# Ascender Payroll and HCM Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Is Ascender Payroll and HCM the right Recruiting solution for you? Explore 42 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/77172/PeopleStreme-Performance-Management/reviews

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Ascender Payroll and HCM

4.1 (42)

Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/)

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Last updated March 13th, 2026

# Reviews of Ascender Payroll and HCM

Ease of use

4.1

Customer Service

4.5

## Pros and Cons in Reviews

AB

Adam B

Director of Corporate ServicesEducation Management, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“The fact that as soon as we signed up for the product, the company was sold which meant that the products we were investing in would not be supported and developed after our initial contract term.“

August 11, 2022

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 1-25 of 42 Reviews

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Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Riva C.  
Administrador  
Marketing and Advertising  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "Analyze - Ascending Payroll and HCM"

April 26, 2022

5.0

I'm in the experimentation phase. But I'm enjoying it too much.

Pros

Easy to use, integrates other tools and intuitive

Cons

I'm in the experimentation phase. But I'm enjoying it too much.

Alternatives considered

[Apple Pay](https://www.capterra.com/p/212840/Apple-Pay/)[PayPal Point of Sale](https://www.capterra.com/p/171165/PayPal-Here-app/)

Reason for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM

Because it is easier to integrate and less bureaucratic

Review Source

SC

Sean C.  
HR Business Partner  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great product and wonderful service support."

June 12, 2018

5.0

The software has allowed us to centrally manage our decentralised recruitment process and has significantly reduced our recruitment timeframes. Additionally, the performance module provides an easy and intuitive platform for our staff to capture and record ongoing performance conversations. The reporting functionality also provides easy to access and build reports to demonstrate compliance of all of our staff.

Pros

A really intuitive system that allows end users a central location to manage their performance conversations, learning and development activities and recruitment all in one place. Staff in our organisation often comment on how easy the processes are to follow and how simple it is to capture and record ongoing performance discussions.

Cons

The only part of the system that sometimes causes us issues is that the hierarchy in PeopleStreme has a person to person relationship whereas our other hierarchy based systems are position to position.

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

June 26, 2018

Thanks for the awesome review, Sean! We work hard to meet expectations like yours, and we¿re happy when we hear we hit the mark for you. Cheers!

EB

Erika B.  
HR Consultant  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Meets our needs"

October 23, 2017

3.0

Pros

Easy functionality. Does what want it to do. The support team is fantastic. and offer a lot of support when needed.

Cons

We could do with better reporting functionality (however this is available and is a matter of us upgrading).

Review Source

SS

Sheralyn S.  
Senior Consultant  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Ascender Payroll - sound and proven payroll for complex configuration and requirements"

September 16, 2020

4.0

Pros

Our current Account Executive is great, always ready to help and is easily at hand whenever we have any queries or issues. She is very professional and provides a level of assurance over working with Ascender. We have used Ascender Pay for around 30 years since it was first released and find it suits our complex enterprise agreement requirements. There is an abundance of new functionality being released for review and implementation. Ascender is a big part of my life and I am very attached since my connection goes back some 23 years. I almost feel part of their family working with some of the long-term staff for such a time – they are just wonderful people.

Cons

With all the new functionality being released it is hard to keep up.

Review Source

ES

Elias S.  
Accounting  
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "RCJ Transport Logistics"

March 31, 2022

5.0

After having worked manually and also with other slow response programs, this one has been extraordinary, efficient, fast and saves me more time for other commercial activities

Pros

Friendly, versatile and easy to connect with other software

Cons

really so far I have not gotten anything that tells me that I do not like this or that, rather it has been very useful

Reason for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM

Simply because it is practical, versatile and friendly in all lines

Review Source

SC

Steve C.  
Senior Advisor  
Higher Education  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "HES Review"

October 6, 2020

5.0

Excellent working relationship wirh many people inside of Ascender at all levels.

Pros

Very suited to a university environment and has been for many decades. HES has had a relationship with Ascender and it's predecesor companies since 1997. We continue to strengthen the relationship through collaborative software development and broader services to the universities we serve.

Cons

It is (understandably) difficut to configure since it is a complex payroll.

