gives off the vibe we should know more than we know

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: We also used When I Work for scheduling and we wanted to bundle everything up into one. So we wanted onboarding, scheduling, payroll, HR, and benefits in one system.

Overall: We have been implementing Workforce Ready since August of 2016. We are doing a phased implementation of all the modules, so the process is still ongoing. Considering that we're still rather new to the system, we are starting to get more comfortable with the product. We've been on many other similar products with competitors and had issues, which caused us to look for other solutions after a few years. This time we really tried to search for a product that we felt would be flexible, allow for modifications, and grow with us, so that we did not have to go through another implementation in another 3 years. Our evaluation process was lengthy, but we are still finding out a few surprises as we've gone through implementation. How things are presented during the sales process, while technically correct, don't necessarily work as we wished them to. The system is very customizable, though. Our implementation team has been great about working through any issues and helping us try and find solutions if there are items we do not like. However, there are some things that we have found that are not able to be changed that were disappointing.

Pros: It's still a work in process but we have found many things that we do like about Workforce Ready: 1. Customization - This system offers you the ability to customize your screens down to the individual level, as well as creating customized screens for other types of users. So if you want your Managers to log in and see a Timekeeping dashboard with graphs, and your Employee to log in and see employee related actions, and your Benefits Administrator to see a Benefits screen, you can set that up as defaults. Then each person can also customize their screens if they like and save them. 2. Reporting - if you need list style reports then this system offers one of the best reporting tools for easily building and customizing reports. Almost every screen is considered a "report" and you can add and delete columns as needed and then save that for later use, or even make it your default screen. Almost every screen is able to be exported in a variety of formats as well. You can also schedule reports to run automatically, as well as have them e-mailed automatically to Managers, etc. on a routine basis. 3. Notifications - This system offers the ability to automatically send e-mail notifications, reports, etc. for disciplinary actions, attendance tracking, reviews and other items. This is very helpful for our Managers and keeps them up to date on their to-do list. 4. Tools - Workforce Ready does have its own learning system, and they also offer many webinars, customer groups, KronosWorks, and customer sites that allow you to connect with one another if you have similar questions or problems. 5. Modules All Accessible from One Log-in - This was important to us as our other systems required us to log-in multiple times if we were trying to get into the Applicant module or Timekeeping. This is all easily found under one log-in. Very easy and timesaving.

Cons: As we go through the implementation process there have been a few surprises and disappointments: 1. Reporting - Yes, this is a Pro as far as customization and easy list reporting, but I do wish they had a more complex reporting tool available as well. If you want to have subtotals, grand totals, averages, grouped reports, add in formulas, etc. it is not easy to do in the reporting tool itself and you may have to export the list report out and finish building out the report in Excel or Word to get it how you really need it to be. 2. No Point-In-Time Reporting - This seems like it would be a given, but as we found out after the fact, we cannot do point in time reports. I feel like this is something we would have asked during our evaluation of the product, but again almost all products offer this now so perhaps we made a wrong assumption. 3. System Needs "Polished" - We knew going in that this product did not look as "user-friendly" as some of the other products. We felt like the flexibility of the system made up for it. However, as we are setting up our onboarding, our applicant site, and reviews we are starting to see the drawbacks in this. If you have users who are not as comfortable on a computer, this lack of "polish" and user-friendliness can make it difficult for them to understand the processes, and how to get through the screens. We also do not have the ability to customize the applicant website as much as we would like to help draw in applicants. 4. General Ledger - We came from another provider who did have a great General Ledger product, and this one was definitely a step back. Also, if your GL is tied in with your jobs you do have to have two separate lists in this system - the GL is not linked with the Jobs list in HR. So if someone changes position we have to update it in two places in order to keep the GL correct. This also comes into play if we add new jobs into the system - we have to update two lists. We also had to separate out our overtime into two pay codes since we have the overtime premium going to a different GL code. In our old system, they could have one pay code separated into two GL codes. We did not discover this until after we went live and so our associates started out seeing it one way on their check, and then another way, so it was very confusing for them. 5. On-site Training- This was contracted out to a partner of Kronos. It was not what we expected at all for the price we paid. You are better off to use the items built into the system or do it yourself. 6. Security - Yes, security is a pro, but some of the security set-ups in this system do make it very difficult and frustrating for our associates and applicants to get into the system on a regular basis which is a con. The system will automatically lock out any associate or applicant that does not log in every 14 days. However, the system tends to lock out every new user as well the first time they try to log-in. This is annoying and can make it difficult for those on off-shifts, as they have to contact us to get unlocked and then try logging in again within 24 hours. In addition, it does require you to enter a code if you're getting in on a new computer. It does have the option to check a box and only enter the code every 30 days, but that only applies to that specific computer and sometimes will not work depending on your cookie setting. Since most of our associates work in the plant, they only get on the system to print out check stubs every other week. They have to enter a code almost every time they log on to our public computers. This code has to be sent to their designated phone number or e-mail and cannot be easily changed to another number or e-mail. So if they forget their phone, or don't have their e-mail password with them, it can really make it difficult to get logged on, leading to frustration for them and a negative outlook on the system.

