Time management should be super smooth, helping employees organize their time and capturing every billable moment. But it all hinges on using the right timekeeping solution.

While TimeCamp deserves its status as a time management leader, other competitors may be a better fit for smaller teams.

This article compares some popular TimeCamp alternatives. So, start a timer and set aside 15 minutes as we explore the contemporary time tracking scene.

The 11 best TimeCamp alternatives at-a-glance

Tool	G2 Rating	Best for
Toggl Track	4.6	Companies that need simple time tracking with a user-friendly interface and powerful reporting capabilities
Hubstaff	4.5	Remote teams that need to monitor productivity with surveillance features
Clockify	4.5	Teams requiring an all-in-one time management tool
Harvest	4.3	Freelancers who need to manage invoices and receive client payments from a single app
Time Doctor	4.5	Remote and distributed teams that need to monitor employee activity
DeskTime	4.5	Detailed employee tracking with web activity monitoring and screenshots
Timely	4.8	Automated time tracking that reduces manual tasks
Everhour	4.7	Teams needing an all-in-one team management app
Paymo	4.6	Pure project management
TMetric	4.6	Freelancers or smaller remote teams.
RescueTime	4.1	Improving productivity by blocking distractions

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a time tracking and profitability tool that’s easy to set up and use from day one. Unlike TimeCamp, it doesn’t have any surveillance features. Toggl Track accurately tracks billable and non-billable time online and offline on the web, desktop, and mobile app. Plus, it also offers detailed time and profitability insights with customizable reports

🌟 Capterra: 4.7 (2,390), G2: 4.6 (1,571)

Standout features

• Accurate time tracking: Toggl Track tracks time online and offline via browser extensions, on desktop and mobile apps (iOS and Android).
• Private, automated time tracking: Toggl Track’s desktop apps run in the background to record work activities during a work day. These activities are stored locally and are 100% private to you. It’s your decision to share them as time entries with your team members.
• Billable and non-billable hours: Track paid and non-paid hours to create accurate invoices, bill clients correctly, and facilitate payroll. You can also set team, project, client, employee, or task-level billable rates and easily manage historical billable rates. 
• Profitability insights: Add labor costs and calculate project or employee profitability, view data trends, and explore comparative analysis. 
• Estimated vs actual comparison: Track work progress and budgets by comparing estimates against actual time spent on tasks and activities.
• Built-in timesheet reports: Create detailed time logs or summary timesheets to report time or process payroll.
• Analytics: Fully customize charts and dashboards to get real-time, flexible time tracking data and team productivity insights. 
• GDPR-compliance: Toggl Track complies with the latest data regulations.

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Using Toggl Track’s user-friendly interface, you can capture every billable minute, turn tracked time into accurate time reports and invoices, and share them with clients for transparency and billing. Also, Toggl Track provides detailed profitability insights to understand how profitable each project and employee is.	Toggl Track has no employee monitoring features (and we think that’s a good thing). Instead, time data analysis and reporting are better ways to weed out workflow inefficiencies.

Toggl Track is best for companies of any size or type requiring a simple time tracker with a user-friendly interface and powerful reporting capabilities.

Tool integrations 

Toggl Track integrates with over 100+ to-do apps, documentation, communication, and project management tools to extend the value of our powerful platform.

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Solo users or teams of up to five who need a time tracker with an intuitive interface
Starter	$9 per user/month	Teams with basic time tracking need
Premium	$20 per user/month	Teams needing online and offline functionality for tracking time and profitability
Enterprise	Custom pricing	Enterprise teams needing custom solutions (we can build it for you!)

Toggl Track vs. TimeCamp

Toggl Track

• Offers in-depth reporting to analyze work patterns
• Has a user-friendly time tracking app with automatic and manual options
• Boasts 100 integrations with business apps
• Avoids employee monitoring tools to safeguard privacy
• Works on macOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. Browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox are also available

TimeCamp

• Monitors employee activity and location
• Delivers relative basic reporting functionality
• Tracks time with automatic and manual options
• Has fewer integrations
• Is available on Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, and iOS, with a browser extension for Chrome

Customer reviews

Yugo M, a small business founder, says, “Switching to Toggl Track has been one of the best decisions for our team. From the moment we started using it, the platform’s intuitive and user-friendly interface stood out, making it incredibly easy to track time and manage projects.”

Scott, a US-based software consultant, explains: “Toggl Track is an excellent application for individuals or companies needing to track employee time across multiple projects and tasks. I love having access to mobile, web, and desktop applications. I primarily use the web version as it fits seamlessly into my daily workflow alongside other browser tabs for email, search, and other productivity tools.”

Hubstaff

Hubstaff is an employee monitoring and workforce management tool that tracks time automatically to improve team productivity. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.6 (1,501), G2: 4.5 (1,262)

Standout features

• Multi-platform time tracking app: Hubstaff supports desktop, browser, and mobile devices for accurate time tracking. 
• Productivity and time reports: See activity rates for each team member to monitor their productivity. Hubstaff’s dashboard also displays your entire team’s productivity. 
• Invoicing and payments: The app creates invoices automatically from your time entries. Users can manage employee payments directly from the app. 
• Workforce and payroll management: Manage time off and overtime and track break hours and attendance for more accurate payroll. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Its workforce management features include time off management, attendance and expense tracking, payroll, and payments.	Without any calendar integration, Hubstaff falls short of tracking valuable billing time spent in meetings and other work events.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Slack, TransferWise, Wrike, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Individual use
Starter	$7 per user/month	Small teams who need a basic time-tracking solution
Grow	$9 per user/month	Teams who need more complex time & billing, automation, and time-management features
Team	$12 per user/month	Teams with advanced time-tracking and task-management needs
Enterprise	Contact Hubstaff for prices (starting at $25 per user/mo)	Enterprise teams

Hubstaff vs. TimeCamp

Hubstaff

• Streamlines time tracking and project management
• May have a steep learning curve for some
• Delivers regular updates
• Includes employee monitoring tools

TimeCamp

• Offers intuitive time management for freelancers and teams
• Is easy to set up and customize
• Updates less frequently
• Allows extensive employee monitoring

Customer reviews

Agency owner Christos M reports that “Hubstaff makes time tracking and team management so seamless. The interface is intuitive, and the productivity insights have been a game changer for our projects.”

HR professional Stephanie H. says, “What I like most about Hubstaff is that I’m able to track my remote team at any time, I’m able to see how much time they spend on certain websites, it shows their activity during the day, and most important the productivity.”

Clockify

Clockify is an all-in-one time tracker and timesheet app that improves time management and tracks productivity with activity monitoring features. Its generous free forever plan includes unlimited users, mobile app time tracking, reporting, unlimited projects, and a calendar view. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.8 (9,090), G2: 4.5 (172)

Standout features

• Billable time tracking and billable hourly rates: Track billable hours and set employee and project rates for accurate invoicing and payroll processing. 
• Clock-in/clock-out kiosks: On-site teams can easily clock in and out using shared kiosks. 
• Reports: Clockify generates detailed reports on estimated vs actual tracked time, project and employee costs, and in-depth weekly time reports. 
• Time off management: Available in the Standard, Pro, or Enterprise plans, this feature lets you track, request, approve, and manage employee time off. 
• Kiosks and GPS tracking: Clockify tracks time and locations for factory workers and on-field staff using time kiosks and GPS tracking. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Clockify is a comprehensive tool you can use to track time on the go and manage timesheets, time off, schedules, expenses, and more without leaving the app.	Clockify does not have custom charts, dashboards, and reports. Also, by tracking employee locations, screens, and activity, Clockify can feel intrusive.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Asana, Google Calendar, QuickBooks, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Solo users who need a basic time tracking tool
Basic	$4.99 per user/month	Solo users who need time audits and historical rates
Standard	$6.99 per user/month	Small teams with more complex time-tracking needs
Pro	$9.99 per user/month	Teams that need to optimize productivity with GPS tracking and screenshots
Enterprise	$14.99 per user/month	Teams with complex client projects requiring advanced time tracking and expense-tracking features

Clockify vs. TimeCamp

Clockify

• Includes kiosks for easy on-site time tracking
• Combines time tracking with employee surveillance
• Presents in-depth reports to understand performance
• Includes over 80 integrations

TimeCamp

• Suits on-premises offices and remote teams
• Combines time management with surveillance features
• Has simple reporting functionality
• Includes 100+ integrations

Customer reviews

Software engineer Diego F. says “The reporting features are very robust, allowing for detailed insights and analysis. The integration with other tools is seamless, which enhances productivity.”

Support expert Jenna D. agrees, saying “I love how simple and easy it is to track time across multiple projects. The detailed reporting and simple invoicing are great and save me time. Clockify does everything I need and want from a timekeeping app at a very budget-friendly price.”

Harvest

Harvest is an intuitive, non-invasive time tracking and invoice management tool that simplifies client billing. It has a generous free version for freelancers and solo users with billable time tracking, invoice management, time reporting, and payment collection features. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.6 (605), G2: 4.3 (807)

Standout features

• Billable and non-billable time tracking: Set billable rates for projects, team members, and tasks, add fixed project fees, or mark projects as non-billable. Then track paid and non-paid work for accurate invoicing. 
• Expense tracking: Track project expenses in Harvest, mark them as billable, attach receipts, and add them to client invoices. 
• Invoice management: Create invoices from tracked time and expenses, get invoice reports, set recurring invoices, or add retainers for clients who pay in advance. 
• Online payments: Clients can pay securely through Stripe and PayPal by credit card or bank transfer. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Harvest offers a comprehensive workflow that simplifies time tracking, invoicing, and payment processes. It lets you track billable hours, turn them into accurate invoices, and collect client payments without leaving Harvest.	Harvest doesn’t monitor employee activity levels with screenshots and website tracking, which can be a potential downside for teams depending on these key features.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Asana, PayPal, Slack, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Solo users
Pro	$12 per user/month	Small teams

Harvest vs. TimeCamp

Harvest

• Includes easy-to-use time tracking features
• Is slightly more expensive, maxing out at $12 per month
• Provides cloud-based software that’s ideal for remote work
• Tracks individual schedules

TimeCamp

• Delivers streamlined, easy-to-understand time tracking

• Suits flexible working with web-based and mobile tools
• Is ideal for running multiple projects

Customer reviews

Small business owner Ashley L. reports, “Harvest has so many wonderful tools to export reports for how long each type of task takes, how much time each team member is spending on each project and task, and how close you’re getting to your cap.”

Social media specialist Zach M. adds, “Harvest is a great integration with Google Calendar, which saves valuable time in adding meetings to your timesheet.”

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is a workforce analytics platform and performance-monitoring software that tracks employee activity and productivity using surveillance features.  

🌟 Capterra: 4.5 (530), G2: 4.4 (385)

Standout features

• Automated time tracking: Time Doctor tracks time automatically and accurately. 
• Employee screenshots: The Screencast feature in Time Doctor can be turned off, on continuously, or configured to capture employee screen activity every 3, 15, or 30 minutes. 
• Team and user dashboards: Managers can see an overview of team and user time tracked manually and on mobile devices, who started working and when, recent screencasts, and more. 
• Activity summary: This report in Time Doctor is only available for admins and managers. From here, they can see the total time worked,  unproductive websites and apps, idle minutes, and low-activity screencasts. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
With features like workforce insights, real-time dashboards, and reports, Time Doctor helps companies monitor and improve employee productivity and performance. Its productivity analysis reports generate data on attendance, web and app usage, productivity percentages, or unusual activity.	Time Doctor’s employee surveillance features, like screencasts and website activity tracking, may make employees feel micromanaged.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Jira, ClickUp, Slack, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Basic	$7 per user/month	Individual users with minimal time tracking needs
Standard	$10 per user/month	Teams with more complex time-tracking needs
Premium	$20 per user/month	Large teams who need advanced time-tracking features

Time Doctor vs. TimeCamp

Time Doctor

• Manages employee time with a comprehensive time tracker
• Offers automated time tracking
• Has 65+ integrations
• Offers a fully-functional 14-day free trial

TimeCamp

• Delivers slick time tracking and project time management for smaller companies
• Relies on manual inputs for time tracking (semi-automated)
• Has a basic “free forever” package

Customer reviews

CMO Stephanie K. writes, “I really like Time Doctor for its robust tracking features that give me a clear picture of our team’s productivity. It helps me keep tabs on total hours worked, as well as what’s considered productive versus unproductive time, and even idle time.”

According to Client Services Specialist Donna T., “The software is incredibly adaptable and simple to use because it quickly integrates with various tools and platforms. Because it enables you to set objectives monitor attendance and produce payroll reports it is incredibly helpful for managing personnel.”

DeskTime

DeskTime is an automatic time tracking and employee productivity monitoring tool. With features like activity tracking, productivity reports, and shift scheduling, DeskTime helps teams be more productive and efficient. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.6 (524), G2: 4.5 (309)

Standout features

• Automatic and manual time tracking: DeskTime tracks time automatically on the desktop app or lets you add time entries manually. 
• Productivity data report: See your team’s work habits and productivity with insightful charts, graphs, and tables. Monitor productivity, get comparisons for the entire team, and spot productivity issues.
• Absence calendar: Team members can easily add away time like sickness, business trips, or emergency leave. This gives team leads visibility over their team’s capacity so they can plan work realistically. 
• Shift scheduling: Create templates to speed up your scheduling process, assign employee shifts, or let them request preferred shifts.  

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
DeskTime makes it easy to track and improve productivity. It automatically tracks employee time and gives managers in-depth insights into productivity and performance. See productivity percentages and statistics, comparisons between team members, and discover areas of improvement.	DeskTime tracks work activity and productivity with surveillance features, which might hurt team morale. Desktime alternatives perform as well but don’t compromise user privacy.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Google Calendar, Trello, Zapier, and more.  

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
DeskTime Lite	Free	Solo users who need automatic time and app tracking
Pro	$7 per user/month	Teams needing to track time automatically and manually and calculate productivity.
Premium	$10 per user/month	Tams with more complex time-tracking and project scheduling needs
Enterprise	$20 per user/month	Enterprise teams

DeskTime vs. TimeCamp

DeskTime

• Focuses on monitoring employee activity
• Includes intrusive surveillance features include screenshotting and real-time tracking
• Uses detailed reporting to assess performance

TimeCamp

• Offers flexible time tracking with employee monitoring
• Features less intrusive employee surveillance
• Has comparatively weak reporting tools

Customer reviews

Head of Product Tarun S. says “After considering other vendors, we chose Desktime for its ease of integration and monitoring capabilities.”

For HR Executive Fathima K., “The most helpful feature is its productive time tracker. Not only it tracks the log in and log out, but also the actual productive time. It is very easy to use. Customer support is also very good.”

Timely

Timely is a noninvasive time tracking tool that uses AI to automate team time tracking and improve productivity. Although Timely doesn’t have a free plan, you can try its features in a 14-day free trial. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.7 (217), G2: 4.8 (425)

Standout features

• Manual time tracking: The Memory tracker does all your time tracking automatically, but you can also add time entries manually if needed. 
• Task planning: Get a holistic view of your tasks in a timeline view, drag-and-drop tasks for easy scheduling, and log time to tasks. 
• People and project dashboard: Get a quick overview of your team’s activities and project progress to coordinate and plan better. See the status, activities, and reports for each project. For each team member, see the logged time, capacity left, overtime, and more at a glance. 
• Reports: Timely generates time and cost reports like employee hours, unbilled hours, full workspace, and monthly project reports. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Timely tracks time automatically with its AI-powered Memory tracker. All automatically recorded memories are private to each user and they choose what time entries they want to drag and drop onto their timesheet.	Timely doesn’t track employee activity with screenshots or keystroke monitoring.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Google Calendar, Todoist, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Starter	$11 per user/month	Freelancers and small teams
Premium	$20 per user/month	Midsize teams
Unlimited	$28per user/month	Midsize and large teams
Unlimited+	Contact Timely for more information	Larger teams

Timely vs. TimeCamp

Timely

• Uses light touch tracking with few surveillance features
• Has user-friendly automated functions to save time

• Is easy to set up and start using
• Offers integrations with some popular workforce management platforms

TimeCamp

• Allows employee monitoring and time tracking
• Offers fewer automation options
• Seems slightly more complex at first

Customer reviews

Director Laurence C. writes that Timely “Saves me huge mental effort and time of trying to track back what I’ve done across multiple projects to enter manually into previous apps I used. I can go back weeks later and see exactly what files I was working on and assign to projects easily.”

Small business owner Jannie E. says “Usually time tracking becomes such a burden that people don’t do it. Timely makes it so easy and quick – I am able to do a week’s tracking within 30 minutes.”

Everhour

Everhour is an all-in-one time management app with time tracking, billing, budgeting, employee scheduling, and task management features. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.7 (425), G2: 4.7 (174)

Standout features

• Billable hours and expenses: Track billable vs non-billable hours and expenses directly from Everhour and add them to client invoices. 
• Team page: Team leads and managers can use the Team page to get a real-time overview of who is working on what tasks, track time off, and approve timesheets or timecards. 
• Resource planner: This feature gives a clear view of each team member’s workload so you can plan work with team capacity in mind. Give everyone the right amount of work and avoid burnout. 
• Reports: Everhour generates reports on team hours, billability vs. utilization, client profitability, and more. It also lets you create custom reports for your own needs.

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Everhour has multiple team management features like team scheduling, availability and attendance tracking, and time off management.	Everhour lacks offline time tracking. If you need to capture every minute spent working, look for Everhour alternatives instead.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Asana, monday.com, Jira, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	Free	Solo users who need an intuitive and user-friendly time tracker
Team	$10 per user/month	Teams who need time and project tracking, task management, and project scheduling features

Everhour vs. TimeCamp

Everhour

• Is designed to combine time tracking and team management
• Has fewer integrations
• May feel complex to learn

TimeCamp

• Is mainly useful for time tracking
• Includes desktop and mobile versions, along with a browser plugin
• Has a gentle learning curve with a simpler interface

Customer reviews

Web designer Timothy B. calls Everhour “a simple extension to your browser that you can click and start tracking time. The great thing is that you can integrate it with project management software like Asana or ClickUp.”