Reason for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM

HES on behalf of the member universities has not needed to go to the market since the relationship began in 1997.

Review Source

AS

Ann S.  
General Manager, Corporate  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Performance and Learning & Development modules "

September 17, 2018

5.0

Now that we have been through a performance review cycle, the benefits are apparent to everyone, Managers can see how powerful it can be and they want to use it! We now have plans that are truly tailored to each individual and everyone's KPI's actually link back to our Company Strategic objectives. There is greater clarity for all about their futures and were their development is headed. There is greater engagement in general across the board. We also like to ability to be able to add relevant additional modules as we like as we evolve.

Pros

Its has allowed us to adopt some of the latest HR strategies in this area by replacing our paper based performance appraisal process, providing alignment with our company strategy and improved employee engagement and development. Ease of use is also key. It also provides an easy to use tool to for all our Learning and Development which ties back into our Personal development plans and is constantly being referred to and worked on via the 1 on 1's. We were never good at this in the past. After sales support has been excellent as you are proactively contacted to ensure you are getting the most from the software.

Cons

Some of the data entry is into windows (rather than into a field ) which when they open are too big and take up most of the screen

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

September 18, 2018

Hi Ann, Thanks for your glowing review. Glad that the PeopleStreme team could be a part of your journey and I'm sure it's only the start of it.

FM

Felicity M.  
Former HR Manager  
Defense & Space  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "PeopleStreme eRecruitment Module"

October 25, 2018

4.0

Excellent.

Pros

PeopleStreme's recruitment module enabled CEA to move away from manual recruitment processes and manage a very high recruitment workload for the last few years. The support we received from representative and the Helpdesk was excellent.

Cons

The version we used meant that at times, it seemed there were too many tabs to click through to get to the information we wanted, however, it was not something that seriously impeded the way we worked.

Review Source

LS

Laura S.  
Organisation Development Consultant  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "One platform for all our HR initiatives to be housed making it easy and straight for our staff."

June 25, 2018

4.0

It's a great tool to engage our staff in our HR initiatives. The platform allows our processes to be uniformed and create a professional environment for all things people/HR.

Pros

\- One platform for all our HR initiatives - It is easy and straight forward to use - We can add new modules at the time that suits our organisation - Easily monitor completion rates etc. - Ability to export data into excel in a friendly way - Friendly helpdesk if support is required - Engages team well - Ability to have single sign on

Cons

\- Fixed structure so can be difficult to make bespoke for our business when required - Can take time to set up new modules

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

June 26, 2018

Laura, thank you for the great review! We¿re so happy PeopleStreme can play a part in Audi's HR initiatives and can¿t wait to see future outcomes. Keep up the good work!

LS

Laure S.  
Senior HR Advisor  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great HRIS for SME"

September 19, 2018

4.0

Pros

The modules are user friendly and intuitive.

Cons

The control panel was a little harder to navigate and to understand where and how certain areas/fields could be customised. Upgrades could also be improved with some customisation getting reset.

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

October 15, 2018

Hi Laure, Thanks very much for your great review! We work hard to offer the best HRIS and services and I'm happy to see that reflected in reviews such as yours. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any help. Thanks. Jean-Paul

KL

Kim L.  
HR Advisor  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "A great tool that allows HR processes to occur electronically"

April 23, 2018

4.0

Real time data and eliminates manual paperwork

Pros

\- Easy to use - Accessible from anywhere - Accountability and monitoring of goals are linked together

Cons

This system is great but our business is slightly unique and require some customizations which will come at a cost. This will improve over time with system upgrades.

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

April 25, 2018

Thanks Kim for the great review. We're glad that you're finding the tool easy to use.

CW

Christine W.  
Sr. Consultant  
  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Our experience has been great, training was excellent and we love the application suite."

December 4, 2017

5.0

Pros

User Friendly/Intuitive and easy to use. Many modules to choose from going forward that we can grow with that enables us to have access to the entire Human Capital Management ecosystem in one place.

