UKG Ready Reviews

I have had a regular job that uses this system to clock in and clock out employees.But the device has so much more that allows us to see specifics-specifics related to current pay periods, previous and future. I can see my schedule on the little box and it's really a simplified tool.

I am on the fence on dislikes. My biggest is likely just what happens but I have had times that I did clock in and it did strange things.An example was an evening that meal break button led to clocking out for the shift.Random but troublesome because our version is not designed to allow management to alter or adjust our needs or problems directly through the system. Qe have to use a paper log for HR or Payroll. So smooth yet missing an easy touch.

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.

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.

The reporting functionality is super easy to use and very helpful. You can report on most anything in the system and since most everything can be exported to excel it's easy to slice and dice for whatever your purposes.

Payroll functionality and customer support. Time keeping works fine but once things are crossed over into payroll, things don't always translate as they are supposed to.

One thing that I appreciate about UKG Ready is its comprehensive set of payroll management features. The platform offers a wide range of tools for managing employee data, tracking time and attendance, processing payroll, and handling compliance and regulatory requirements.I also appreciate the platform's flexibility and customization options. UKG Ready can be tailored to fit the specific needs and workflows of individual organizations, with customizable fields, workflows, and reporting features.Additionally, I like that UKG Ready's customer support is consistently responsive and helpful. The platform offers a range of support options, including phone and email support, a knowledge base, and an online community forum.

UKG Ready is complicated and difficult to navigate. It can take time to learn how to use the platform effectively and efficiently.Another issue is that UKG Ready can be relatively expensive, particularly for small or mid-sized businesses with limited budgets. While the platform offers a range of features and tools, users may find that they are paying for more than they need or use.Additionally, app has a problem with UKG Ready's reporting and analytics features. While the platform offers a range of reporting options, I have found that the reports can be difficult to customize or that they lack the level of detail or granularity needed to make informed decisions.

the system allows a bit more flexibility in terms of security for different types of users, alerts to employees.
we like the calendar option where you can just simply select the date under employee information
We are not charged for setting up alerts
Recruitment - We like the ability to add, delete, and modify questionnaires once they are active.
I like the do to bell list being a one stop shop for employees.
We like that the system is just one system as a whole rather than multiple "compatible" systems.

it would be helpful if the system had shortcuts such as control S, O to open up things.
it would be helpful if you do not have to input slashes on dates. if you can just input it.
It would be good if there was an option to create email alert for inventory section
sometimes the automatic email reports do not work the way they should
there are several sections that are dual entry. it can get repetitive.
the job change history is useful, however, the effective date is according to the date we changed it in the system, not the ACTUAL effective date.
making direct deposit accounts inactive is frustrating where a new full/remaining account cannot be added if there is a previous one currently in existence even if it is inactive. cannot delete direct deposit accounts is frustrating too.
Recruitment -it would be good if items such as applicants, resumes, and questionnaires can be accessed instead of multiple different locations

Needs stronger ACA assistance for employers.
everything is eastern time. need to take into consideration that some clients are western or central and are open later than 5 EST and trainings are too early at 7 EST.

We have been with Kronos family since around 2000. In 2015 we transition from Kronos Central to Kronos Workforce Ready. During the time with Workforce Ready, I enjoy how they are constantly changing and updating to stay up on current trends. The best part is that with all the changes, we are able to update and move to the new functions without any issues. If there is something we are not sure of, a request for support is available with a knowledgably support tech to help us get to the next level. Kronos Workforce Ready is able to keep us up to date with the latest technology trends and required reporting. Creating reports and pulling information has never been easier. Basically I have found that whatever I think of, Kronos can do it.

We were one of the first jumping on board with Kronos Workforce Ready in 2014 when things really started taking off for this program. So our implementation was a little stressful, but Kronos listen to us and has worked hard to resolve the early implementation issues. Support has improved and it is more than support when they are called they are full of suggestions to help improve processes that are used.

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!!

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.

We really like the online timekeeping, vacation tracking, payroll processing, and benefits tracking. While it is somewhat complicated to get the hang of it, you can process payroll fairly quickly once you have learned the process.

Integration was extremely difficult. I also didn't care for the way they handle the training. I felt like it would have better to have some short training segments to help us learn the basic process and where to find things and then schedule for the complete training. Also UKG has been in the midst of a complete overhaul of the look and workings of the software. The new layouts are too large on screen, more complicated to get around in and not easy to see stuff without scrolling a lot. But no matter how many complaints they have received about this, they have went forward with it anyway.

Kronos has a number of features that work well for our business. We use a lot of work orders for our plant and we were able to import work orders each day and create a search for employees to find them in their timesheets. The integrated system works well once it is set up properly. We have eliminated a number of manual processes with this system. Reporting is very easy to use and our end users are very happy with their ability to create reports.

The biggest issue with Kronos is the virtual implementation and lack of time that the Kronos implementation team has for each customer. Kronos module leads have too many customers to support, so you only have a few hours of their time each week for the build out. If you have any complexity with your timesheets and payroll, you will need to have experienced module leads. Our implementation took twice as long as planned because we started with inexperienced leads.

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.

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.

I like the idea of customization of the different pages. I like the centralized information found on the employee information page.

I dislike that it doesn't have the same features across the whole software. Some reports can pull any columns into the report, and some reports don't have certain columns. It makes for a lot of jumping from report to report. It would be much easier and more convenient if you could generate the same columns into different reports.
The other thing that we have disliked is the lack of customization on the dashboard.

Easy to use. Easy to create reports. Works well in most areas. No need to have pre-printed checks.

Does not keep the history of changes. Does not have a TEST feature. No retro pay calculation. The change in pay rate in the middle of a pay period applies to the whole period, for exempt and non-exempt employees. Does not re-calculate regular rate of pay to add the additional overtime premium when nondiscretionary bonus is paid for current or past pay periods.

Kronos has allowed our organization to house all aspects of employee time-keeping within one application. This has count down significantly on the reports collected because Kronos is tracking attendance, tardy, late out, OT, hours beyond FTE, etc. We have built our program to send notifications directly to management so that they can then handle "issues" as needed.

Implementation and planning efforts to build Kronos out to be as functional/efficient as it currently is took many months & IT work. Our organization did all of this internally, may be easier/quicker if utilizing Kronos for this.

Its functionality and ease of use is welcoming.

Length of time to customize the product for various needs

The UKG Ready software is easy to use. Its impossible to make any mistake. It does all the calculations with the time input. If there's a miscalculation the software will let you know immediately and wont complete the time keeping task without notifying you as why. You can fix, its easy to use and understand.

Its not much of a big con but I would prefer that when you input your time, there is an AM or PM option to click on instead of typing it in manually. Not much of a big con.