Senior Implementation Consultant Laura G. reports “Everhour has been a game changer in tracking estimated versus actual task time through our project management tool, Basecamp. This has enabled us to more accurately quote implementation projects and quickly view and address areas of coverage.”

Paymo

Paymo is a project management system designed to help smaller teams track time and invoice clients. The platform combines task assignment, time tracking, collaboration, and client management functions to handle projects from start to end.

🌟 Capterra: 4.7 (689), G2: 4.6 (588)

Standout features

• Browser-based time tracking: Set timers to use web apps and automatically generate timesheets for daily work.
• Entry cards: Managers enjoy full visibility over who has completed tasks and what needs to be done.
• Reporting visualizations: Instantly generate pie charts and other graphics to see whether clients receive enough attention.
• Kanban boards: Keep track of project tasks and ensure every workflow transitions from pending to complete.
• Invoicing: Convert timesheets into invoices and use automated invoicing to remove manual labor and cut human error.
• Gantt charts: Generate visual timelines for each project and plan solutions before bottlenecks appear.

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
It’s easy to log time for different clients and ensure every project enjoys enough attention and resources. The simple and affordable time tracking interface links with project management tools to put managers in control.	Paymo lacks customization options and mobile functionality. The price plan rises quickly if you add complex add-ons like Gantt charts.

Tool integrations

Integrations include Google Docs and Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks, Pabbly, Typeform. JotForm, Shift, Skyvia, Rethink, and LamdaTest.

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	Free	Small teams starting out with time tracking
Starter	$3.90 per user/month	Small teams needing collaboration tools and basic time management
Small Office	$6.90 per user/month	Small companies with project management needs
Business	$10.90 per user/month	Medium-sized businesses needing full Gantt chart functionality

Paymo vs. TimeCamp

Paymo

• Combines tracking time with project management
• Suits remote or office teams.
• Offers plenty of collaboration and integration options

TimeCamp

• Focuses on time tracking with simple project management tools.
• Has a strong mobile app and flexible tracking
• Is simple and easy to start quickly

Customer reviews

Marketing Consultant Shams S says “The best thing about Paymo is the client invoicing, we wouldn’t be dependent on any other platform for doing it – Paymo does it for us just in a few clicks.”

Operation Supervisor Charlie H says “Paymo is very easy to use and easy to set up, it’s a time savior spent on my different clients, perfect price/quality ratio and its customer support is great and very helpful.”

TMetric

TMetric offers streamlined time tracking for small businesses and freelancers. The platform features individual timers and trackers, project management tools, and tools for budgeting and invoicing.

🌟 Capterra: 4.5 (253), G2: 4.6 (111)

Standout features

• Time management: Time tracking captures billable hours for every project. Automation tools identify empty periods and inactivity, providing an accurate picture of how much you work.
• Multiple platforms: TMetric is available for Linux, Mac OS, and Windows, as well as Android and iOS apps.
• Browser extension: Enables integrations with popular project management platforms and caters to web-based workflows.
• Invoice creation: Automatically creates invoices for each client based on billable time. Automated payroll functions track paid invoices and monitor cash flow.

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
TMetric makes tracking time simple. Freelancers manage their days ahead of time and keep tabs on their daily or weekly performance. The invoicing tools also make it easier to bill clients accurately, while payment notifications help you stay on top of late responses.	Micro-management is always a danger when using TMetric, potentially leading to privacy issues. For instance, managers can create “personalized workspaces” with enhanced monitoring to track employee performance. TMetric also has fewer integrations than TimeCamp or Toggl Track. This limits its effectiveness in more complex environments.

Tool integrations

Integrations include Zapier, monday.com, Notion, QuickBooks, Trello, Slack, Zoho CRM, Figma, GitHub, and others.

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	Free	Simple time tracking
Professional	$5 per user/month	Teams with budgeting and invoicing needs
Business	$7 per user/month	Enterprises needing payroll or HR integrations

TMetric vs. TimeCamp

TMetric

• Has streamlined time management tools
• Includes plenty of functionality in its basic version
• Has over 50 integrations
• Has invasive extensive monitoring

TimeCamp

• Uses efficient time tracking for freelancers and teams
• Costs more for enhanced features
• Is relatively non-intrusive

Customer reviews

Small business owner Khaila Rica says “Tmetric has been so helpful with tracking my time and log-ins and log-outs during work hours. It is a very accurate app. It shows the exact time of what I’m doing during work time.”

Small business entrepreneur Donabel A. agrees, writing “Tmetric helps me more with my work as a customer service representative. It helps with time tracking, live support accountability, and screenshots of the activities through the taskbar. A very convenient tool to use.”

RescueTime

RescueTime is an automatic time tracker that eliminates distractions, enables focused work sessions, and improves productivity. 

🌟 Capterra: 4.6 (139), G2: 4.1 (90)

Standout features

• RescueTime Assistant: Rescuetime provides coaching throughout your workday. It shows daily work progress, goals, and reports to keep you focused and productive. 
• Focus Session distraction blocker: RescueTime blocks distracting apps and websites so you can focus on important tasks. 
• Personalized Focus Work goals: RescueTime sets Daily focus work goals based on job type, organization size, and individual target work week. You can also easily choose Focus Work goals on your own. 
• Meetings reporting: RescueTime tracks data from your work calendar and the time you spend on meeting apps to show how much time you spend in meetings. 

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
RescueTime is a real productivity booster. Features like built-in distraction blockers, focus sessions, and time management goals empower teams and individuals to meet their productivity goals.	You can’t set billable rates, invoice hourly work, or track expenses with RescueTime.

Tool integrations 

Integrations include Google Calendar, Slack, Asana, and more. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
RescueTime Lite	Free	Solo users and small businesses that need real-time tracking and reporting functionality
RescueTime	$12 per user/month	Teams looking for a calendar integration for employee scheduling and reports with spreadsheet export.

RescueTime vs. TimeCamp

RescueTime

• Includes distraction blockers to boost individual productivity
• Lacks core features like billable rates and invoicing
• Offers automated timers for employees
• Has relatively few third-party integrations

TimeCamp

• Offers semi-automated tracking with the need for manual inputs
• Focuses on managing teams
• Includes client management features and payroll integrations

Customer reviews

Head of Innovation JC M. says, “The software itself doesn’t really ask much from the user (save for the occasional maintenance of “uncategorized” apps and websites—especially if you’re in the technology field). Otherwise, the reports have been satisfactory.”

Clinical Director Sam K. writes “By far, the best part of RescueTime is how streamlined and easy it is to use. Painless. Install it, install the browser extensions, then it runs quietly in the background, tracking and capturing data.”

How we chose this list of TimeCamp alternatives

We used the following criteria to shape our list of TimeCamp alternatives:

• The number and relevance of integrations
• Time tracking accuracy
• Automation and time-saving functions
• Ease of use and how quickly it takes to get started
• Price and whether there is a usable free trial
• User feedback (do customers report a positive experience?)

Above all, we tried the free versions ourselves to explore the various interfaces. We tested weekly and daily time tracking, managed sample projects, and created reports to analyze our imaginary productivity.

We also tracked time across a variety of use cases such as on-site teams, freelancers, and complex project deployments. This gave us a great idea of how software performs in the real world, not just on paper.

Why do users switch from TimeCamp?

Now you know more about TimeCamp’s competitors, we need to return to the subject of this article: TimeCamp itself.

TimeCamp tracks the time team members spend on tasks. In theory, this allows managers to assign work efficiently and helps staff members understand the time they spend on productive and unproductive tasks. Standout features include:

• Hourly time tracking to capture billable hours
• Automation tools to divide employee time without manual inputs
• Streamlined timesheet management on a daily and weekly basis
• Tools to track overtime and time off
• Calendar integrations
• Geofencing and activity tracking to monitor employee locations
• Time clock kiosks secured by PIN codes
• Over 100 integrations with HR and project management tools
• Export reports to analyze patterns and work smarter
• Budgeting tools to keep project costs under control
• Invoicing systems that integrate with popular accounting software

That’s a robust level of functionality, which is why TimeCamp has a wide audience. Users appreciate the flexible and intuitive time tracking features. They report significant time and cost savings. Simplified client billing and time management are also regular themes among TimeCamp fans.

TimeCamp is popular, but it isn’t perfect for everyone. Users consider alternatives to TimeCamp for several reasons, including:

• Intrusive surveillance: TeamCamp’s employee surveillance features, like app and website tracking, and screenshots, can hurt team morale and promote micromanagement. 
• Outdated and complex user interface: TimeCamp’s UI is complex according to some users, especially when getting started with the app. Others find the interface clunky and unattractive. 
• Limited customization: You don’t have too much freedom to customize charts, dashboards, and reports in TimeCamp. 

For these reasons, plenty of users switch to alternative vendors. One small business owner mentioned the “minimal feature set,” arguing “the product should have much more with regards to feature set and actual project management rather than just time tracking.”

Recruiting Director Michelle reports “At times, it just won’t work. We have ran into a few times that you just can’t do anything in Timecamp and it looks like your entries are missing.”

What to look for in a TimeCamp alternative

Picking project management tools is a risky business, so we thought it would be helpful to list best time tracking practices to look for in a viable TimeCamp alternative.

• Ease of use: Every time management tool claims to be easy to use. Nevertheless, TimeCamp reviewers report difficulties setting up timers or managing complex tasks. Good tools should be user-friendly. After all, you need to get employees to use them on a daily basis.
• Flexibility: Project goals and daily tasks vary. That’s the nature of work, which is why you need time tracking to be super-flexible. TimeCamp doesn’t excel on this front, and many competitors give users more freedom.
• Reporting: TimeCamp struggles with analytics (assuming you want to go beyond simple productivity metrics). Competitors often provide more comprehensive reports about time usage, costs, and project progress.
• Scaling: Robust time trackers serve a single freelancer or teams of 50 people. Look for solutions that scale with your needs without adding excessive costs.
• Time-saving: Automation is a buzzword in time management, but smart automated tools save time. Look for timers, timesheets, and invoicing features that cut manual labor. TimeCamp offers some automation, but competitors can do better.

Try the best time tracking software for free

If you’ve detected productivity dips or feel your team could use time more wisely, we believe Toggl Track is the best alternative to TimeCamp. Here’s why:

• Toggl Track delivers time tracking without surveillance. Users set timers as they need, automate timers to save work, and can manually enter time as well.
• Over 100 integrations ensure Toggl Track fits into almost any workflow (including your favorite collaboration and payroll tools).
• Tracking combines with features to record billable hours and automate invoicing. That’s great for slick client management.
• Productivity goals also encourage smarter working and focus attention on project milestones.
• Finally, our reporting functions provide more depth than TimeCamp. Toggl Track blends reporting with analytics. Our software puts data to work, delivering insights to boost performance.

Create a free Toggl Track account today to start maximizing your time and productivity.

It’s easy to despair when you hear about a new technology threatening to make us all redundant and take over the world. But humans and technology actually make a great team — especially in recruitment.

With the right recruiting tools, you can let the robots do the heavy lifting while achieving better results for your team and candidates. These types of tools streamline, automate, or speed up the hiring process without compromising on candidate quality or experience.

From candidate screening and communication management to interview scheduling and onboarding, there are tools for every part of the hiring process. Which are best for your HR tool stack? We’ve researched and used different types of recruiting tools to bring you 15 great recommendations.

TL;DR — Key Takeaways

• While you can recruit without recruitment tools, they are extremely helpful if you want to attract high-quality candidates and ensure a great candidate experience.

• 54% of hiring professionals find their jobs more stressful today, so it’s vital to optimize your recruitment process to be equal parts razor-sharp and soft to the touch.

• The right tools empower hiring managers to save time by automating time-consuming tasks. Recruiters can track applicants effortlessly, make more informed hiring decisions, give data-driven feedback, and manage the entire recruitment process easily

• In 2025, these tools go beyond traditional job boards and offer unique features like artificial intelligence to speed up sourcing candidates, an analytical applicant tracking system, seamless social media management, cognitive ability tests, and candidate feedback tools.

• The types of recruitment tools you need will ultimately depend on your hiring strategy and the hiring team’s strengths and weaknesses.

What is recruitment technology?

Recruitment technology refers to the collection of online recruitment tools talent acquisition teams use to make excellent hiring choices quickly. Common tools include skills assessment platforms, applicant tracking systems, and recruitment marketing software.

You can find all-in-one tools that handle every aspect of recruitment, including writing job descriptions, attracting passive candidates, and sourcing candidates in one place. There are also niche solutions focused on specific talent acquisition functions like screening or skills assessments.

And by implementing recruiting tools like AI and machine learning into your human resources management, you can connect with the best candidates quicker, assess whether they’re really a good match, and streamline your hiring process — all with the help of a few little digital friends, aka recruitment software.

Types of recruitment tools

The list of recruitment tools and techniques is long, but don’t panic! You don’t have to start using all of these recruitment tools today (or even tomorrow). Test out a few of the best recruitment tools, see what works for you and your team, and leave the ones that don’t.

• AI tools: Hiring tools that help with creating job descriptions free from discriminatory or selective language, encouraging job seekers who identify with the brand values to apply.
• Mobile compatibility tools: Hiring tools that make your job boards, job postings, and application process mobile-friendly to encourage qualified candidates to apply from their phones.
• Social media integrations: Any tool that pushes job postings across your social media platforms while keeping track of analytics like views, clicks, and applicants.
• Chatbots: Artificial intelligence (AI) tools that integrate with your website to provide automated answers to questions from job seekers.
• Pre-employment assessments: A recruiting tool that provides various types of assessments to help recruiters and hiring managers evaluate candidates‘ cognitive abilities and job-related skills. Vital for making data-driven hiring decisions.
• Video interviewing platforms: Hiring tools that facilitate remote and asynchronous interviews, enabling recruiters to assess potential candidates from anywhere and eliminate the need for in-person interviews.
• Candidate background check software: Software that verifies candidate information, authenticity, and history in a highly time-efficient and accurate way.
• Applicant tracking systems: A recruiting tool that helps recruiters manage job postings, applications, and candidate communication efficiently.
• Email sequencing tools: Hiring tools that allow you to set and forget strings of email campaigns to keep communication with candidates running smoothly.
• Productivity tools: Task management tools like Toggl Plan, Asana, or Trello help you keep track of your progress and stay productive.
• Recruiting CRM software: A recruiting tool that helps recruiters and hiring managers streamline the flow of candidates through the hiring process, fostering more effective and efficient communication.
• Candidate onboarding software: Hiring tools that welcome new hires into their new role and help them settle into the company.
• Timesheet software: Hiring tools that organize worker availability and scheduling, client approval, and payments.
• Payroll management software: Software that manages paydays that are stress-free, timely, and legally compliant, thanks to features like automated tax and forms, benefits management, reports, and more.
• Invoicing tools: Hiring tools that automate the billing process by simplifying the sending and receiving of invoices from various senders.

Benefits of using recruiting tools

As a recruiter or hiring manager, you’ve got a lot on your plate.

Keeping your talent pool filled with quality candidates requires time and effort, including crafting the perfect job description, leveraging social media, pre-screening for skills, scheduling interviews, managing your employer brand, and keeping candidates informed throughout the hiring process.

Recruiting tools can automate a lot of those tasks (and, in some cases, handle them entirely for you) to produce the following benefits:

Reduce hiring costs

Recruiting tools improve efficiency at every level of the hiring process, meaning any time saved is also money saved.

The average position takes 31 days to fill. If you can reduce that in half, you can roughly reduce your cost per hire.

How? The biggest chunk of money spent on recruitment is the recruiter’s salary (assuming there are no staffing agencies involved). The less time they spend per hire, the more cost savings for you.

Let’s run the numbers.

The average cost to fill a vacancy in the US was $4,700 in 2023, according to The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Assuming 80% of that is the cost of the recruiter’s salary, the average American company spends $3,760 per hire on internal recruiting staff.

If the recruiter cuts their time to hire in half thanks to savvy recruiting tools, the cost to fill comes down to $1,880. Factoring back in the remaining 20% of the cost on software and miscellaneous expenses, the total cost to fill the vacancy drops from $4,700 to $2,820 overall — a 40% saving on every new hire!

Automate processes

The quickest and easiest way to reduce the time to hire is to automate repetitive tasks in the hiring process. Key tasks that hiring teams can automate include resume screening, interview scheduling, and candidate communication.

Tools like Toggl Hire reap the benefits of automation at every step of the candidate journey. For example, Toggl Hire allows you to:

• Immediately see how candidates score on an initial skills test
• Manage email communication in bulk to those who don’t make the cut
• Keep track of potential hires with an intuitive Kanban-style board

By leaving the heavy lifting to the recruiting tools, talent acquisition leads have more time and head-space to add a more personal touch to the leading candidates.

Improving candidate experience benefits both the hiring team and your employer brand, which is crucial to attracting top talent. Basically, it’s a positive feedback loop made in recruitment heaven.

Choose better candidates

Most recruiting tools help you make data-driven hiring decisions, so you’re always hiring for skill and not because of inflated experience, connections, or seeing a FAANG company listed on a LinkedIn profile.

Skills assessment platforms are a great example of how candidate assessment tools can help you identify and hire quality candidates faster.

Sure, there will always be an element of gut instinct involved, but the more data-driven and automated you are in getting from 1,000 to the top 20 potential candidates, the better your hiring process will be.