Cons

Nothing, other than we wish they had more US based support. Initially we thought we had a lot of bugs, but as it turned out it was more just administrative user error. Orchestrating feedback from technical support 12 hours apart was sometimes difficult to answer things quickly.

Review Source

SC

Stephanie C.  
General Manager Human Resources  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "A good product"

December 7, 2016

4.0

PeopleStreme has proven to be very easy to use. The staff has been able to work out the functionality for themselves after one quick training session. Feedback has been very positive.

Pros

Easy to use

Cons

Software seems fine. Well, developer and mature so no bugs have been encountered.

Review Source

DM

Dana M.  
Recruiting Manager  
Staffing and Recruiting  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Pretty good"

January 24, 2017

3.0

I have worked with this in the past and we ended up upgrading for more options.

Review Source

Natasha B.  
Executive Manager, Sales & Marketing  
Financial Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Easy Performance Management"

October 11, 2018

5.0

Our Customer Success Manager has been a fantastic support for us along this journey. He is very knowledgeable and happy to help in any way. It took us some time to implement due to the project being managed by only one person - but this goes to show that it is a truly scalable solution for large and smaller businesses. We will soon implement the Learning & Development Module across our teams and know it will lift our training and personal development to a new level with this professional and well-structured solution.

Pros

Peoplestreme is customisable and is very 'follow your nose' in terms of employee and manager use. Dashboards are great to easy report on individuals, teams and also for compliance requirements. For a business which did not have anything in place previously it has helped is to implement a performance management program which is best of breed and best practice.

Cons

There were a couple of items with our version which meant we needed some manual workarounds but with our upgraded version ready to go live next month everything will be resolved.

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

October 15, 2018

Hi Natasha, Thanks for your kind words and the trust you put in us. This is the reason we come to work every day and hope the team can continue to add value to Northern Inland Credit Union and the team. Jean-Paul

DR

Danielle R.  
HRBP  
Construction  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "System lacks basic Functionality & Oversold Product"

December 17, 2020

1.0

Overall, my recommendation is to avoid this product, it is not worth the increased administrative burden that the modules come with. The product is expensive for the lack of functionality and the presentation of the modules.

Pros

Performance Management Module is only Module I would recommend purchasing.

Cons

Customer Service: -Disconnect from the sales team and product delivery team -Sales team over sale PeopleSteme Modules that doesn't save time but increases administrative tasks -Product team provides workarounds to compensate for the lack of the system functionality once you have purchased the modules - PeopleStreme can't commit to timeframes for the companies 'road map' on new features System: -There is minimal automation provided by the purchased modules -System is extremely slow -Inability to bulk upload all historical data (e.g. Job Ads, Position Descriptions, Resumes) -Purchased modules don’t communicate to one another, requiring a increased workload for the HR team -There is no Employee Landing page that displays basic employee data (hire date, department, job title), which is collected from the Onboarding process. Sales team now tells us that this is only available to them because of their access permissions and not part of the package sold -Onboarding Module does not allow for cross-boarding to be captured in PeopleStreme

Alternatives considered

[ELMO Software](https://www.capterra.com/p/161821/ELMO-Software/)

Reason for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM

PeopleStreme has a good Performance Management system. The company sales a false product of the Ascender Payroll as an all-in-one HR system, but the modules (eRecruitment, OnBoarding, Performance Management, Talent Management module) do not communicate to one another and require the user to enter the information more than once.

Review Source

AB

Adam B.  
Director of Corporate Services  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Extremely disappointing product, promised the world and delivered very little."

August 11, 2022

2.0

Extremely poor. Leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

Pros

We can use the payroll function, but only because we have invested heavily in the rollout. There is little point rolling our the rest of the suite of products we purchased as just after we signed the contract, they were bought out by Ceridian who did not intend to continue their product offering further than 18 months.

Cons

Having to continually correct the mistakes made in payroll outsourcing through Ascender. The fact that as soon as we signed up for the product, the company was sold which meant that the products we were investing in would not be supported and developed after our initial contract term.

Reason for choosing Ascender Payroll and HCM

it was the next progression from the software we were already using.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Human Resources Manager  
Construction  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great affordable product"

November 7, 2017

5.0

Saving on time and money!