Overall: As a new user of Kronos - I have been impressed with the value placed on customer service and community support. Workforce Ready is a newer platform and as with all changes, there are a few glitches; however, the tech support and responsiveness makes you feel as though the system issues are minor and worth it. Every single time we call for assistance, the experience is helpful rather than stressful. Product wise - I love the cloud technology and the community features. One of my favorite features is the export option. When first using the product I kept looking for where to "Run Reports" for basic info - when I realized I could manipulate the columns and then just export the data I was looking at I was thrilled. It isn't complicated, doesn't require that I run a bunch of numbers - I just pick what I want to know at that moment & export the file. Then I can easily sort/filter the excel data as needed. I also appreciate the ability to search by multiple details - other platforms require the last name only, but WFR let's me search by multiple features - including the exact name or "starts with". I still have a lot to learn about the system and am anxious for the upgrades and suggestions to be implemented (like the ability to click back/forth between pages as you move through a file without having to go back to the home page); however, I'm pleased with the product and love the relationship - so as long as the focus stays on technological advances, combined with stellar customer service - Kronos will get my vote at the executive table.

Pros: PEOPLE! Software is available and mostly similar - we have a lot of choices in HRIS/Payroll systems, so how you treat your customers is the most important factor in being better. Kronos has this in spades!!

Cons: Benefit plan set up isn't ideal - I need to be able to put in an effective date AND an enrollment date, as they are not the same thing. If my employees don't elect their benefits before the "waiting period" the "New Enrollment" radio button disappears. An employee's waiting period and eligibility dates do not match their election period. I'd like the opportunity to select the different options.

Overall: Honestly, just go with ADP and pay more. At least they will be able to help you more with compliance. Kronos was such a letdown and the system looks so antiquated.

Pros: Kronos has some good report features and a lot of the onboarding documentation is easy to collect. You do have the benefit of being with a larger company so they have more customer service people, too, and they have people who specialize in certain areas to give you better help.

Cons: Oh, there are too many to count: - Their compliance features pale in comparison to ADP. They will say they can comply with all state-mandated sick-leave laws, but it requires so much manual work on the backend that you kind of wish you could just do it elsewhere. A huge pain if you operate in many states. - Their "customized fields" that they tell you about in an RFP just don't exist. Anything you need done that doesn't fit within their standard guidelines just won't happen. - If you like reporting on headcount and HR metrics the way that Kronos does it, you're fine. Otherwise you have to attempt to build a report with their service team (which can take weeks) and then export it and then get the data you want. It's just not acceptable given how much you pay for the service. - Don't get me started on their "documents." If you need to send out a bulk request (i.e. when EEO season rolls around) Kronos can only send out a general reminder to have people check their inbox, and then people have to be smart enough to go in and do it. The reminders for this suck too.

Overall: The ease of use with the finger reader and software has been a great benefit. We are an auto dealership with sales and technicians, the ease of use is a great benefit to people not tech savvy. So easy to use software and hardware is paramount for us.

Pros: The software is easy to keep track of clocking and clocking out, vacation and sick days. The finger reader is also convenient and very easy, Just put your finger in the reader and ding! Your clocked in or out.

Cons: I have not experienced any Cons, the software always works and if I need to call support, they are quick to respond and resolve my issue.

Reasons for Choosing UKG Ready: Software ease of use and the convenience of the finger reader device. The software is a wonderful way to view Vacation days, Sick days, Worked Hours, Holidays, Pay Check Stubs and submit requests to management. It has reduced paperwork and loss of paperwork to management. It's an organized system to communicate with the management for time off and print out any information needed quickly. Example, an employee needed paycheck stubs to purchase a house and was able to print them immediately without delay.

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: Kronos ease of use software for the non tech savvy.

Overall: While I was not on the implementation team, everyone that was left within five month of implementation. I had zero experience with Kronos and was provided little instruction from Kronos support unless I knew the specific questions to ask.

Pros: The only plus for Kronos Ready is that it is Internet based.

Cons: Feels like it was made by developers for developers, not for HR/Payroll administration.

Reasons for Choosing UKG Ready: Unknown

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: Wanted to upgrade our system.

Pros: The software is very user-friendly both for admins and users. Reporting is a breeze and is one of my favorite features!

Cons: The con that I have experienced is not in the software itself but in the customer service. I would like a designated rep that knows my rules, my employees, etc. It's like starting from scratch every time I have an issue. When I used Empower, I had designated reps. I miss that feature the most.

Reasons for Choosing UKG Ready: The single sign-on was a huge factor. With out previous system, I had to log into two different systems, one for time/attendance and the other for HR/Payroll. In addition, I loved the reporting features.

Reasons for Switching to UKG Ready: Empower was being purchased by Kronos.

Pros: Employee record maintenance is quite simple as is timekeeping and timesheet management. Vacation tracking is also very simple to use.

Cons: Reporting is too complicated. Extracting data that Kronos is collecting should be more user friendly. I also wish that there were more HR functions available. For example, I formerly worked for a large corporation who used Luas & Clark. Not only did it keep time, but it allowed us to keep employee records (coaching/counselling etc.) besides just attendance in one place that was accessible to those who needed access.