Create fair hiring processes

Everyone loves transparency and predictability, and by leveraging recruiting tools, you can create a consistent, standardized candidate evaluation process. This makes promoting fairness and equality in candidate selection effortless and authentic.

Features like anonymized applications, structured assessments built on intention and aligned with company goals, and skills tests that don’t rely on connections or impressive name drops are great for combating unconscious bias.

They also support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by facilitating unbiased candidate sourcing and assessment.

15 recruiting tools to use in 2025

Before deciding what the right recruitment tools are for you, consider what your hiring goals are.

If your employer brand is pretty strong and you’ve got lots of candidate applications flowing in, a sourcing tool might be a low priority. On the flip side, if you know your interview process has a lot of bottlenecks, perhaps consider a screening tool to help you shortlist faster.

Speaking of shortlists…we’ve shortlisted 15 recruiting tools we love and suggest for anyone looking to level up their recruitment process, reduce costs, and improve the quality of hire.

1. Datapeople

💡 Best for writing better job descriptions.

The first step to filling job openings? Writing compelling job ads. Datapeople uses AI to help hiring teams write, review, and edit descriptions for quicker, better, and more diverse hires.

💰 Pricing: Custom pricing available on request

💬 What Customers Say: “It is a great tool that helps us reduce bias and improve our job descriptions to better position our company. It also gives the opportunity to have analytics on the processes which facilitate the decisions.” — Luis M., Senior Talent Acquisition Partner

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.4 (316), Capterra: 5.0 (1)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Textio focuses more specifically on recruitment communications throughout the entire candidate and employee lifecycle, not just the job ad—including interview feedback, performance reviews, and more.
• Applied uses data and behavioral science to predict the best hire for a position out of your cohort of candidates. Positioned as all-in-one recruitment software, it’s more comprehensive than Datapeople.
• Gender Decoder is helpful if you’re specifically looking to make your job description more gender-neutral and inclusive. Copy and paste your job description into a text box, and the Gender Decoder will tell you if it is feminine- or masculine-coded and how to improve the wording.

2. Indeed

💡 Best for posting job openings.

Indeed is a globally renowned job aggregator and the best starting point for your hiring process. You can easily post job openings, screen resumes, and connect with top talent. With an extensive candidate database and powerful search tools, finding the perfect fit for your team is a piece of cake.

💰 Pricing: Varies depending on job postings, which can either be free or sponsored posts. Indeed recently switched from a “cost per click” model to a “price per application” model, meaning you only pay for quality applications.

💬 What customers say: “Indeed has been a big help for me when recruiting candidates for IT and non-IT roles. It’s very easy to use and access within our ATS or the standalone website.” — Michele A., Technical Recruiter

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.3 (612) Capterra: 4.5 (7,385)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• ZipRecruiter is a job post distributor that offers AI candidate matching and ranking, helping you discover the best fit. On the flip side, Indeed is more focused on getting you a higher volume of applications, with little in the way of helping you sort through them.
• Glassdoor and Indeed are actually owned by the same company and have merged several of their functionalities. If you’re hiring on a budget, Indeed offers free job postings, while Glassdoor does not. But Glassdoor offers a suite of employer branding analytics that might be useful for a budding new organization.

3. Holly

💡 Best for automating candidate sourcing.

Holly is one of the newest recruiting tools out there. Designed to take the load off of low-priority roles, Holly uses AI to source and shortlist candidates for you. Holly is one half of the marketplace — Hunter is the other.

Hunter matches candidates with suitable roles based on their inputs. Holly leans on Hunter’s insights to make the best decisions for the employer. The result? A refined list of candidates, pre-screened and ready for VMS submission, right into your hands.

💰 Pricing: Holly offers two tiers — sadly, the pricing for both is hidden behind a Contact Us button. The first is a two-month pilot package aimed at agencies, and the second is aimed at larger companies who need help setting up a talent acquisition funnel.

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: N/A, Capterra: N/A

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• PhantomBuster helps you automate what you’re already doing, but it isn’t specific to recruitment. PhantomBuster builds a list of leads, enriches data with emails, or personalizes outreach campaigns.
• Paradox is a conversational recruiting software that engages with candidates on your behalf. Paradox AI chat assistant helps with scheduling, screening, onboarding, and more, while Holly focuses on candidate shortlisting and doesn’t operate as a chatbot.

4. Toggl Hire

💡 Best for assessing candidates’ skills.

Toggl Hire is a full-cycle recruitment software that helps recruiters connect with the right talent, fast. From expert-created skills tests to anti-cheating measures, candidate recommendations, and video interview options, we’ve got a host of features to help make the screening process easier and more fun for both you and candidates.

💰 Pricing: With our subscription-based model, your team can choose a monthly (or annual) package that suits your business needs – from our free plan, which includes one active job opening and skills tests at a time, to our Starter and Premium plans, $199/mo and $349/mo respectively (when paying annually), that include unlimited candidates and skills tests.

💬 What customers say: “Really easy and innovative way to gather talent contacts and meanwhile separate the best ones! 🙂 Really loved it! Haven’t tried anything similar, so I am amazed how easy and smart tool Toggl Hire is.” — Kadri R., Talent Acquisition Partner

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.7 (13), Capterra: 4.5 (20)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• TestGorilla is very similar to Toggl Hire in multiple functionalities, including video interviewing tools, skills tests, anti-cheating, and test library. It’s also a great choice for small businesses looking to land the right candidates for their roles.
• HackerRank is a recruiting tool used to fill technical roles. It is purpose-built to help companies hire engineers, developers, and programmers through coding challenges, technical screening, and pre-employment testing. While Toggl Hire is skills-first, it allows you to hire more broadly, offering tests for spoken languages, marketing, customer support, soft skills, and more. It also offers a free plan while HackerRank only offers a free trial.

5. Deel

💡 Best for hiring international talent.

Deel makes hiring and retaining international workers simple. From compliance to payments and all the legalities in between. The platform is super user-friendly for both HR managers and prospective employees.

💰 Pricing: There are two pricing tiers at Deel: Deel Contractor, from $49 per month, and Deel EOR, from $499 per month, which ties in payroll functions and is better suited to enterprise clients.

💬 What customers say: “Deel excels in payroll processing with its user-friendly platform and swift onboarding process. Its intuitive interface streamlines operations, while hassle-free onboarding gets new hires up and running in minutes. With robust compliance features and stellar customer support, Deel is the go-to solution for businesses seeking payroll excellence.” — Mohideen M., Technical Specialist

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.8 (5,498), Capterra: 4.8 (1,839)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Omnipresent is a UK-based international HR solution for companies, similar to Deel. It allows companies to hire, manage, and pay employees worldwide without setting up a local entity. While Deel is more full-cycle and comprehensive, Omnipresent has more pricing options, making it a tempting option for smaller businesses that need more than a few contractors but can’t afford Deel’s higher price tag.
• Oyster helps globally distributed companies looking for an HR platform for remote work. They claim to be the “only global employment solution with compliant, automated hiring and deep local intelligence.” Oyster offers a heavy focus on local insights and automation on all steps of your global employment journey, which might appeal to younger managers.

6. TeamTailor

💡 Best for candidate relationship management.

TeamTailor is an all-in-one recruitment tool and employer branding applicant tracking system. Hiring teams also use TeamTailor to create bespoke careers pages in an easy-to-use web service.

💰 Pricing: While pricing adapts according to the size of your company, it’s used both by big and small teams, offering a free trial to help you get started.

💬 What customers say: “I like how user-friendly the system is, which made it easy over the years to integrate more employees who are involved in the hiring process without having to go through extensive training. Also, TeamTailor is very agile and highly adaptable to our company’s needs, which I think is key for an ATS.” —Silvia C., Lead Talent Acquisition

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.6 (297), Capterra: 4.6 (100)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Greenhouse is one of the industry-leading recruitment tools that sits between legacy tools and new innovations in the market. They’re heavy on intentional product and feature design, helping you hire with purpose. If you’re struggling to get buy-in from leadership for TeamTailor, Greenhouse might be an easier sell based on the authority and data-driven approach the tool takes.
• Recruitee focuses on the hiring portion of an employee’s life, without the added value of employer branding that TeamTailor offers. It could be a good choice for recruitment teams whose hiring needs are strictly related to filling open positions.
• JazzHR is an ATS made for smaller companies looking to automate manual tasks and simplify their hiring process without compromising on quality. Similar to Recruitee, it might be the best bet for you if you don’t have an HR team yet and are just dipping your toes in recruitment.

7. Greenhouse

💡 Best for tracking candidates throughout the hiring process.

Greenhouse is the ultimate applicant tracking system. You can post job listings, conduct interviews, manage and engage candidates through the pipeline, and more. Customizable workflows and collaborative hiring means you can really make Greenhouse your own. Plus, powerful analytics help you make data-driven decisions at every turn.

💰 Pricing: Custom pricing available upon request

💬 What customers say: “Greenhouse makes the recruitment process simple and enables recruiters and managers to leverage technology to expedite the time to hire. It is transparent and easily customizable to make changes and recruitment processes mature. The support functionality is top-notch, the guides that are available are easy to follow, and if additional help is needed there is always a real person who can jump on the line and answer questions in real-time!” —Claire C., VP Talent Acquisition

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.4 (297), Capterra: 4.5 (700)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Workable might be a better option for companies that want to cover all their hiring needs in a single place. The higher price tag might put smaller companies off, but established HR teams with lots of openings will have a field day.
• PinPoint is another all-in-one hiring and HR platform. A few key differences with Greenhouse include the ability to send pre-built templates to candidates for faster comms and a resume database feature that helps you build a talent pool almost passively.

8. Spark Hire

💡 Best for conducting video interviews.

Spark Hire enables you to conduct one-way video interviews to assess candidates’ soft skills. Integrated with their native ATS, you can set your interview questions and complete candidate profiles with the answers provided. SparkHire has helped over 7,000 organizations identify their best candidates faster and more efficiently.

💰 Pricing: Lite, from $149 per month, offering one job at a time. Pro, from $299 per month, offering five jobs at a time. Growth, from $499 per month, offering 10 jobs at a time. Enterprise custom pricing is available upon request. There is also a separate fee of $250 per month for the ATS features.

💬 What customers say: “What I like best about Spark Hire is how much time it saves and how well it keeps our hiring process organized. The one-way video interviews have been a game-changer—they let candidates respond on their own schedule, even at odd hours, which is incredibly convenient for both them and us. The integrated applicant tracking system (ATS) has transformed how we manage candidates, ensuring we always have a clear record of who we’ve interviewed and what decisions we made. It’s easy to use, intuitive, and makes us look much more professional to candidates.” — Dave G., Service Manager

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.8 (454), Capterra: 4.7 (107)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• HireVue offers the option to hire hourly workers and students. Keep your candidates engaged with text message integrations, screen them with skills tests, and integrate with the rest of your HR stack with ease.
• VidCruiter positions itself as an ATS add-on, meaning it could be a great option if you already have a tried and tested ATS you love and don’t want to switch to Spark Hire’s native one. Similar to Spark Hire, it helps you plan, conduct, analyze, and optimize your interview process with one-way video interviews.

9. ZoHo Social

💡 Best for social media management.

You could have the best opening ever at the best company ever, but it’s worthless if no one knows about it. Enter Zoho Social, a social media management tool that schedules, posts, and shares your job opening across various social media platforms simultaneously. Its performance analytics keep track of how each channel contributes to your recruitment strategy while maintaining streamlined hiring campaigns across your digital presence.

💰 Pricing: Zoho offers a multi-tiered subscription model for professionals and agencies. Packages range from $15 to $55 per month for professionals and $275 to $400 per month for agencies. They also offer a free plan.

💬 What customers say: “Zoho Social’s comprehensive suite of tools that make social media management effortless. From intuitive content scheduling to insightful analytics, Zoho Social provides everything we need to maintain a strong and consistent online presence. The seamless integration with other Zoho apps enhances our productivity, allowing us to streamline our workflow and manage everything from a single platform.” — Patrick P., CEO

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.6 (2,646), Capterra: 4.7 (3,239)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• HootSuite is arguably the mother of social media scheduling tools. Social listening, deep analytics, social media trend radar, and more features mean this legacy tool packs a punch. Don’t be surprised by the $99 per month price tag. If you’re dead set on growing your company’s online presence, this is a good choice for you.
• Sprout Social is similar to Hootsuite and Zoho Social — a social media management tool that streamlines your presence across platforms. But it focuses on the NPS score in a way the others don’t. It also boasts AI-powered workflows and insights to get the most out of your data.

10. Zapier

💡 Best for connecting your apps to automated workflows.

Zapier helps HR teams neatly link up different recruiting tasks, from planning to candidate communication, interviews, assessments, making offers, onboarding, and more. This no-code automation tool makes it simple to connect all your apps into automated workflows on a single platform, freeing up your time where it counts.

💰 Pricing: Zapier does offer a free plan. Beyond that, pricing varies based on the number of tasks executed per month, but as a baseline: The Professional plan starts from $29.99 per month, while the Team plan starts from $103.50 per month.

💬 What customers say: “Zapier helps with automating all the manual work we used to do on a daily basis. Now our team gets email-notified if there’s any change in their task. It helps save time and energy we spend on manual work!” — Anish A., Full Stack Developer

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.5 (1,316), Capterra: 4.7 (2,914)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Workato is essentially the same concept as Zapier but for enterprise-level organizations. Workato suits businesses with complex workflows and strict security requirements, whereas Zapier takes a scrappier get-up-and-go approach — with easy set-up and affordable pricing.
• Pabbly Connect is also automation software. Its $699 one-time payment makes it the more budget-friendly alternative to Zapier. It could be a good option if you’re really bootstrapped and plan to execute thousands of tasks per year.

11. LinkedIn Recruiter

💡 Best for sourcing and tracking hiring metrics.

Along with being a super job aggregation tool for potential candidates, LinkedIn also caters specifically to hiring managers. LinkedIn Recruiter helps HR professionals source and track metrics on quality candidates to ensure you reach your goals.

💰 Pricing: All pricing is currently behind a Request a Free Demo button.

💬 What customers say: “LinkedIn Recruiter offers advanced search filters, saved searches and alerts, InMail for direct messaging, talent pool insights, and AI-driven candidate recommendations. It also enables team collaboration and access to candidates open to new opportunities, making it an efficient tool for sourcing and engaging talent.” — Eddie D., Senior Talent Acquisition Manager

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.4 (369), Capterra: 4.5 (104)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• hireEZ leverages AI-driven sourcing to identify candidates across different platforms. Its advanced filtering and engagement features help recruiters find niche talent beyond LinkedIn’s network.
• Kaggle helps companies source data talent. Its community showcases practical skills through competitions, notebooks, and datasets, making it simple for hiring managers to quickly and fairly assess candidates’ technical expertise, and real-world project experience.

12. Qureos

💡 Best for using AI to automate processes.

Qureos is an AI-powered platform that matches employers to qualified candidates “10x faster,” as it claims. Job seekers create a Qureos profile, outlining their skills and what they’re looking for, and Qureos will match you with companies that suit your description.

💰 Pricing: Starter, from $219 per month. Professional, from $419 per month. Business, from $1,124 per month.

💬 What customers say: “Simplifies talent acquisition by handling everything from job postings to candidate outreach. It saves time and reduces hiring hassle, with a proactive team ensuring smooth communication throughout the process. A great tool for streamlining recruitment.” — Sahar A., People Coordinator

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.3 (6), Capterra: 4.7 (12)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Lever is designed to handle high-volume hiring. With robust applicant tracking and hiring workflows, it’s ideal for bigger teams looking for a full-cycle solution. Qureos, on the other hand, specializes in mentoring-driven talent development and candidate matching, which might be better suited to smaller companies or those looking for junior talent.
• BreezyHR offers a more complete experience than Qureos. With comprehensive hiring automation, pipeline management, and collaboration tools, it’s a great option for scaling businesses needing to find and install talent fast. Plus, its user-friendly interface doesn’t hurt!

13. Trustcruit

💡 Best for managing candidate feedback.

TrustCruit is made for companies who want to prioritize their candidate experience. It collects and analyzes candidate feedback by integrating their surveys into your applicant tracking system so you can continually improve your hiring process. Boasting clients like Peloton and Pokemon, you’d be in good company building your employer brand with TrustCruit.

💰 Pricing: All pricing is hidden behind “Get a Quote” buttons. For those who want to get a taste, there is a free trial available.

💬 What customers say: “It’s an easy and quick way of giving/receiving feedback in the recruitment process. Thanks to the integrated AI tool, it can analyze all the feedback automatically.” — Anon, Web Developer

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: N/A, Capterra: 4.0 (1)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• BambooHR is a more complete HR platform—offering significantly more integrations, a free trial, and compatibility across several devices and operating systems. BambooHR is a great all-in-one option for smaller businesses, starting at $175 per month.
• WorkBright streamlines onboarding with mobile-friendly document management and compliance tools. While TrustCruit focuses on candidate feedback, WorkBright enhances employee experience by simplifying hiring paperwork, reducing administrative burden, and ensuring faster onboarding processes. Plus, it has an API and significant training and documentation to get you set up in no time!

14. Goco

💡 Best for onboarding new hires.

Goco simplifies HR and benefits administration, helping small businesses do big things for their new hires. It streamlines several administrative tasks involved in the onboarding process while maintaining compliance across the board without compromising on user experience.

💰 Pricing: A build-your-own-product setup means pricing varies greatly (and is behind a lead capture form). But if the website’s metadata is anything to go by, pricing seems to start at $8 per employee per month.