Pros

The software is easy to use and more affordable than others on the market. The system allows you to easily find a candidate using the search function and has saved our company thousands in recruiter fees as a result. As adverts are directly uploaded to SEEK and our website the software has saved me time. In addition, the ability to mass (personalised) respond to candidates has saved me time and ensured a better candidate experience with our organisation.

Cons

The software does not imped itself into our website to suit our style guide. It clearly looks like it has been added, rather than matching the rest of our webpage.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Senior HR Advisor  
Hospital & Health Care  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great cloud based application that manages the whole employee life-cycle for us. "

January 26, 2018

4.0

Streamlined employee on-boarding and administration, greater understanding of employee performance and a platform to manage learning & development, as well as remuneration reviews more effectively

Pros

Whilst the application is module based, all data is interconnected so that you can build a full view of your employees as individuals as well as a collective.

Cons

A few more system configuration options as the system administrator would be useful, particularly when trying to build or customise reports.

Review Source

Emre Ç.  
Software Developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "You should try"

September 4, 2022

4.0

Pros

You can choose if you want to improve your skills, it does not take much time to learn thanks to its simple interface, it is easy to use.

Cons

I didn't have a bad experience because customer service is always able to solve problems.

Review Source

AT

Anne T.  
HR Manager  
Construction  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "eRecruitment - Effective, streamlined recruitment process, Peoplestreme supportive, responsive"

March 27, 2019

5.0

Highly positive relationship developed with Peoplestreme. Useful tool in the management of high volume recruitment. Database functions highly useful and efficient for management reporting. Intuitive software, easy to follow and matches our company processes well. This is one of the reasons why we selected this module for our company. We have been impressed with the level of customer service and promptness in delivery of troubleshooting.

Pros

Easy to use, intuitive software that enables recruitment to work in line with our internal company processes. Highly responsive troubleshooting. Punctual support when needed.

Cons

System inability to identify same candidate twice. Candidates that apply for multiple roles within company cannot be easily identified under search. Candidates within system are not easily identifiable as they are assigned by number not name.

Review Source

Laura E.  
People and Culture  
  
Used the software for: Less than 6 months

### "Professional, supportive, "

February 8, 2018

5.0

Staff engagement and management of performance and development.

Pros

It's intuitive, adds value to the employee life cycle and engaging. The performance management module is streamlined and encourages ongoing conversations between the manager and employee. The software also promotes individuals managing their own performance management and development in a transparent approach. Reporting is extremely easy to use and read with the back end having the ability to push workflows and emails to outstanding items. PeopleStreme are extremely responsive to our queries and issues.

Cons

That you can't be logged in more then once because as an administrator it would be useful to have several screens open at a time. Would also prefer the software not to time out and require relogin.

Review Source

Response from Dayforce

March 1, 2018

Thanks Laura for your review and compliment. The success could only be achieved because of your guide and help.

VR

Verified Reviewer  
HR Business Partner - Projects  
  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Easy to use and value for money"

July 9, 2018

4.0

Pros

Peoplestreme is quite intuitive and a simple to use system as a user. Our customer manager is approachable, knowledgeable and friendly and the helpdesk understanding, responsive and know their product!

Cons

The backend doesn't seem to be as intuitive as the front end, however the support from the helpdesk etc made up for this.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Group Fitness Instructor  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "I used PeopleStreme software in a previous role for over 9 years"

October 24, 2017

5.0

Pros

\* Easy to use \* First class customer service \* The complete employee lifecycle is available in this system with add in modules as required which provides flexibility dependent on requirements. \* Regular updates and amendments to keep the system agile.

Review Source

HC

Helen C.  
Talent Aquisition Specialist  
  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Great value for money, easy to use system - with the option to add modules over time.. "

January 29, 2018

4.0

Pros

\- Easy to use as both an administrator & end user - Simplifies the recruitment process end to end. For us it has improved compliance & cost cost management significantly - Online onboarding - esignature approval is great feature!

Cons

\- It can be costly to make custom changes to the platform post implementation - At some points the process the system could be more intuitive, we have overcome this with training and support

Review Source

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