Best HR Software For Australia And New Zealand: Secure And Well-Supported Options

Managing human resources in Australia and New Zealand presents unique challenges, including navigating complex workplace legislation, ensuring compliance with Fair Work regulations, administering superannuation and KiwiSaver, and staying up-to-date with constantly evolving employment laws. The right HR software can transform these challenges into opportunities, streamlining operations while keeping your business compliant and your employees engaged.

In this blog post, we'll explore ten secure, well-supported HR software solutions specifically designed for the Australian and New Zealand markets. Each platform has been evaluated based on security features, customer support quality, compliance capabilities, and overall value.

1. Sentrient HR: AI-Powered All-in-One Solution

Best For:

Australian and New Zealand businesses seeking comprehensive AI-driven HR management

Key Features

AI-powered HR assistance with intelligent recommendations and predictive analytics
Complete employee lifecycle management from recruitment to offboarding
Pre-loaded courses, policies, forms, and documents for quick setup
Integrated payroll and rostering capabilities
Comprehensive compliance and safety management

Security & Compliance

Sentrient takes data security seriously with enterprise-grade protection measures. The platform's requirements and compliance with Australian workplace regulations, including Fair Work Act requirements, are supported by regularly updated policies reviewed by employment law specialists.

Support Excellence

With over 600 businesses trusting their platform across Australia and New Zealand, Sentrient provides dedicated support to ensure smooth implementation and ongoing success. Their team offers comprehensive training and onboarding, with ongoing assistance to help businesses maximise the platform's value.

Why Choose Sentrient?

The platform stands out for its AI-driven insights that help predict workforce trends and provide intelligent recommendations for HR decisions. It's particularly valuable for businesses seeking to transition from reactive HR management to strategic workforce planning. The pre-built content library means you can be operational in hours rather than weeks.

Pricing:

Custom pricing based on business size and requirements.

2. HiBob: Modern HRIS for Dynamic Workforces

Best For:

Mid-sized companies with distributed or hybrid teams

Key Features

Beautiful, social media-inspired interface for high user adoption
Advanced analytics and KPIs to prove HR's business impact
Comprehensive onboarding and performance management
Integration with leading payroll providers
Engagement features for remote and hybrid teams

Security & Compliance

Bob is built with agility and configurability at its core, ensuring businesses can maintain compliance as they expand to new locations or scale rapidly. The platform adapts to regulatory requirements while keeping data secure.

Support Excellence

HiBob offers comprehensive support, focusing on helping businesses demonstrate the value of HR to leadership through data-driven insights. Their platform is designed for all employees to use, not just HR teams, which drives adoption and engagement.

Why Choose HiBob?

If you're looking for HR software that feels less like traditional enterprise software and more like a modern app, HiBob delivers. The platform excels at driving engagement and ensuring compliance without sacrificing user experience. It's particularly powerful for companies with diverse and distributed workforces.

Pricing:

Custom pricing based on employee count and features.

3. Employment Hero: Everything Employment in One System

Best For:

Australian businesses of all sizes seeking an all-in-one employment platform

Key Features

Complete HR ecosystem including hiring, payroll, compliance, learning, and engagement
Hero AI available 24/7 to answer pressing HR questions
ISO 27001:2013 certified for security
HR advisory service with unlimited workplace advice
Employee well-being programs included

Security & Compliance

Employment Hero takes security extremely seriously, achieving ISO 27001 certification and using bank-level encryption standards to protect sensitive employee data. The platform ensures businesses stay compliant with Australian workplace laws, with built-in compliance checks and expert HR advisory services.

Support Excellence

With over 300,000+ customers, Employment Hero provides exceptional support, including unlimited HR advisory access. Their HR experts help navigate complex compliance issues, from award interpretation to Fair Work matters, giving businesses confidence in their HR decisions.

Why Choose Employment Hero?

Employment Hero truly lives up to its "everything employment" promise. The platform eliminates the need for multiple systems by consolidating every aspect of the employment lifecycle. The inclusion of Hero AI means employees and managers get instant answers to HR questions, reducing the burden on HR teams. The HR advisory service alone provides tremendous value, especially for small to medium businesses without dedicated HR staff.

Pricing:

Plans start from $12.00 per month; contact for custom pricing.

4. ELMO Software: AI-Forward HR for Complex Organisations

Best For:

Australian businesses requiring sophisticated, modular HR solutions

Key Features

Unified platform for recruitment, onboarding, learning, payroll, and performance
Gen-AI capabilities for job descriptions and automation
Best-in-class payroll solutions adapted to your business structure
Real-time workforce insights and analytics
Deep Australia/New Zealand compliance expertise

Security & Compliance

ELMO centralises and secures employee data with enterprise-level security protocols. As an Australian company specialising in the complexity of the local market, ELMO ensures that all modules are designed with Australian workplace laws and regulations in mind.

Support Excellence

ELMO doesn't just implement software; their ANZ experts guide success with deep knowledge of compliance, best practices, and change management. They help businesses plan, optimise, and sustain outcomes, making them true partners rather than just vendors.

Why Choose ELMO?

ELMO understands that Australian HR is complex, and they've built their platform to handle that complexity without overwhelming users. The modular approach means you can start with what you need and scale as you grow. Their AI capabilities streamline time-consuming tasks, freeing up HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives that drive business outcomes.

Pricing:

Custom pricing based on modules selected and company size.

5. Rippling: Global Workforce Management Platform

Best For:

Businesses managing employees across multiple countries, including Australia/NZ.

Key Features

Unified platform for HR, IT, finance, and payroll management
Global workforce management across 185+ countries
Automated onboarding with IT provisioning included
Device management and security controls
Corporate cards and expense management integrated

Security & Compliance

Rippling provides strengthened security through automation and unified controls for identity, access, and device management. The platform ensures compliance across various jurisdictions, making it an ideal choice for businesses with international operations, including those based in Australia and New Zealand.

Support Excellence

As the #1-rated HR software on multiple platforms, Rippling provides comprehensive support to its global customer base. Their support team understands the complexities of managing international workforces and helps businesses navigate compliance requirements across borders.

Why Choose Rippling?

Suppose your business operates across multiple countries or plans to expand internationally while maintaining operations in Australia or New Zealand. In that case, Rippling's strength lies in its ability to manage global complexity through a single platform. The integration of HR, IT, and finance creates powerful automation opportunities that save significant time and reduce errors.

Pricing:

Custom pricing; demo available on demand.

6. Happy HR: Cloud-Based HR Made Simple

Best For:

Australian SMEs seeking comprehensive HR software with free expert support.

Key Features

Complete HRIS, reducing 90% of HR admin
FREE qualified HR advisory support included
Paperless onboarding and contract management
45+ legally compliant HR policies constantly updated
Integration with major payroll providers (Xero, MYOB, KeyPay)

Security & Compliance

Happy HR takes data protection seriously with strict confidentiality policies aligned with Australian privacy legislation. In-house employment lawyers review all contracts and policies to ensure legal compliance with the Fair Work Act and relevant awards.

Support Excellence

What sets Happy HR apart is the inclusion of FREE HR advisory services with qualified HR consultants. With a team of degree-qualified HR professionals available since 2015, businesses get expert guidance on complex HR questions at no additional cost, a tremendous value proposition for SMEs.

Why Choose Happy HR?

Happy HR delivers exceptional value by combining comprehensive software with expert human support. The platform has managed thousands of businesses across all 122 workplace awards, demonstrating deep expertise in Australian employment law. Starting from just $8 per user per month, it's one of the most cost-effective solutions, without compromising on features or support.

Pricing:

Starting from $8.00 + GST per user per month.