💬 What customers say: “GoCo is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. The interface is visually appealing and natural to work through; the placement of the menu and the design of the pages makes it both comfortable and sensible. Workflows are smooth to transition and progress through, and documents are easy to assemble, sign, and task.” — Amy S., Permanent Supportive Housing Supervisor

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.6 (382), Capterra: 4.6 (108)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Namely is also a mid-market HR and employee benefits tool. With transparent pricing, plans start from $9 per month. It’s a great option for those looking for a payroll, attendance tracking, and performance review tool all in one.
• Rippling outperforms GoCo on most parameters according to G2—though it also hides its pricing. Its seamless interface basically automates document collection during employee onboarding. It also offers extensive features, including time off, expense management, payroll and compliance, contracts, and more.

15. Gusto

💡 Best for managing payroll.

Gusto takes the cake when it comes to payroll management. Voted #1 payroll software, Gusto promises to “put the joy back in running your business.” By automating payroll processing and minimizing errors, you can get back to building your vision with the peace of mind that your employees are taken care of.

💰 Pricing: Available in three tiers: Simple: $40 per month + $6 per user/month; Plus: $80 per month + $12 per user/month; Premium: $180 per month + $22 per user/month.

💬 What customers say: “Gusto is VERY easy to use, and getting set up with payroll, benefits, and other HR tasks is a breeze. You don’t need to know anything about HR to be an HR administrator, Gusto walks you through everything. It is quite comprehensive in what it takes care of for you and a very good value for the price. When our previous HR services company failed us, we switched to Gusto and have been happy ever since.” — Robert C., VP of Business Development, North America

⭐ Ratings (out of 5): G2: 4.5 (2,249), Capterra: 4.6 (4,016)

💻 Other Helpful Tools:

• Leapsome is a performance management platform designed to help employees grow, learn, and thrive in their organizations. With features like sentiment analysis and science-backed surveys, discover the relationship between performance and engagement.
• Bob UK Payroll (previously Pento) provides fully automated payroll to UK companies—including tax calculations, HMRC payments, and pensions. While Gusto typically leans more toward smaller companies, Bob UK Payroll caters to larger enterprises. It could be a good solution if you don’t want the payroll headache hanging over your head.

Who can get the most from recruiter tools?

Wondering if recruitment tools are right for you or if they’re just a fancy way to improve the experience for job seekers? They’re great for both parties, especially in today’s competitive job market, but they’re especially great for any hiring team struggling with the following issues:

• HR professionals and recruiters tasked with managing high-volume hiring processes can leverage many recruitment tools to streamline workflows and increase efficiency.
• Small and medium-sized businesses seeking cost-effective solutions for talent acquisition and recruitment can benefit from the scalability and affordability of modern recruiter tools.
• Organizations committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices can utilize the right hiring tools to implement fair and unbiased candidate evaluation processes.
• Companies aiming to improve their employer brand and provide a positive candidate experience can maximize the use of recruiting software to engage and attract top talent effectively.

How to choose the right recruiting tool

Like any economic decision, you need to maximize value while minimizing costs. A good place to start is with your priorities.

Based on your hiring needs, make a list of all the features that are essential. Are you focused on streamlining assessments, managing international candidates, or improving metrics? Take another look through your list with a critical eye. Highlight the features that are really non-negotiable — the rest are nice-to-haves.

When evaluating your software options, keep these non-negotiables front of mind. Ideally, you’ll want a tool that integrates multiple functions together. This will prevent you from paying multiple subscriptions for different platforms and building an HR tech stack that resembles the leaning tower of Pisa.

For example, Toggl Hire stands out by combining candidate assessment, candidate relationship management, applicant tracking, and hiring analytics in one platform at an accessible price.

Some other green flags to look for include scalability (I mean, you’re planning to grow, aren’t you?) and user-friendliness (more and more people will be using this tool —s ee aforementioned growth).

A final word of warning — free trials are great for test-driving new tools, but don’t caught bouncing from trial to trial as a way of delaying your final decision. You’re an HR manager, after all; trust your instincts. You’ve got this.

What’s the best recruitment tool?

We get that your team might not have the budget for all of these solutions—yet. However, the best recruitment tools are constantly evolving, which means costs are coming down, and integration with your other tools is getting easier.

If you’re looking for a great all-rounder to cover most of your bases for a great price, Toggl Hire could be the tool for you, enabling your team to screen and assess candidates, stay in touch effortlessly, give feedback, remain unbiased, and see in-depth analytics all on the same platform.

If you’re ready to hire better with less effort, get started with a free Toggl Hire account!

Communication skills assessments should be like a “you need to be this tall to ride” checkpoint for every hire. Because communication plays a massive role (good and bad) in any business.

The proof? 80% of all workplace complaints and conflicts result from poor communication. And when communication doesn’t flow correctly across your organization, you can expect things to fall apart pretty quickly.

Now for the good news. When communication is top-notch, productivity can increase by up to 70%. After all, a key part of any job is discussing ideas, analyzing problems to find solutions, and collaborating with other people and teams within the organization.

So, next time you’ve narrowed down your list of top candidates to just three, and each candidate is near perfect in their regard, ask yourself, “Can they communicate effectively within all aspects of the business?”

A quick communication skills assessment can answer this question stress-free and avoid the risk and expense of making a bad hire. With all this in mind, let’s explore why communication skills are critical to any hire and how best to use communication skills assessments during your hiring process.

TL;DR—Key Takeaways

• Communication skills are a must-have for any productive team, especially with the rise of cross-functional teams, remote work, and digital interactions.
• Communication tests measure how well a candidate conveys ideas and interacts with others. Tip: active listening is important, too!
• While assessments are effective, there are biases and challenges to mitigate.
• Written, asynchronous, verbal, and strategic business communication, along with active listening, are the most important communication skills to measure.
• Toggl Hire measures candidates’ communication skills thanks to async video interviews, customizable test templates, and data-driven insights.

Communication skills are more important than ever

In recent years, the business landscape has gone through a massive transformation, making communication skills a must-have power skill rather than a nice-to-have. Remote work and cross-functional teams are both on the rise, which means teams rely increasingly on digital interactions. Written, verbal, and asynchronous communication abilities are at an all-time high, along with other soft skills. 

And when your communication is poor, it can lead to all sorts of headaches….like misunderstandings that derail projects, reduced productivity as teams struggle to stay on the same page, and even customer dissatisfaction when messages get lost in translation. 

Organizations must invest in their leaders, and their leaders must invest in their teams. Communication, management fundamentals, emotional intelligence, and digital transformation are all topics and in-demand skills that have shown growth year-over-year, according to Udemy’s 2024 Global Learning & Skills Trends Report.

What is a communication skills test?

Skills assessments are evaluations used to measure a candidate’s abilities in specific areas. Communication skills tests — either verbal, written, or non-verbal — assess how a candidate can convey ideas effectively and interact with others.

For example, verbal communication assessments might include role-playing a customer service interaction, while written tests could ask candidates to draft a professional email or fill out a questionnaire judging themselves.

Non-verbal communication tests might observe body language and facial expressions during a mock presentation or group discussion.

The challenges of assessing communication skills

As with any part of the hiring process, there are difficulties when testing various communication skills of candidates. It’s a complex process, prone to plenty of biases and other discouraging hurdles.

Cheating on written tests

The larger the company you hire for, the greater the chance you’ll use standardized testing procedures. Unfortunately, cheating is possible when it comes to written tests. Need to pass a certification or answer some multiple-choice questions on your online assessment? Your candidate can probably Google the answers in a matter of seconds.

The good thing about using an assessment library (like the one we’ve built at Toggl Hire) is it boasts many anti-cheating features. Not only are test questions rotated dynamically across every quiz, but there are also copy/paste and browser fingerprinting features in place to flag fishy behavior.

You’ll get accurate results in minutes.

Some candidates don’t thrive under pressure

Not everyone handles pressure well, and the hiring process is already a stressful adventure for most job seekers. After all, the applicant might not have applied for a role that requires them to give eloquent and robust answers at the drop of a hat. Always be wary of placing candidates in high-pressure situations — they can choose to go with another company.

Instead of subjecting candidates to hours-long tests, we suggest breaking the flow into smaller chunks. This approach requires lower time and energy investment from the candidates and helps you arrive at your candidate shortlist much faster. It also gives you time to provide each candidate with constructive feedback.

Lack of objectivity

Evaluating communication skills is tough because it’s usually so subjective. One interviewer might think a candidate is clear and concise, while another might find them too wordy or unclear. This subjectivity gets even trickier depending on the situation.

For example, someone might ace a formal, structured interview — but feel out of their depth in a more relaxed, team-based setting. Naturally outgoing and friendly candidates might thrive in group discussions but struggle with one-on-ones.

Different communication styles and cultures also affect assessment outcomes. Some people are direct and to the point, while others are more nuanced. Factors like personality, upbringing, and professional background can all shape these styles. Those who didn’t grow up with English as a first language might have effective communication skills but struggle on these types of tests. 

So, unconscious biases can creep in and impact the evaluator’s objectivity. To tackle these issues, mix up your assessment methods, set clear and consistent evaluation standards, and give your interviewers some cultural sensitivity training.

You’ll gain a more balanced and fair view of each candidate’s communication skills. And offset some of that inherent subjectivity.

The 5 key communication skills and how to assess them

Think about every job ad you’ve ever had to write or pour over during your own career-hunting journey. What do all those walls of text have in common? They (usually) all express a need for strong communication skills.

But communication skills can mean many things. What ability does the role actually require? Is it writing, speaking, active listening, strategic, or asynchronous communication? Or all of them?

Nailing down your job requirements leads to better-quality candidates, so don’t skip this step. Instead, get detailed!

1. Written communication skills ✅

Every role in the tech-driven age requires employees to have a firm grasp of written language. Of course, this doesn’t mean candidates need a Bachelor of Literature or know how to structure a Haiku. They just need to communicate effectively in most written mediums. 

For example, more than ever, businesses are communicating through instant messaging (think Slack or Microsoft Teams), email, and internal wikis for knowledge sharing. In fact, many companies migrate away from email for internal communications and focus only on messaging programs and knowledge-sharing platforms like Notion or Slite.

Often, the requirement for excellent written communication skills is actually a proxy for being able to:

• Translate complex ideas into simple language
• Communicate clearly and concisely
• Connect the dots in writing
• Convey big ideas in a compelling way
• Capture the attention and imagination of the reader

The list goes on, but you get the idea — there’s a difference between being literate and a great communicator. Hiring someone with poor written communication skills can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. And let’s face it, who wants a meeting that could’ve been a simple message? Build a team that gets this.

🧠 Go-to methods for written communication skills assessments:

If communication skills are super important for the job, the best way to assess them is with a custom communication skills test. Open-ended questions let candidates show off both their writing skills and how they consider and structure their arguments.

2. Verbal communication skills ✅

No matter how remote a role might be, chances are the candidate will need to be on team calls — especially during the interview process. They should summarize their specialties clearly, explain ideas to coworkers, and convey information succinctly without getting sidetracked into a 20-minute story that has nothing to do with the task.

Verbal communication skills are essential to roles in Customer Success, Customer Support, Sales, Leadership, and HR, where speaking eloquently is part of delivering quality work. But even roles that don’t demand top-notch verbal skills can benefit from people who can work well with different departments, jump into discussions, and express themselves professionally.

🧠 Go-to methods for verbal communication skills assessment:

Obviously, virtual or face-to-face interviews are the perfect way to evaluate candidates’ verbal skills. They’re also useful for non-verbal cues, like their body language and how well they maintain eye contact. Nothing gives you a better idea of how good of a communicator someone is than having a meaningful conversation.

But if it’s a key skill you want to screen early in the process, you can partially automate the step to save your hiring team from the inevitable bad-fit interviews. Opt for pre-recorded video interviews.

For example, Toggl Hire Video Intros enable you to select relevant questions from the library or add your own and run the first-touch interview at scale. Candidates have time to practice and do a few retakes before submitting their answers. Works for everyone!

3. Active listening ✅

People usually focus on speaking as the most important aspect of communication, but meaningful conversation is nearly impossible without great listening skills.

Any team member needs to understand what is being said by the rest of the business. Getting ideas across is impossible if the recipient zones out or doesn’t listen when spoken to. Active listening skills are critical when managing teams, dealing with customers, and building good interpersonal communication. Active listening is also a good indicator of emotional intelligence. 

🧠 Go-to methods for active listening communication skills assessment:

Active listening and verbal communication skills go hand in hand. You need both to have a constructive discussion. That’s why live interviews are a great method for evaluating candidates‘ ability to listen and speak effectively. In practice, active listening skills look something like this:

• The candidate doesn’t shy away from clarifying what’s being said or asked
• The candidate doesn’t talk over other people
• The candidate asks pointy follow-up questions
• The candidate doesn’t jump to conclusions but aims to gather more information
• The candidate takes notes to retain information or maintain focus
• The candidate can effectively summarize what was discussed

Active listeners make for exceptional team members and even better leaders. That’s why active listening is a top leadership skill your company should definitely invest in. Leaders who actively listen understand their team’s needs and concerns and foster a culture of openness and trust. This means more collaborative decision-making and a team that feels valued.

4. Asynchronous communication ✅

Asynchronous communication is an exchange of information that happens not in real-time or, as the name suggests, “out of sync.” It can take any form — video messages, audio messages, written messages, or even visuals. With the world’s shift to remote work and distributed teams, asynchronous communication has taken a central stage.

The asynchronous communication skill set includes thinking independently in situations where information or feedback isn’t available in real-time. It relates strongly to one’s ability to be disciplined, manage their time effectively, and think critically.

In practical terms, asynchronous communication skills are required for giving structured written feedback, fleshing out ideas, documenting processes, and communicating with context.

🧠 Go-to methods for asynchronous communication skills assessment:

A homework assignment or paid project could be a swift way to assess candidates’ asynchronous communication skills. You’re looking for someone highly skilled and independent to thrive in an async-first workplace.

At Toggl Hire, we’ve created an asynchronous hiring flow that relies on a combination of a skills assessment, live interview, paid challenge, and final presentation to get the proof of competence before we hire. See the step-by-step explanation of pre-employment skills testing for more details.

5. Strategic business communication ✅

Can the interviewee communicate and understand roadmaps, business goals, and the importance of promoting the company? In business, it’s all about “seeing the bigger picture,” and it’s essential that employees—especially those in leadership roles speaking with stakeholders—can clearly convey where the company is headed and what its goals are.

🧠 Go-to methods for business communication skills assessment:

If you’re hiring a team lead or department head, business communication skills will be a key requirement. At this level, candidates expect a longer hiring process, so you should use the time to get to know each other better. Saying that, don’t go overboard with a 10-step assessment flow. 

You can employ situational interviews to evaluate candidates’ interpersonal skills and abilities. Steal these 100 soft skills questions for your next interview. Or use a mini-paid project to quickly assess candidates’ technical and cultural fit.

How Toggl Hire can help you assess candidate communication skills

Toggl Hire is a comprehensive skills-first hiring tool that offers a wide range of assessments, including communication tests, to help hiring managers objectively evaluate candidates’ competencies in the recruitment process. 

With customizable test templates, multimedia question formats like asynchronous video interviews, and data-driven insights down to the question level, Toggl Hire guarantees a thorough and fair assessment process. Our platform integrates seamlessly with your existing hiring workflows, improving your ability to identify top communicators and other skilled professionals. 

To start using these powerful tools, create a free account today and use Toggl Hire’s communication skills test to find the best candidates for your team.

Employee handbooks are an HR essential that ground workers by setting expectations on the relationship between employee and employer.

New hires (often the people most likely to read your handbook cover to cover) can use the handbook to learn about your company culture as they settle in.

Beyond those first few months, all workers in your organization will benefit from using the company handbook as a solid reference point throughout their tenure, especially if you’ve organized it in a way that makes it easy to access and, dare we say, fun to read (yes, it’s possible).

The problem is that many handbooks are token gestures when they could be so much more. It’s time to fix that. This guide explores how to write an employee handbook worth reading so it increases employee engagement and boosts your company culture.

TL;DR—Key Takeaways

• Employee handbooks introduce new hires to an organization. They document company policies, employee benefits, and cultural issues like expected behavior.
• Effective employee handbooks blend detail with creativity. They excite readers and inspire them to contribute to the company culture while delivering useful information to help employees navigate working life.
• Essential sections include equal opportunities and anti-discrimination policies. Chapters on healthcare and pension rights, time off, and the work environment should also be included. Most modern handbooks feature security guidance as well.
• Consider legal issues when writing an employee handbook. Include a disclaimer to avoid legal action if the handbook changes or you can’t deliver every promise.
• We recommend treating your employee handbook as a living document. Encourage feedback to improve the text and update it regularly as your company evolves.
• Make your employee handbook readily available to your workers 24/7. Your best bet is to store it in a central workspace where you keep other company documentation, like Notion.

The importance of an employee handbook

We know, we know. You’re likely shaking your head, thinking, “Is it really that important to spend time writing an employee handbook when so many other crucial tasks demand my attention?” Yeah, it honestly is. Here’s why.

Boosting communication

Employee handbooks convey important information about what the company stands for, the values that drive it, and how staffers fit into that vision. You can (and should) explain these things in meetings, sure, but handbooks assemble that information together in one place for everyone to access.

Defining your company culture

Similarly, employee handbooks help build a vibrant company culture — especially when they are crafted via inclusive processes. Handbooks that use consistent language to set rules and expectations are reference points for team members, explaining what makes your company unique and how you plan to sustain that uniqueness in the future.

As Will Fletcher, CEO of LeaseFletcher, explains, “There comes a growth point for all companies that you have to formalize and systematize things like company culture and behavior. Once it’s formalized, you can delegate responsibility to line managers and grow self-directing teams without worrying about whether they are developing siloed cultures.”

Streamlining onboarding

Employee handbooks are key in orienting new hires. Newcomers probably don’t know much about your vision and values, and that’s fine at the start, but to retain employees, they need to both feel connected to the company vision and understand what’s expected of them. The handbook clears up confusion and guides new staff as they learn the ropes.

Supporting recruitment

Talented candidates want to join companies that treat employees well and take company culture seriously. HR sourcing teams can use employee handbooks in talent pool management strategies to hook high-potential candidates.

Outlining behavior expectations

Modern workplaces are governed by codes of behavior. Employee handbooks that include information about etiquette and expectations allow employees to understand what internal company policies require and how they relate to the workplace.

According to Airto Zamorano, CEO of NumanaSEO, “Employees genuinely want to know what’s expected of them and what they can count on. A good employee handbook will give them that clarity. An employee handbook should be a living document that outlines what your company has learned over the years about how to cover the employer and the employees.”

Ensuring compliance

Internal policies should relate to compliance requirements (for instance, regarding discrimination, unfair dismissal, data security, or environmental conditions). Handbooks tell employees how to follow the law.

Achieving security standards

Keeping data and devices secure is critical in modern working life (no, our legal counsel didn’t force me to say that, but he’d be pretty proud). Companies rely on comprehensive security policies to prevent data exposure and cyber attackers. The employee handbook is a great place to explain these policies and reinforce training about safe working practices.

Delivering perks

Companies need places to showcase their employee benefits (and actually encourage the use of parental leave or time off). The employee handbook introduces the benefits on offer and how to claim them. This helps existing staff but can also snare great candidates who read handbooks before accepting job offers.

If you access the benefits section of our Candidate Booklet, here’s a quick look at what that looks like at Toggl.

Essentials for an effective employee handbook

Great employee handbooks follow a fairly standard template. No need to reinvent the wheel here. Remember, you’re not writing a prize-winning novel. Part of the challenge is knowing what elements are indispensable and how much weight each part requires.

Let’s get that out of the way immediately. The key components of a good employee handbook include:

• The mission statement: Most handbooks start with a statement about who you are and what your company does. Keep this short, but aim to inspire. For instance, Disney’s statement is super-concise: “To entertain, inform, and inspire people around the globe through the power of unparalleled storytelling.” Choose a similar phrase that captures your goals and vision.
• Company values: The next section goes into a bit more detail about the values that drive you. A list format works well here. List core values with brief explainers about how employees put them into practice. Amazon’s “Leadership Principles” show how it’s done.
• Employment policies: This section covers basic information about employee rights and benefit plans you provide. For instance, it details your policy on sick leave, time off, parental leave, and health insurance. It also details how to give notice, dismissal policies, and information about retirement plans.
• Equal Opportunities: Right after the employment policies section is a great place to discuss your Equal Opportunities Employer Statement (mandatory for US employers.) Document how you ensure fair hiring and apply non-discrimination plans at work.
• Behavioral policies: Explain how employees should behave at work and how you, as an employer, protect workers from harm. Areas to cover include anti-harassment rules and conflict resolution. Include details about responsible use of social media, too.
• Security policies: Cybersecurity is a separate thing, but you need to include it here. Mention policies about remote work and using public wi-fi, device security, safe data handling, and how disciplinary action works when employees break security rules.
• Dress code: Explain (if you feel the need) how employees can dress at work. Talk about how you accommodate diverse styles for religious or personal reasons. Discuss situations where formality is essential and times when dressing down is fine.
• Work environment: Talk about how to nurture a positive and comfortable work environment. Touch on physical aspects (for instance, ergonomic seating, food and drink, ambient temperature) and social elements (like flexible working, staff away days, or employee discounts).
• Whistleblowing: This section particularly matters in sectors like healthcare or finance, but every business should have confidential channels to report bullying, a conflict of interest, or outright criminality. Explain how to access and use whistleblowing channels and how you keep complaints private.
• The legal stuff: Every employee handbook needs a legal section. This part includes a definition of the employment relationship and how applicable laws influence that relationship. For instance, outline employee rights under federal law like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) along with state laws on employment.
• Disclaimers: To conclude, this section explains that your handbook does not cover every dispute or legal situation and is not the final word on employee benefits. Tell employees how to request more information and explain that the handbook will change from time to time.

Designing your employee handbook

As with all good reference books, the presentation of your content is important. Appealing visuals and intelligent layout capture attention, providing a “way in” for employees whose attention may wander.

Here are some tips we’ve learned in many years of refining our employee handbook and advising others.

In fact, to kick things off, here is a quick look at our public Toggl Team Handbook, which we host in Notion. As you can see, it is well-organized (shoutout to our talent team) and covers all the basics. For those interested in exploring more, clicking on each section expands it out for (much) more information.

Adopt clear language and avoid jargon

This is super important. Use long words if necessary, but don’t deter readers with complicated language.

Remember, you’re writing a document for every employee. Some readers won’t know what “deliverables” are or how to calculate “economic value added.” Stick to everyday phrases that communicate your message.

Be friendly and approachable

Write your handbook with a friendly, welcoming persona in mind. Use a warm tone, adopt inclusive language, and include a couple of jokes if they suit your brand ethos.

Anchor the text with a table of contents

Getting back to basics, the best way to start an employee handbook is with a thorough table of contents (like our example above).

Many people start writing before they plan their content, but it’s better to create a list of sections and sub-sections. That way, you can give each section the attention it needs and avoid embarrassing gaps.

Follow a logical structure

Think about how the handbook will flow. Ideally, an inspiring introduction (your mission statement and values) should capture attention before leading readers into the nitty gritty. Describe policies and procedures, sticking closely to your content structure.

Make the text as easy to read as possible

Readers should be able to scan every page quickly to absorb basic details. Avoid big chunks of text. Although they may be full of valuable insights and guidance, employees will likely skip densely packed content. Trust us on this one.

Instead, we recommend using bullet points, tables, and infographics to make the text more readable. You might even source photos where they add value.

Store the handbook in an accessible location

Finding the right location for your employee handbook also matters. As remote work expands, printed versions are becoming less common. We prefer to store employee materials on collaboration platforms like Notion.

The great thing about collaboration tools is they make it easy to customize the presentation. You can change layouts instantly, embed video, or add emojis to add a bit of humor.

Take a participatory approach to handbook writing

Finally, it helps to invite participation from every department when drafting the text. HR officers tend to write the handbook. And don’t get us wrong, their insights are invaluable. But, they only offer one perspective. So, run the text past key stakeholders and use suggestions to fine-tune the content.

Participation is great, but ownership matters too. Your human resources team needs to manage handbook writing and updating. Ultimately, HR professionals are responsible for maintaining a living document — not a one-and-done exercise.

Key HR policies to include

It sounds a little dry, but robust workplace policies are the heart of a good employee handbook. After all, the handbook is a source of information. Employees will only return to the text time and again if it helps them navigate everyday work situations.

Essential HR policies include:

• Code of conduct: This is usually a general policy regarding acceptable behavior and performance levels. The code of conduct can be broad but must be clear. It provides a reference point for managing performance and disciplinary processes, so take time to get this right.
• Equal opportunity policies: How you ensure everyone has the same workplace rights, including anti-discrimination policies for promotions and assigning tasks. These policies also cover specific forms of discrimination like race, gender, disability, or age.
• Anti-harassment policies: How you protect all employees against bullying, sexual harassment, and client-facing situations that could expose employees to harassment.
• Leave policies: This section includes rules for paid time off (PTO), parental leave, military leave, bereavement leave, and any other relevant situations. For instance, if you’re a US company, remember to specify paid leave for jury duty! Make clear that leave rules apply to full-time and part-time workers, freelancers, or contractors.
• Performance management: This section explains how you carry out performance evaluations, the assessment tools you use, the frequency of performance reviews, and the expectations you set for high-performing employees.
• Career development: This section defines how pay or promotions are determined. You could combine this section with professional development policies to explain how employees can climb the company ladder.
• Disciplinary policies: This section documents what happens when employees breach codes of conduct or security rules. Be clear about the process (how long it takes, who makes decisions), the range of penalties, and how employees can appeal.
• Health and safety: How you protect employees from harm. Includes workplace safety policies (important in sectors like manufacturing) and measures to safeguard mental health. You could mention safe work hours or benefits like counseling here.

7 employee handbook examples to inspire you

You could fill a library with stellar employee handbooks. But honestly, you could also fill the streets of Tallinn with handbooks that miss the mark. The examples below are case studies on how it should be done (with a few less clear-cut successes on the side). Use them to design a handbook that employees devour from cover to cover.

1. Valve

Video game developer Valve has one of the most famous employee handbooks around. The company made its guide public in 2012 and is happy to inspire similar efforts. But it’s a unique document built around what makes Valve great.

The handbook sets the tone from the start, calling itself “a fearless adventure in knowing what to do when no one’s there telling you what to do.” We like love that. Employees immediately know the guide is designed to empower them, so they want to discover knowledge to help them succeed.

The rest of the guide is styled like a novel but has the elements of a classic employee handbook. It majors in welcoming new hires and settling in (yay!), before going deep on performance reviews by peers and other policies.

The handbook tells readers “how not to freak out now that you’re here.” That’s a great takeaway. Guides should give employees confidence and stability, and that’s exactly what Valve achieves here.

2. Hubspot

Hubspot sticks to a more traditional handbook model with a couple of interesting tweaks. Most importantly, the digital marketing company uses a Slideshare format to store and present employee guidance. The presentation style is a good move, making it easy to navigate each section.

We also love Hubspot’s guide because it focuses on culture. The handbook is “part manifesto, part employee handbook, and part diary of dreams.” It skilfully blends the brand’s story with concrete policies and inspirational quotes — a textbook example of accessible writing.

3. Trello

Project management platform Trello takes a different approach that makes perfect sense. Instead of creating slides or a PDF, Trello has built a site using its project management interface. It looks like a project dashboard (or close enough), giving readers an on-brand experience.

Otherwise, Trello’s content follows a familiar employee handbook template, with leave policies, terms of employment, and instructions for arranging business travel. Readers can scroll through benefit tabs or check out “the serious stuff,” like termination rules or pensions.

4. Netflix

Netflix starts strong with a bold and inspirational mission statement and four core principles that empower employees to enjoy “the best work of their lives.” This paves the way for a text-heavy but not-too-long handbook that links those core principles to company policies.

Netflix doesn’t score well in terms of clarity. There’s no contents page to find time off allowances, for example. But it does create a sense of excitement and community, and it ends with an inspiring quote from The Little Prince — huge points for that.

5. The Zappos Culture Book

Fashion retailer Zappos takes an offbeat approach to handbook writing. The Zappos Culture Book is a collaborative text written by members of the “Zappos Family” (i.e., company employees).

That may be why you find statements like “We value being fun and being a little weird.” Underneath the slogans lies a quirky but energizing statement of what it means to be a Zappos team member.

Despite this, the Culture Book format is a little light on detail. If you choose this model, you may need to write a second text featuring details about equality and inclusion policies or health benefits.

6. Facebook

In 2015, Facebook distributed an attractive ring-bound handbook to all staff members. Heavy on cultural explanation, the handbook included motivational messages like, “We don’t build services to make money” and “Changing how people communicate will always change the world.”

Facebook’s positivity was great, but the content was a little vague about employee behavior and legal issues. Within a few years, the company distributed a less appealing code of conduct to employees after several privacy scandals.

Ultimately, Facebook’s story is another great reminder that substance and style are equally important.

7. Nordstrom

This last example is a bit misleading as it’s based on a myth. Some people believe luxury retailer Nordstrom’s employee handbook has a single line: “Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.”

If that were true, you wouldn’t be reading this. You’d be handing out inspirational slogans to employees. But it’s not; far from it. In reality, Nordstrom maintains a 7,600-word “policy guide” packed with rules and regulations on standard employment issues.

Navigating employment laws and handbook validity

Before you start writing, we need to mention the legal side of employee handbooks again. Yawn, sorry! But this is HR, after all. It can’t all be about imaginative storytelling or captivating quotes.

However, it is important to note that while this is important, handbooks are not technically enforceable parts of an employment contract. Employment law experts advise using separate contracts to enforce codes of conduct or behavioral policies.

So, what is the legal role of an employee handbook?

Mostly, employee handbooks define the benefits employees expect and outline the conduct demanded by employers.

Some US states allow employees to make legal claims based on promises made in handbooks (including California). For example, employees in Minnesota have successfully claimed PTO benefits contained in handbooks that their employers subsequently refused to honor.

If you make a promise in your handbook, expect employees to call you on it. Companies gain nothing by making empty promises to their workers. Honesty and transparency are always the best policies.

At the same time, you do need to update handbooks in line with employment law. If your handbook falls out of step with workers’ compensation or anti-discrimination statutes, the result could be expensive lawsuits.

The role of disclaimers

Every employee handbook needs a disclaimer. Usually attached at the end of the document, the disclaimer explains that the handbook is not a binding contract.

Without this section, your employee handbook can become an enforceable contract. It probably contains specific policies, benefits, and perks. Unless you state otherwise, employees could argue these are contractual obligations.

Don’t rely on your disclaimer to void previous commitments. Your promises should be accurate and honest. The disclaimer simply gives you more flexibility to change the handbook as circumstances change.

Is building an employee handbook for small businesses any different?

Scale is another issue to think about before putting pen to paper. Employee handbooks that work for a gigantic corporation may not work for small businesses.

Small businesses often have informal procedures, relying on face-to-face interactions and trust. They have fewer resources to invest in HR management or producing in-depth employee literature.

Legal resources may also be an issue. Small companies lacking legal advice could write poorly worded handbook promises, leading to costly legal disputes.

Think hard about whether you need to create an employee handbook, but don’t discard the idea immediately.

Small companies with limited resources can and probably should produce high-quality handbooks. Handbooks orientate new hires and promote a sense of community in start-ups. They prove that you take your obligations seriously and are committed to systematizing essential HR processes.

We recommend using employee handbook templates to streamline the writing process. Templates cover every essential area, making it easier to get the basics right.

Introducing new hires to the handbook

Finally, we need to think about how employees relate to the handbook during the onboarding process. Can you encourage newcomers to read and absorb critical information, or will your handbook be a dead letter?

We find it’s a good idea to introduce new hires to the handbook directly after they accept job offers. At that moment, new hires are eager to learn about their company, and they often want to hit the ground running without needing to ask their mentors a hundred questions.

If you want, create digital tests to assess knowledge of company policies. Tests are great for ironing out simple issues like pay periods or sickness benefits. They also suit the remote employee onboarding process. Just be sure to combine them with orientation meetings to create a positive vibe as you discuss the contents of the handbook.

Use these interactions to reinforce your brand vision and describe perks like reimbursement for gym membership or travel. Above all, onboarding meetings introduce the handbook as a go-to resource, not just a list of rules.

Get this right, and your employee handbook will help new employees contribute and thrive. If not, the time spent crafting your employee manual could be wasted.

Building an effective employee handbook as a living document

We’ve reached the final chapter. By now, you should know the essential parts of an employee handbook and policies to include. Hopefully, our tips about structure and style have sparked your imagination.

No doubt you’re ready to go. But wait a moment to plan and gather your thoughts. Remember the core goals of your handbook are to:

• Set clear expectations for employees about benefits, career development, and how to behave.
• Foster an enjoyable and creative work environment by telling a compelling brand story.
• Take care of critical legal and compliance areas, just to be sure.

Keep those goals in mind when structuring the text and adding content. But that’s not all.

Remember that the employee handbook is a dynamic, living document. It reflects who you are as a company and what it means to work there. It evolves with your company, documenting the values that drive you and where you are going.

Welcome suggestions from new hires and veterans about improving or promoting the handbook, and schedule meetings to update the text as you embrace new regulations or cultural norms.

It might sound cute, but it helps to see the employee handbook as a colleague. You treat colleagues respectfully, develop their potential, and consult them constantly. From that point of view, your handbook is no different.

Good luck with your handbook writing project. You’ve got this. Follow our tips and engage your creativity. If you need more inspiration, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’d love you to join our community as we build businesses of the future.

If you’ve clicked on this article, it’s probably because of one of the following:

• Time Doctor’s user interface makes you cry
• You’re not a fan of its surveillance features
• You ran into Time Doctor’s customer support and didn’t have a great experience

Today, we have just what the doctor ordered (pun intended). Here’s a list of the very best alternatives to Time Doctor, comparing their features, pricing, and customer support.

Top 10 Time Doctor alternatives at-a-glance

Tool	G2 Rating	Best for	Lowest Paid Plan
Toggl Track	4.6	Teams that want a variety of choices for time tracking, from automatic to manual entries. With 100+ integrations, a great user interface, and mobile and web coverage, it’s the best all-around Time Doctor alternative.	From $9/user/month
Hubstaff	4.5	Remote and distributed teams that want to monitor productivity besides accurate time tracking. It has surveillance features similar to Time Doctor, and it’s priced about the same.	From $7/user/month
DeskTime	4.5	Teams that need similar features to Time Doctor but want a forever-free plan with some limitations in use.	From $7/user/month
TimeCamp	4.7	Teams of all sizes that need a user-friendly time tracking solution. From automated time tracking to enterprise-grade functionalities, it has a powerful mix of features for any team.	From $3.99/user/month
Clockify	4.5	Businesses new to time tracking requiring a free or inexpensive way to improve their team’s productivity.	From $4.99/user/month
Harvest	4.3	Freelancers and in-house teams needing a straightforward way to track time and generate reports.	From $12/user/month
QuickBooks Time	4.5	Accountants and finance professionals who already use Quickbooks to manage their finances and need an easy-to-use add-on.	From $30 per month
Timely	4.8	Anybody new to time tracking who needs to track and manage time with one click.	From $11/user/month
RescueTime	4.1	Teams that want to take control of their time at work but don’t want to fumble around with starting and stopping timers, adding manual entries, and similar.	From $12/user/month
Everhour	4.7	Teams that rely on robust integrations with project management apps for accurate time tracking and billing.	From $6/user/month

Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a flexible and powerful time tracking tool that allows your team members to choose how and when they want to track time. With features such as automatic time tracking, start/stop timer, and manual time entries, everyone can decide the best way to log their hours at work. And as Marie S. says, it’s excellent for reviewing previous work to estimate future projects better.

With 100+ integrations with popular business tools, a browser extension for easy time tracking, and a strict no-surveillance policy, Toggl Track is the default choice for teams of all sizes. From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, this time tracking solution adapts to your needs and not the other way around.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.7, G2 rating: 4.6

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
With Toggl Track’s profitability reports, you can track and analyze how profitable each project or client is. These reports also let you forecast future revenue based on billable hours and expenses. As one user notes, Toggl Track is great for juggling multiple clients and projects simultaneously.	Toggl Track is purposefully anti-surveillance. It doesn’t track screenshots, mouse movements, or keyboard clicks. That’s because we’ve designed our solution for self-driven teams that abhor micromanagement. If you really need these features (or think you do), Toggl Track isn’t the right tool for you.

Toggl Track is best for professional teams that want an easy-to-use time-tracking and profitability tool. As one user in marketing says, the free plan is more than enough for one person’s time tracking needs.

“I’ve been using the free version for about 3 years I think. It’s critical to my business. It doesn’t have so many features that it’s frustrating—it’s just nice and simple. The paid version has WAY more features and tools that would be useful for a business of more than 1 person, or for someone who’s a better business person than I am.”

Top features

• 100+ integrations ensure that Toggl Track works seamlessly within your current digital environment.
• The calendar view presents your tracked time in an easy-to-understand format. You can get quick overviews and assess how your days unfold.
• Summary, detailed, and weekly reports are easily accessible. These offer numerous insights into work patterns, productivity, and areas needing more focus or adjustment.
• The project dashboard lets you forecast timelines, allocate budgets, and monitor ongoing progress. Get visual info on your data to keep scope creep in check and everyone aligned on targets.
• Toggl Track provides helpful and responsive customer support so you can solve any issues quickly. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Toggl Plan, Asana, and Google Calendar. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Personal use
Starter	$9 per user/month	Teams with basic time tracking need
Premium	$20 per user/month	Teams needing online and offline functionality for tracking time and profitability
Enterprise	Custom pricing	Enterprise teams needing custom solutions (we can build it for you!)

How Toggl Track compares to Time Doctor

• Toggl Track has more flexible time tracking methods
• It has a cleaner user experience that facilitates user adoption
• It has a free plan, unlike Time Doctor’s 14-day free trial
• It’s more expensive than Time Doctor per user per month

Hubstaff

Hubstaff is a time tracking and workforce productivity tool built primarily for remote and distributed teams that want to monitor employee activity. Much like Time Doctor, it positions itself as a workforce management tool. Hubstaff targets businesses whose main preoccupation may not be time tracking but productivity monitoring instead.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.6, G2 rating: 4.5

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Hubstaff offers reliable customer support through chat and email. With the Enterprise plan, you also get an assigned account representative. As Rhea says, the customer service team answers all questions rapidly.	Hubstaff might cross the line into micromanagement. Features like random screenshots, GPS tracking, or intense activity tracking (monitoring keyboard and mouse usage) can feel invasive. Some users complain the automatic screenshots taken during work can be distracting. This is one of the main reasons businesses look into Hubstaff alternatives.

Hubstaff is best for remote teams or businesses with many freelancers who want to monitor work hours in detail. 

“The periodic screenshots can be distracting during work. The inability to see the pay rate directly within the system further complicates managing and tracking earnings.”

Top features

• Automated time tracking means you can simply start and stop the timer while working, or it runs by itself when you’re active. You get the actual hours worked; there’s no guesswork.
• Integrations connect Hubstaff with apps you already use, like Asana, Trello, or Slack. Everything links up, so your tasks, chats, and time logs are in one place.
• Reporting & analytics give you all the numbers. You see time reports, determine what speeds up or slows down work, and check project stages. 
• Track time off, holidays, and overtime for efficient scheduling and payroll. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Trello, Paymo, and Wrike. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Individual use
Starter	$7 per user/month	Teams needing a basic time tracking solution
Grow	$9 per user/month	Teams needing expense tracking functionalities and time-management features
Teams	$12 per user/month	Teams needing expense-tracking functionalities and time-management features
Enterprise	Contact Hubstaff for pricing	Enterprise companies

How Hubstaff compares to Time Doctor

• Seemingly cheaper plan (but you have to purchase a minimum of two seats)
• Fewer integrations: only about 30 at the time of writing
• Similar surveillance features

DeskTime

DeskTime is a timekeeping, productivity, and workforce management tool with extra HR features commonly not found in time tracking platforms. In addition to tracking time, you can evaluate employee performance and use its shift scheduling features.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.6, G2 rating: 4.5

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
The Private Time feature lets users turn off monitoring to take breaks or handle personal matters privately.	DeskTime only offers basic time reporting and limited customization options. This limits ways to analyze and fully understand time data. As a user named Jason states, DeskTime can have trouble recognizing which websites you visited:

DeskTime is best for teams who need a straightforward time-tracking app with employee monitoring and basic reporting features. It’s also a great option if you’re not concerned about the dated interface, which many users complain about.

“This app works best if you are locked at your desk and have limited the number of tasks you have paid for online. The app only serves to tell me when I was on certain websites and my Windows Explorer. It doesn’t break up the tasks by time on those websites. For example, I research, so having multiple “tasks” under the rubric of research can be difficult to track.”

Top features

• Automatic time tracking keeps an accurate record of work hours without manual entries. The moment your team members start working, DeskTime begins recording their activity. 
• Integrate calendar apps with DeskTime to keep track of time spent in meetings.
• Monitor and calculate the time your team spends on productive or unproductive activities. 
• DeskTime tracks URLs, apps, and webpages employees use, which can feel invasive and lower productivity. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Jira, Zapier, and Asana. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Lite	$0	Solo users
Pro	$7 per user/month	Teams needing basic time tracking features
Premium	$10 per user/month	Teams with more complex time tracking and project-scheduling needs
Enterprise	$20 per user/month	Enterprise teams

How DeskTime compares to Time Doctor

• DeskTime also uses screenshots, but you have the option of blurring them to provide some privacy for your employees
• Only eight integrations are available
• Unlike Time Doctor, it has a forever-free plan for freelancers and individuals

TimeCamp

TimeCamp is a time tracking platform built for businesses that want to implement time tracking into their workflows quickly. Its simplicity and ease of use, rich integration selection, and invoicing and budgeting features make it a great choice for teams of all sizes, from freelancers to enterprise companies.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.7, G2 rating: 4.7

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
TimeCamp makes time tracking simple. With an easy-to-use timer, you can quickly clock in hours and create accurate, hassle-free records. As one quantity surveyor says, TimeCamp makes it easy to go back in time and get an overview of previously tracked hours and days, improving accountability.	TimeCamp has employee surveillance features like screenshots, a website, and GPS tracking. These features encourage micromanagement and can feel intrusive to employees.

TimeCamp is best for teams who need a simple and affordable time-tracking and profitability tool. As Marcos G. says, the free plan provides exceptional functionalities out of the box.

“The ability to go back several days/weeks/months to any day is perfect, so I can see what I was doing on any particular day in the past. Visible gaps in the green timesheet timeline make it easy to see when I have been in or out of the office, making it easy to track meetings, visits, or downtime.

Top features

• The one-click timer means fast and accurate time logging with a single click.
• Task and project tracking shows correct time records so you can plan and allocate resources better. 
• Profitability insights give a clear financial picture and monitor project profitability. 
• Track time off and attendance to assign tasks and organize schedules realistically. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Github, Airtable, and Outlook Calendar. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Starter	From $2.99 per user/month	Individual users with minimal time tracking and invoicing needs
Premium	From $4.99 per user/month	Teams with more complex time tracking needs
Ultimate	From $7.99 per user/month	Large teams that need advanced time tracking features
Enterprise	From $11.99 per user/month	Multiple different teams working together in the same workspace

How TimeCamp compares to Time Doctor

• Similar surveillance features, with attendance monitoring, screenshots, website and app monitoring, and more
• Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browser extensions
• A more extensive selection of integrations (80+) with task management and other types of business tools
• Enterprise features that include on-premise deployment, custom integrations priority support, and SLA

Clockify

Clockify is the ideal time tracking platform for businesses completely new to time management. It has a (fairly limited) forever-free plan and a wide range of features to remind you to track your time and organize your entries better.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.8, G2 rating: 4.5

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
With Clockify’s time audit feature, you can find and fix uncategorized time entries or entries you accidentally created. As a user named Jeff says, it’s well-suited for remote companies, too.	Clockify has employee monitoring features like GPS tracking and random screenshots. These features can stress team members, demotivate them, and discourage them from using a timekeeping app.

Clockify is best for teams that want access to comprehensive time management features. However, as this software developer says, it’s also ideal for those who want an easy-to-use app.

“It is really quick and easy to use. Data entry is simple. Its layout is very well-designed, which makes navigation quick. It looks neat and uncluttered. It is extremely well-priced. The reports are professional and look great, and offer lots of ways of reporting summaries and detail. I can get summary information for the week/month/year in a few seconds.”

Top features

• Detailed reports provide a clear snapshot of work activities to see how your team spends work hours. 
• When you understand how your team uses work hours, you can schedule projects better and meet deadlines. 
• Clockify detects idle time and sends reminders when you forget to start your timer. 
• Clockify lets you enter multiple types of hourly rates to track billable time. Choose from workspace, member, project, or task rates. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include monday.com, Jira, and QuickBooks. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Basic	$4.99 per user/month	Solo users with basic time tracking needs
Standard	$6.99 per user/month	Small teams with more complex time-tracking needs
Pro	$9.99 per user/month	Teams needing very robust project and time tracking
Enterprise	$14.99 per user/month	Complex client projects that require advanced time-tracking features

How Clockify compares to Time Doctor

• More value for money: cheaper starting plans + a forever-free plan
• More integrations: 80+ at the time of writing
• Better user experience with features such as idle reminders and time audits, making it better suited for novice time tracker users
• Similar surveillance features

Harvest

Harvest is a software platform that makes time tracking as easy as pie. For newcomers to time tracking, Harvest lets you start and stop timers with one click and generate easy reports for your manager or CEO.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.6, G2 rating: 4.3

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Harvest’s one-click timer makes it a cinch to log work hours daily. As Anika H. says,	Harvest doesn’t let you track multiple projects simultaneously. If you work with different projects and clients, Harvest might not be the right tool. As one SEO consultant states, there are also some features the average user may not use.

Harvest is best for teams who need an uncomplicated time tracker to manage their time better. 

“I love the UI—it is easy to navigate, customize, and use. It gave our team great visibility, and the permissions were easy to understand. We used it every day at our agency to track time and effort on various projects. We would use that to check project health and how much budget remained.”

Top features

• The one-click timer makes starting and stopping the clock effortless. This feature means no distractions or complications, just simple time tracking.
• Generate instant reports and get your work and project insights. These time reports help you stay updated and make informed decisions.
• Integrations with other tools make Harvest convenient. Sync with your existing apps and streamline your workload.
• Create estimates and track project costs to see which projects are profitable and which are not. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Slack, Google Calendar, and Asana. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Solo users
Pro	$12 per user/month	Small teams

How Harvest compares to Time Doctor

• Easier to get started with
• Forever-free plan makes it more suitable for freelancers
• No possibility for tracking time across projects, which makes it a poor fit for agencies or anyone who manages several projects at once

Quickbooks Time

If you already use Quickbooks for payroll, Quickbooks Time is a natural addition to your tool stack. This tool lets you track project progress, manage payroll, and create time tracking and productivity reports in just a few clicks.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.7, G2 rating: 4.5

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
QuickBooks Time works very well with QuickBooks, offering a powerful time tracking system for accountants and finance teams. It’s easy to use for most users, as Luis Enrique A. says.	QuickBooks Time’s pricing plans are seemingly affordable. The basic plan is $10 per month but does not include features like project tracking, project estimates vs. actuals, geofencing, and others.

QuickBooks Time is best for small teams that need a simple tool to track and manage employee time and schedules. 

Note that the payroll software has a completely separate plan. If you want to add payroll as a feature, you’ll pay at least $42.50 monthly. Also, users report problems with the company’s customer support.

Top features

• The mobile timesheet app lets employees log their hours on the go right from their smartphones.
• Schedule employee work hours by shift, job, or task to clarify what they need to work on and when.
• Smart reports provide valuable insights into project costs and employee hours. These include detailed reports for payroll data, project timesheets, and wages.
• Create project estimates, send them to customers, and convert them into invoices. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Google Drive, Salesforce, and OneDrive. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Simple	$30/month	Solo users with basic time tracking needs
Essentials	$60/month (up to three users)	Small teams with more complex time-tracking and enhanced time reporting needs
Plus	$90/month (up to five users)	Users looking for inventory management and project profitability tracking
Advanced	$200/month (up to 25 users)	Complex client projects that require advanced time-tracking and invoicing features along with workflow automation

How QuickBooks Time compares to Time Doctor

• Relatively easy to use, good project budgeting and payroll features
• Combined with the price of the regular Quickbooks product, it may be too pricey for some users
• Best fit for accounting and finance teams

Timely

If easy automatic time tracking is one of the key features you need from a time management platform, Timely is a great fit. You can track time and generate reports on autopilot, which is ideal for teams that don’t want to overcomplicate how and when they track their time.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.7, G2 rating: 4.8

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Timely tracks time for you and generates automatic timesheets to reduce timesheet admin work and capture every minute worked. As one principal attorney says, Timely requires no initial setup to get started.	Timely doesn’t come with a free version. You must commit to at least a monthly paid plan (which starts at $9 per user annually or $11 per user when paid monthly). Some users complain it’s really difficult to get hold of customer support.

Timely is best for teams who want a hassle-free, automatic time-tracking tool to track their work hours. 

Top features

• Automatic time tracking does the work for you. Timely accurately tracks time without manual input.
• Individual capacity insights prevent burnout and improve allocations. See who’s working on what and when to balance workloads efficiently. 
• Native integrations make it easy for Timely to connect with other tools you already use.
• Timely can track your GPS location via iOS or Android. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Slack, Asana, and Microsoft Excel. 

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Starter	$11 per user/month	Basic automated time tracking
Premium	$20 per user/month	More complex time tracking and project profitability features
Unlimited	$28 per user/month	Teams with advanced time-tracking needs
Unlimited+	Contact Timely for pricing	Enterprise companies

How Timely compares to Time Doctor

• A more extensive variety of integrations
• Very simple automatic time tracking and reports
• Better suited for complete beginners, but not as easy to start with as Toggl Track

RescueTime

RescueTime is a fully automated time tracker that does all of the heavy lifting for you. Find out where you spend your time, down to the level of individual browser tabs. It’s great for tracking time offline and online and requires minimal input from your team members for time tracking efforts.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.6, G2 rating: 4.1

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
RescueTime blocks notifications, apps, and URLs so you can focus on the task at hand. It also runs quietly in the background and records the sites and apps you use, which means true hands-off time management.	RescueTime doesn’t provide detailed reporting insights. If you need granular data on user activity, this lack of detailed reporting can be a setback. As one customer support manager states, the analytics could definitely be better.

RescueTime is best for teams who want a lightweight, automated time tracker to track and improve their work habits. 

Top features

• The daily focus work goal sets a target for dedicated work time, helping you stay committed to productivity by giving you a tangible goal to strive for each day.
• End-of-day summaries quickly recap your team’s main tasks for better visibility.
• Block distractions by using Focus sessions that restrict access to websites and apps that tend to interrupt your flow. 
• Timely alerts: Get notifications when you hit your productivity goals or when you’ve spent too much time on distractions. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Slack, Google Calendar, and Office 365. Some users, such as Flavio A., note RescueTime could offer more integrations with other platforms.

“Integration with other systems would be invaluable as we’ve recently moved to a different solution that integrates with some of the other products we use internally.”

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
RescueTime Lite	$0	Solo users with basic time-tracking needs
RescueTime	$12/month	Teams with more complex time-tracking needs

How RescueTime compares to Time Doctor

• More focused on productivity analytics than traditional time tracking
• Offers detailed insights into time spent on apps and websites
• Best for individuals or teams prioritizing productivity improvement over detailed task tracking
• Not as feature-rich for monitoring billable hours or team activity compared to Time Doctor

Everhour

Everhour is a time tracking and management platform that gives businesses an easy overview of who does what at any given point in time. With real-time analytics, detailed reports, time off management, and employee records, it’s a solid choice for HR, as well as any other team in a large or small business. Users praise its great integrations with platforms such as Asana and Xero.

🌟 Capterra rating: 4.7, G2 rating: 4.7

✅ What we like	❓What’s missing
Everhour’s Timeline view lets you quickly track time spent on tasks by member or project. You can zoom in and out to see work on a weekly basis.	Everhour’s free plan has a limit of five users. Also, some users complain about the user interface and customization options, leading them to look at Everhour alternatives.

Everhour is best for teams that want an easy-to-use time-tracking tool to manage their work hours, budgets, and payroll. 

“I would say Everhour has a steep learning curve, and it can take some time to get used to the interface and features. Additionally, the customization options are limited, which can be frustrating for users who need more control over how their data is displayed.”

Top features

• Schedule projects efficiently with critical features like resource availability and absence tracking. 
• Integrations with popular project management tools mean no need to disrupt your existing workflow. 
• Detailed reports offer insights into work hours, project progress, and individual contributions. With Everhour, keeping tabs on performance and planning is easy.
• Time off: Track vacations, sick leave, or public holidays for efficient project and resource scheduling. 

Tool integrations

Integrations include Asana, Trello, and Basecamp.

Pricing

Plan	Cost	Best for
Free	$0	Solo users
Lite	$6 per user/month	Teams needing basic time-tracking features
Team	$10 per user/month	Teams that have team management and complex time-tracking and project-scheduling needs

How Everhour compares to Time Doctor

• Complex pricing…you have to purchase a minimum of five seats, making this tool rather expensive
• Browser extension for easy time tracking
• 40+ native integrations

How we chose this list of Time Doctor alternatives

We devised this list of top competitors for Time Doctor based on careful research. Here are some of the criteria we considered:

• Basic time tracking accuracy: How well the time tracking functionality works across devices and different platforms.
• Ease of use: How user-friendly the software is and how much time it would potentially take for your team members to get accustomed to it.
• Integrations: With project management, invoicing, communication, and other types of tools.
• Pricing: How much it costs to get started, whether there is a free trial, and how much value you can get from it.
• User reviews: From platforms such as G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot, as well as online communities such as Reddit.
• Cross-platform compatibility: The availability of a mobile app (iOS, Android), web app, Google Chrome extension and similar

Also, we took each time tracking software for a spin ourselves to find out if it meets our needs and requirements.

Why do users switch from Time Doctor?

Time Doctor isn’t just a time tracking tool. It positions itself as a “workforce analytics platform,” which means the time tracking features are not the center of its focus.

Instead, Time Doctor promises to give you a clear picture of your team’s performance and identify profit blockers. In other words, Time Doctor uses time tracking and employee monitoring to find out who is working and bringing in profit and who is watching YouTube videos during work hours.

The focus is not on accurate time tracking. Instead, it’s on improving employee productivity. With that out of the way, there are a few reasons why businesses look for an alternative to Time Doctor.

🥷 Trust issues

Most employees don’t favor an app that takes screenshots of their devices and monitors every second of their work, online or offline. This type of activity tracking can cause distrust in your team and make them feel you want to micromanage every second they spend at work. These features make it difficult for your team to adopt Time Doctor as a tool they use daily.

🪲 Frequent bugs

Features such as automatic time tracking are the bread and butter of Time Doctor, and ironically, many users complain about them. The app crashes, loses time records, or simply doesn’t load in some cases.

As one consultant says: “There are times when Time Doctor has different bugs and at times slow. Also presents some lag after updating the app on either the desktop or mobile. Though it has great reporting, it does not include the screenshots when a report is sent via email.”

💥 User experience

There are multiple accounts of users complaining about Time Doctor’s UX. As Donna T. says, this time tracker can be very difficult to navigate for novice users, especially those who have not used such a platform before.

🔌 Issues with integrations

Time Doctor integrates with over 60 different platforms, and unfortunately, not all of the integrations function equally well. As users such as John report, the Zendesk integration in particular, can be very glitchy.

“Integrations can be limited in terms of functionality, i.e., when someone would want to deep-dive on Zendesk tickets, then it is not possible. Capturing precise data is dependent on tool installations.”

🤔 The new version of the software is not the greatest

In 2022, Time Doctor rolled out a new version of their tool, Time Doctor 2. While this version promised a range of upgrades, such as better reporting, improved work-life balance insights, and many others, the reality proved that TD2 was a downgrade in some regards.

Some customers refused to switch to TD2 because of the buggy payroll feature and other missing core features compared to the original Time Doctor product.

As Eden B. says, “Time Doctor’s team has been steadily pushing us to move to TD2—after spending hours transitioning a sizable team, we have found more and more issues with the platform with regards to core missing features that are available in the original version. This has cost our company considerably, and the Time Doctor support simply advise us that they will put it on a feature request list for businesses to vote on.”

What to look for in a Time Doctor alternative

The best Time Doctor alternative depends on your needs. But here are some general criteria to consider:

• Comprehensive time tracking features: Look for time tracking software that offers a robust set of features beyond basic time tracking, such as project management integrations, real-time tracking, and highly detailed, customizable reports. 
• Seamless native integrations: Your new productivity tool should integrate effortlessly with other apps your team already uses. 
• Accurate activity assessments: Your alternative should have user activity monitoring features acceptable to your team. Remember to consider work styles and environments for a more holistic view of employee productivity.
• Ease-to-use interface: Your team should be able to use the alternative without hassle. The easier the software is to use, the quicker your team can integrate it into their daily routine.
• Responsive customer service: When setting up your new tool, you might need help from the customer support team. Make sure they have reliable customer service. 
• Fewer surveillance features: “While some teams may find the detailed insights an exciting part of Time Doctor, most people who actually use it find it intrusive. Look for a Time Doctor alternative without screenshots, keyboard tracking, and similar features.

Track time with Toggl Track

Time Doctor has a varied set of features, but there are quite a few downsides to this tool. The constant glitches, integration issues, and, most importantly, surveillance features are good enough reasons to look elsewhere.

Instead, consider Toggl Track, the best free time tracking platform for teams of all sizes. From automatic time tracking to manual entries across multiple devices, Toggl Track is easy to use and fits your workflow like a glove.

Create a free Toggl Track account today!

Success in the workplace has very little to do with college grades or fancy recommendations from big-name employers.

What hiring managers actually need to know is whether their candidates have the necessary skills to succeed in their roles — and this usually comes down to a mix of hard and soft skills.

The question is, how do you test for soft skills that are hard to quantify, don’t appear on resumes, and don’t necessarily shine through in interviews? We recommend integrating soft skills assessment tools into your recruiting process.

If you aren’t sure how that works, we’ll explain it all with a rundown of the best soft skills testing tools for 2025.

TL;DR—Key Takeaways

• Soft skills assessments test personality traits and non-technical skills. They complement hard skills tests, delivering a rounded portrait of every candidate.
• Soft skills are key in modern workplaces that rely on problem-solving, creativity, and managing remote teams. Companies need employees with technical knowledge and personalities that suit their company culture.
• Critical soft skills to test include communication skills, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, time management, and critical thinking. When building role-specific assessments, choose skills that match your job descriptions.
• Tips for using soft skills tests include adding assessments at the start of the hiring process. Use interviews and workplace scenarios to explore specific skills. And encourage candidates to self-assess their personalities.
• Challenges linked to soft skills tests include avoiding bias and choosing the right skills for each role. Companies need ways to assess testing data and derive valuable insights. HR teams must also consider whether candidates can develop skills when in post.

What is a soft skills assessment?

A soft skills assessment evaluates non-technical skills important for professional success. These include teamwork, time management, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking. The exact mix of soft skills you’re looking for will depend on role requirements and your company culture.

Resumes, interviews, and application forms provide few insights into who people are and how they will perform in the workplace. Online assessment fills this gap, allowing HR teams to discover hires with the right mix of technical and non-technical skills.

It’s important to note that soft skills testing is not completely objective. Assessments generate qualitative evidence for recruiters to use, while technical assessments produce quantitative data about specific skills. That’s why combining both techniques is so powerful.

Why are soft skills so important at work these days?

Words like “soft” and “hard” suggest a hierarchy of skills, but names can be misleading. Soft skills are more in demand than ever, and their importance only trends upwards. Here are some great reasons why:

• Remote or hybrid workplaces are now commonplace. As a result, they need project management experts and team members who can organize their time, communicate smoothly, and work independently.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is another factor. As algorithms and large language models assume center stage, employers are prioritizing healthy workplace cultures marked by creative thinking and empathy.
• Innovative and agile companies have a competitive advantage. Employees who can solve problems quickly and creatively are huge assets. They drive business innovation and ensure a steady stream of candidates for leadership roles.
• Soft skills help employees handle workplace conflicts. Companies focused on soft skills will see fewer disputes about discrimination and realize the benefits of a more diverse workforce.
• Services and care work are growing while manufacturing declines. More jobs than ever demand interpersonal skills to care for clients and maintain corporate reputations.
• Businesses increasingly appreciate the importance of a positive company culture. Soft skills like problem-solving, adaptability, and negotiation all enhance collaboration. They knit workforces together, making companies more resilient.
• A thriving company culture tends to improve job satisfaction. Companies with better stocks of soft skills tend to enjoy better employee retention and productivity.

When you take all of that into account, it’s clear that soft skills matter a lot. They aren’t nice-to-have by-products of recruiting processes. Not anymore.

Are soft skills assessment tools reliable?

Before you start assessing candidates or comparing the soft skills assessment tools below, it helps to consider a couple of frequently asked questions.

For instance, Toggl Hire users often ask us whether assessment tools reliably rate soft skills or do a better job than interviews or gut instinct. Our answer to that is simple: soft skills assessment tools are generally reliable if you use them wisely.

With hard skills, it’s easy to judge competency. Soft skills are different. The results from a soft skills test leave room for interpretation. There’s no escaping that fact, but if you understand the limitations of testing, you can glean invaluable insights.

Here are some of the key challenges businesses face when assessing soft skills.

Showcasing competency

Soft skills aren’t as clear-cut as hard skills, so you need to create situations where candidates can showcase their abilities. That’s tricky during the traditional interview process. During resume screening, candidates can’t exhibit skills such as verbal communication and leadership. As a result, many hiring managers start assessing soft skills after initially screening candidates.

Overcoming unconscious bias

Whether we like it or not, we all hold unconscious bias. Soft skills are subjective, so what one person thinks is great, another may think isn’t. It’s hard to overcome this in settings such as interviews, so we need additional measures to improve fairness and objectivity.

Black-and-white thinking

Some people believe you either do or don’t possess soft skills. For example, rather than assess a candidate’s communication skills, recruiters jump to the conclusion they’re either good or bad. Many hiring managers don’t know how to assess soft skills or identify how to further nurture them. Because of this, they may eliminate viable candidates too soon. That’s why soft skills assessment tools can be so useful!

The best soft skills assessment tools in 2025

Now we know why integrating soft skills assessments into your talent acquisition strategy is so important, it’s time to choose from a list of skills assessment tools.

The list below includes our picks for 2025’s best testing software, and it’s far from random. We assessed the most popular products according to critical factors. Criteria included:

• Price: Whether there’s a functional free trial, affordable basic rates, or the possibility of costs spiraling as your deployment scales.
• Breadth: The range of soft skills each platform tests. For example, are there psychometric tests to delve deep into candidate personalities?
• Ease of use: Testing should be easy to pick up and use. We avoided tools with steep learning curves to focus on options suitable for novices.
• Extras: How do the soft skills assessment functions combine with hard skills testing or other recruitment features? Ideally, tests slot neatly into the talent pipeline as one stage among many.
• Effectiveness: Are the tests actually any good? Diversity and low price are no good if skills tests are superficial or poorly designed.

If you’re just looking for a side-by-side comparison, here’s a chart to help you map your options.

Tool	Best For
Toggl Hire	Delivering a great candidate experience while testing a wide range of soft and hard skills
iMocha	Eliminating cheating and ensuring honest test results
Bryq	Making data-driven hiring decisions to ensure a good cultural fit
Skillrobo	Quickly creating customized soft skills tests
Pymetrics	Gamifying your testing process
HighMatch	Finding the perfect psychological fit
Hire Success	Profiling candidates to suit your workforce
Mettl	Identifying leadership potential
Clevry	Enriching resumes with deeper candidate insights
JobArch	Screening resumes for soft skills potential

Toggl Hire

📌 Toggl Hire is best for delivering a great candidate experience while testing a wide range of soft and hard skills.

Toggl Hire is a full-cycle applicant tracking system that puts skills assessments first. Users benefit from a vast library of tests created by experts, not AI or your friend’s cousin’s wife who used to work in the field 15 years ago. You can test for critical thinking, communication skills, verbal reasoning, and attention to detail, among others.

Key assessment features:

• Fun tests on soft and hard skills are delivered straight to every candidate
• Customizable tests with templates for any situation
• Provides access to a huge library of over 19,000 questions
• Homework assignments to test in-depth before interviews
• Automated and personalized feedback to test takers ensures a good candidate experience

Pricing

• Free: $0/month. Includes one skills test and candidate data for 30 days.
• Starter: $199/mo. Unlimited skills tests and unlimited candidates.
• Premium: $349/mo. Unlimited skills tests, unlimited candidates, and unlimited job openings.

iMocha

📌 iMocha is best for eliminating cheating and ensuring honest test results.

Available in over 80 languages, iMocha offers soft skills tests for global workforces. AI-powered anti-cheating tools deliver clean results, while users can dive into a substantial library of soft and hard skill-focused tests.

Key assessment features:

• Testing library includes over 3,000 skills
• AI-based anti-cheating tools detect deception instantly
• AI-EnglishPro meets CEFR standards for English language proficiency
• Live Coding interviews make it easier to verify coding abilities

Pricing

• Basic: $400/month. Covers 600 candidate assessments per year. Includes all soft skills and coding assessments.
• Enterprise: Rates are available on request. There is no candidate limit, and users benefit from an advanced skills library.

Bryq

📌 Bryq is best for making data-driven hiring decisions to ensure a good cultural fit.

Bryq is a talent intelligence platform focused on obtaining objective candidate data. The platform’s testing library includes cognitive and soft skills needed to find the ideal cultural fit for every position.

Key assessment features:

• Fit scores on the 1-10 STEN scale allow comparisons between candidates
• Tests for cognitive and personality traits, along with role-related competencies
• Scenario-based testing in simulated office and retail environments
• Candidate feedback delivers insights about soft skills

Pricing

• Standard: $299/month. Includes full talent acquisition features.
• Advanced: Prices available on request. Adds talent management features.
• Enterprise: Prices available on request. Includes support for enterprise-level clients.

Skillrobo

📌 Skillrobo is best for quickly creating customized soft skills tests.

Skillrobo is a talent management platform that foregrounds simplicity and flexibility. Users can pick from 100s of pre-made tests or use a customization tool to create their own. The online environment makes taking tests enjoyable, while automated shortlisting saves time for recruiting teams.

Key assessment features:

• Testing library with sections for specialist roles
• Skills library includes 60-70 questions for different business sectors
• AI shortlisting automatically delivers candidate shortlists
• Customization tool lets you build tests for each position

Pricing

• Professional: $149/month. Features unlimited assessments, AI assistance, and candidate evaluation.

Pymetrics

📌 Pymetrics is best for gamifying your testing process.

Pymetrics is a game-based talent acquisition system that tests personality traits to understand candidate performance. This is not a full-scale ATS or anything like that. Instead, Pymetrics uses expertly designed games to assess decision-making, ethics, generosity, and other vital soft skills.

Key assessment features:

• 12 games testing different soft skills
• Dynamic performance monitoring to prevent cheating
• Designed by Harvard and MIT academics based on psychometric research

Pricing

Pymetrics is not a budget option. Costs start at $10,000 for access to all 12 games.

HighMatch

📌 HighMatch is best for finding the perfect psychological fit.

HighMatch is an assessment platform centered on finding long-term hires with the right mindset to succeed. Users can create personalized assessments informed by professional psychologists. Tests screen personality, cognitive traits, and hard skills. Results also feed into career development plans to build skills in the workplace.

Key assessment features:

• Tests for cognitive ability, personality traits, and technical skills
• Situational judgment tests assess workplace performance
• The mobile-first design suits modern applicants
• Intuitive dashboard with informative reporting functions
• ATS integrations ease life for HR teams

Pricing

HighMatch does not advertise prices online.

Hire Success

📌 Hire Success is best for profiling candidates to suit your workforce.

Hire Success is a skills assessment platform built around profiling and personality matching. Users can test candidates based on the personality traits of existing employees and test for soft skills like integrity and problem-solving. Tests also integrate with job postings, making it easy to pre-screen applicants at the top of the hiring funnel.

Key assessment features:

• Candidate profiling based on personality types in your current workforce
• Tests for emotional intelligence, adaptability, and more
• Custom test builder to fit assessments to roles

Pricing

• Free trial: Hire Success allows customers to try the talent suite free of charge for 14 days.
• Paid packages: Hire Success does not publish prices for paid packages. Customers can choose annual or pay-as-you-go solutions and can also cancel at any time.

Mettl

📌 Mettl is best for identifying leadership potential.

Mettl specializes in online competency tests to use during the hiring process. Mettl’s “scientifically developed” tests assess many soft skills, including logical reasoning, cognitive speed, and critical thinking. The test library also includes leadership assessments that consider decision-making, communication, and other properties of the perfect manager.

Here’s how it works. As you can see, it’s very focused on skills testing and doesn’t offer modern candidate pipelines or other full-cycle hiring features you need to effectively (and easily) integrate skills assessments into your hiring process.

Key assessment features:

• Behavioral, psychometric, technical, and aptitude tests for potential leaders
• Campus recruitment tools to test large cohorts of academic high-fliers
• Hackathons to identify coding talent
• One-click proctoring to detect cheating

Pricing

Mettl offers personalized plans for every client. The brand does not advertise set rates.

Clevry

📌 Clevry is best for enriching resumes with deeper candidate insights.

Clevry is an assessment platform that goes beyond traditional resumes to help you make better hiring decisions. Users can customize each recruitment task with personality questionnaires, situational scenarios, and aptitude tests. 46 different testable attributes create a detailed portrait of each applicant.

Key assessment features:

• Test candidates for 46 personality traits to know them better
• Machine learning algorithm matches test scores to your role requirements
• Combine 360-degree feedback with testing for deep insights
• Branded testing sites let clients own the assessment process
• Integrate testing with popular ATS platforms

Pricing

Clevry does not advertise monthly or annual rates. A 30-day trial is available.

JobArch

📌 JobArch is best for screening resumes for soft skills potential.

Created by Arca24, JobArch is an ATS with extensive soft skills testing capabilities. AI analysis parses resumes and detects role-related skills. Career pages personalize testing, allowing brands to shine in the jobs market. You can also set up screening tests for technical and soft skills, generating shortlists of the brightest candidates.

Key assessment features:

• Career pages to host tests and enhance the candidate experience
• Caters for six languages, giving employers global reach
• AI analysis mines resumes for skills
• Personality tests screen applicants and focus on potential stars
• The Zapier integration makes getting started easy

Pricing

• Growth: $33/month. Limited to three active jobs and 50 resumes per month.
• PRO Corporate: $91/month. Covers 10 active jobs and 100 resumes and adds extra talent management features.
• PRO Staffing: $158/month. 30 active roles, 100 resume unlocks, and add-ons like CRM to smooth the candidate experience.

7 soft skills you should test candidates for

As you start to compare and test different skills assessment tools, think about why you’re testing them in the first place — an exercise that will help you understand what kind of tool you need and help you assess the quality and types of tests they offer.

Remember, soft skills assessments focus on the skills needed to perform well at work. They’re the skills we need to fit into company cultures and thrive as team members. But which of these power skills should you be testing for? Here are seven in-demand skills to look for.

Communication skills

In an increasingly connected world, effective communication is more important than ever. Think about remote teams. Managers rarely see their team members but must issue instructions, support struggling colleagues, and chart progress using a bunch of tools.

Strong communication skills ensure smooth information flows between team members. Everyone knows their role and how to help each other achieve collective goals. Teams waste less time on long discussions, duplicated work, or disputes about miscommunication.

Leadership skills

Managing other people and leading by example is essential, especially for those in senior positions. Make sure your candidates can do both by evaluating leadership skills.

Skilled leaders create a positive working environment. They defuse tensions, keep employees focused on critical tasks, and act as a bridge between company management and the front line. When the time comes, their decision-making skills save time and maintain momentum, allowing everyone else to thrive.

Outstanding leaders inspire others with their self-awareness, confidence, and skills. We’ve all worked in environments without elite people management. It’s confusing, demotivating, and, ultimately, bad for productivity.

Problem-solving skills

Being a superstar employee is all about handling the problems thrown at you to find the best solution. Ensure your candidates are expert problem solvers who can think outside the box.

The rise of remote work makes problem-solving abilities super important. Managers trust team members to think spontaneously and apply creative approaches to daily tasks. Micro-managing staff isn’t an option when they are a continent away.

In the end, companies with better problem-solvers are more innovative and efficient. Solving workplace challenges is easier when everyone takes a creative approach, which feeds into a happier and more confident workforce.

Critical thinking

Critical thinking complements problem-solving by questioning standard approaches and encouraging innovation. Critical thinkers use elite cognitive ability to break down problems and find the right way to tackle them. They don’t rely on formulaic solutions or conventional wisdom.

Make sure candidates can understand and analyze problems critically. Challenge them with unseen tasks and discover original thinkers who can handle unexpected challenges.

Time management

Everyone’s always busy. However, the best employees can manage their time by prioritizing the tasks that matter to deliver what their business needs.

Time management skills are vital in an age of hybrid work. Managers can’t hand out schedules or visit team members’ desks. Employees must organize their days and set aside time for critical tasks.

Teamwork

No individual can do everything independently, so they must work well within a team. Whether as a team member, a leader, or a manager, make sure your candidates work well with others and aren’t afraid to get stuck in!

Teamwork is hard to assess before you hire. Everyone has met colleagues who look great on paper but aren’t keen on collaboration. Avoid situations like that by assessing interpersonal skills and workshopping real-life teamwork.

Active listening

Active listening is a natural counterpart to communication skills in an employee’s skill set. In fact, it’s like a mirror image of writing or speaking clearly.

Active listeners don’t just pay attention to what colleagues say. They listen for how they say it and why. That way, team members can pick up on emotional or non-verbal signals. They can ask insightful questions and learn more about supporting colleagues during stressful periods.

Different methods for assessing soft skills

Assessing a candidate’s soft skills is much harder than most people realize, even with the right tool. After all, how do you assess the soft skills of people you’ve never met?

Objective measurement is difficult, but we can still observe and assess soft skills with the right recruitment assessment tools. Interviews, job simulations or role-playing exercises, and soft skills tests all play a role. Other methods, such as self-assessments and 360 feedback, can be valuable tools for validating a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.

This might seem slightly vague, so let’s visualize how soft skills assessment tools fit into the hiring pipeline to find the best candidates. Here’s what the process looks like at Toggl Hire. 👇

Sounds great, right? Sure, but it all hinges on using a reliable soft skills assessment platform. That way, you don’t need to scribe every question or agonize over what to include.

The third-party soft skills assessment tools we’ll review below offer pre-built soft skills tests for hiring. Provided you choose wisely, you can build tests in no time.

A quick word of caution, though. Relying on assessments alone won’t lead to a great hire. Before you pick a solution, here are some tips for gaining deeper insight into a candidate’s soft skills.

1. Use soft skills assessment tests near the start of the hiring process

Skills tests are an excellent way to start the hiring process as they assign a qualitative or quantitative value to how well someone performs on the job. Hiring managers use soft skills tests to quickly test and compare candidates — like an initial filter to narrow your options.

You can test necessary soft skills in isolation or combine them with hard skills assessments (something we recommend you do). That way, you can find out whether someone is good at product management, for example, and if they are a good communicator.

For the candidate, skills tests are fun and engaging and can be completed at a convenient time. For recruiters, they give you real insight into how an individual operates. You can also test multiple candidates at once to save time. 

2. Add a personality test to the mix

Personality traits are character features that people inherit through genetics or develop through their life experiences. People can hone their soft skills, but personality traits are more or less a permanent part of someone’s character.

Traits like honesty and integrity are essential for roles with a lot of responsibility, like many medical and legal professionals, but less critical for others. For example, when hiring managers on a fast-track path, it could be essential to identify traits common to career success, such as motivation and loyalty.

Various personality tests evaluate someone’s personality traits, including:

• 16Personalities
• Big Five personality test
• SAPA personality test

3. Dig deep into interpersonal skills in an interview

A hiring manager can learn a lot through conversation and reading body language. For example, they can quickly assess how well the candidate communicates. For other soft skills, behavioral interview questions will give critical insights into how they respond in certain situations.

Behavioral questions give you a better idea of how candidates think. For example:

• Tell me about a conflict you had in one of your previous positions. How did you communicate your ideas? (communication skills, conflict resolution)
• Tell me about a time when you took the lead in your team. What was the issue, and how did your team react? (leadership skills, problem-solving)
• Tell me about a situation where you found someone breaking the rules at work. How did you handle it? (work ethics)

4. Ask hypothetical questions

Another popular way to test soft skills is by asking interview questions that put job candidates in a hypothetical situation. Here are some examples of situational questions:

• Your manager gives you a massive project with a very tight deadline. How do you manage this workload, and still meet the deadline?
• You’re a manager, and there is a conflict between two employees. The team members ask you to resolve the situation. How do you approach it?
• You’re working on a project for an important client, but your co-worker is extremely difficult to work with. How do you meet your goals and handle your problematic colleague?

This form of soft skills measurement asks about situations the candidate may have already experienced. Situational questions try to understand how they would react to different problems and challenges candidates might face in their new role.

5. Conduct real-life exercises (role-play)

Taking hypothetical questions one step further, you might assess a candidate’s soft skills by simulating real-life job scenarios. There are two main ways to do this: through role-playing or trial projects, where candidates work with others to achieve an objective. 

Through job simulation, you can assess soft skills to learn:

• How they manage their time
• How they communicate
• How they solve problems and use critical thinking
• How they take initiative and lead
• How good their attention to detail is
• How they negotiate and handle conflicts (if they arise)

6. Encourage self-assessment

A different approach is allowing candidates to independently assess their soft skills. That way, you can compare how they see themselves with the information you observe.

Specialized self-assessment tools like 360-degree feedback are not ideal for pre-employment assessments. However, they are excellent tools for assessing soft skills in existing employees and managing skills development.

In the 360-degree feedback methodology, hiring managers collect feedback from employees and those who interact with them most often to paint a realistic picture of their soft skills. You may be able to work this into recruitment with questionnaires or phone calls, but simpler methods are probably better.

Best practices for using soft skills assessments to make hiring decisions

The second common question follows naturally. How can we use soft skills assessments to work around these challenges?

Toggl Hire has been testing skills for a long time. Our experts have a pretty good idea about when and how to use soft skills tests to find standout candidates. Here are some tips to extract the most value from your assessments.

Align assessments with job roles

Assessments should always test soft skills related to the role in question. Some roles don’t need elite conflict resolution or logical reasoning skills, but some do.

Identify critical soft skills when creating job descriptions and use them to customize the assessment process. Ask stakeholders in the department where the new hire will work. They may have great insights about must-have personality traits.

Combine skills tests with other evaluation methods

Next up, you should always integrate soft skills assessments with other selection filters. For example, you can use personality tests to shortlist interview candidates. Interviews can go deep on situational questions and verify the results of the soft skills test.

We also recommend balancing soft and hard skills tests. Aim for candidate profiles that blend technical evaluations and personality insights.

Ensure fairness and objectivity

Thirdly, as we mentioned earlier, it’s vital to reduce bias in the hiring process. This matters when testing soft skills, as interpreting test results always involves a degree of subjectivity. Bias can creep in if we aren’t careful.

Solutions include using standardized tests for all candidates and objectively assessing results on a single interface, one of the great benefits of testing platforms.

When it comes to hiring panels, diversity is king. Try to staff panels with many different perspectives to avoid groupthink or lapses into bias.

Provide feedback to candidates

We also recommend providing candidates with genuinely useful feedback after taking soft skills tests. Expertly designed tests deliver interesting data about candidate strengths and weaknesses, and most applicants value follow-up messages detailing these findings.

Feedback is essential as it makes the candidate experience more engaging and valuable. Candidates who feel positive about your brand tend to tell others and stay active in your talent pool.

Regularly update assessment tools

Finally, take a dynamic approach to how you test soft skills. Research what recruitment experts consider the most important skills and monitor skills gaps inside your organization. If possible, your testing should lead the pack and anticipate future needs.

Of course, tests should be up-to-date and expertly crafted. At Toggl Hire, we regularly update every test to ensure relevancy. If candidates detect misleading or inaccurate questions, we amend tests to maintain their accuracy.

Create a soft skills assessment test for free

Toggl Hire is one of the leading talent assessment platforms on the market. Our tools are especially well-suited to testing soft skills for several reasons:

• Quality: Psychological and management experts with decades of experience craft our tests. We update tests regularly and audit assessments to ensure consistently high quality.
• Flexibility: Users can explore our huge library of curated tests or use templates to customize assessments. Alternatively, mix and match to create the perfect blend for every role.
• Ease of use: The simple interface makes managing assessments simple. Even better, Toggl Hire is a full-scale ATS, so you can slot soft skills assessments into the overall hiring process. Our candidate evaluation tool also makes comparisons easy, considering every critical skill.
• Affordability: Users can explore basic functions with a free trial and upgrade to affordable packages depending on their needs. Businesses also save money by combining ATS and testing functions instead of purchasing separate solutions.

Discover a new way to find the brightest talent. Start testing soft skills by signing up for a free Toggl Hire account today.

Simplifying and speeding up the time to hire is something every hiring team loves but often struggles to achieve.

Talent teams can work smarter by using a structured interview process. And we believe in using a candidate interview evaluation form to do this. A well-made interview assessment form gets teams on the same page about prospective candidates while also reducing unconscious bias.

To help your team make the right choices quickly, we’ll share best practices for designing interview evaluation forms that hook top-quality, professional candidates.

TL;DR—Key Takeaways

• A candidate evaluation form, or simply an “interview evaluation,” is a standard form interviewers use to evaluate a candidate against a particular set of criteria.
• Interview rubrics are included in the evaluation form to assess a candidate fairly, based on a set scoring system.
• Along with reducing personal bias, the benefits of using an interview evaluation form include speeding up interviews and enabling teams to make more data-driven decisions about potential new hires.
• If you’re creating a candidate evaluation form from scratch, we’ve got seven tips to design an interview evaluation form that everyone on the team can use. For example, agreeing on success criteria, following a structured interview approach, and leaving enough space for comments or notes on any interview red flags you spot.

What is a candidate interview evaluation form?

A candidate interview evaluation form is a document that lists fixed criteria for assessing an applicant. These forms help hiring team members document their thoughts on each candidate’s interview performance.

Since everyone on the team asks the same set of questions and uses the same method to score applicants, the process is standardized and fair. And if you’re looking for a clear business case, interview evaluations will ultimately speed up the overall recruitment cycle, from comparing candidates to decision-making.

While you can design an interview assessment sheet however you want, here’s an example of a simple yet effective form for evaluating candidates. 👇

Free interview evaluation form template

Discover the perfect tool to streamline your hiring process with our free interview evaluation form template. Download it here to enhance your candidate assessment efforts, but keep reading to uncover expert tips on maximizing its utility.

What is an interview rubric?

An interview rubric, also called a hiring or candidate scorecard, is a scoring tool enabling interviewers to rate each candidate’s education level and communication skills in specific categories.

It’s a vital component of an interview evaluation form and provides a quantitative way for the hiring team to decide who to advance to the next step in the hiring process. The interview rubric can reduce bias as the team objectively measures, scores, and analyzes each candidate using the same rating system.

Key features of a good candidate evaluation form

Ideally, you’ll want to personalize the candidate evaluation form to your company and the role you’re hiring for. But don’t forget about these essential elements:

• Personal information: Candidate name, work experience, educational background, certifications, and other key details.
• Role alignment: How their prior work experience, education, and overall profile make them suited for the specific job.
• Soft skills: Interpersonal skills, leadership skills, non-verbal and verbal communication, teamwork, and other soft skills.
• Technical skills: The core competencies for the job, e.g., basic customer service skills for a customer service lead role.
• Culture fit: How well the candidate’s values align with the company’s mission, vision, and long-term goals.
• Interviewer’s impressions and recommendations: Candidate enthusiasm displayed in the interview, specific remarks they made, questions they asked, etc.
• Comparison and ranking: How well they stack up against other candidates, and your key criteria for the role.
• Next steps: What you intend to do with the candidate based on their interview performance, e.g. invite them for another interview, reject them, send them a detailed test task, and similar.

Benefits of using an interview assessment form

Not all companies use an evaluation form during the interview process. But those who go with the flow will quickly realize how complex and lengthy their interviews and decision-making becomes. Considering it takes an average of 42 to 44 days to fill a role, anything that delays the process will cost the company more time and money.

And without structure, recruiters frequently fall back on unconscious biases to sway them, selecting new hires who aren’t a good fit in the long run.

Ultimately, both the business and candidate benefit from this shift to more quantitative data, as it reduces the risk of bias and speeds up the hiring process, among other benefits (like these below).

1. Standardization

To make fair hiring decisions, you need to focus on providing a level playing field for all candidates. By using standardized interview evaluation forms, you’ll assess everyone based on the same criteria, so feedback is consistent no matter who is conducting the interview.

As a result, hiring teams can collate candidate data faster and remove any roadblocks that slow down the recruitment cycle.

2. Reduce bias

Reducing personal bias in the interview process, like scoring someone with a higher score solely because they went to the same university as you, ensures all candidates are treated equally.

For example, the latest research shows that 36% of Gen Z workers have experienced discrimination during hiring. The biases are varied, including age, ethnicity, gender, weight, hair color, and others.

A structured interview ensures every candidate receives the same set of questions, regardless of age, ethnicity, religious beliefs, weight, or any other factor.

The structured approach and exclusion of personal information ensures everyone follows the same procedures and reviews candidates objectively.

3. Talent records for easy reference

Hiring teams can quickly and easily review the core information about an applicant by revisiting their evaluation form.

This is particularly useful if there are hundreds of applicants for a particular role or if the candidate is considered for a future role. Moreover, clear, quantitative records support the teams’ ability to make data-driven decisions.

4. Improve candidate feedback

Candidates always want to know how they’ve performed in an interview, and they don’t want to wait weeks or months to hear whether they were successful or not.

Having all relevant info available immediately on the evaluation form makes it quicker and easier to provide feedback to candidates and deliver a good candidate experience.

Interviews play a crucial part, as candidates can decide whether or not they accept a role based on how the interview went. Cronofy’s research shows 72% of candidates decided to take a job or not based on how smoothly the interview went.

5. Ensure compliance

Having records of each candidate interview can simplify any compliance or audit processes. Evaluation forms should provide the evidence needed for any HR compliance-related issues, such as litigation concerning the fairness of an appointment.

For example, if you run into the worst-case scenario of being sued because of discrimination, evaluation forms could save the day. You’ll have ample evidence that the candidate was not discriminated against, and all it took was filling out a few boxes during the interview.

How to create an interview evaluation form in 5 steps

Your company’s interview evaluation forms should be easy to use, enabling the hiring team to make quick, analytical decisions on which candidates to progress in the hiring cycle. Kickstart the process by considering these tips.

1. Identify the job role’s requirements

Each interview evaluation form should be adjusted to the specific role, starting with the job requirements. The hiring team should understand exactly what kind of candidate they want to hire. Creating an ideal candidate profile is an excellent starting point.

This profile is a list of desired skills, competencies, work experiences, and values that the candidate should ideally have to be a match for the role.

Speaking of which, make sure to differentiate between essential items and those that are nice to have. If you’re being unrealistic, the hiring process will drag out, and you risk losing great applicants who only met 90% of your criteria.

2. Agree on success criteria

This is when the hiring team determines what a successful candidate’s answer looks like. Note the major difference between step one and step two. In step one, you create a list of things the candidate should ideally have. In step two, you decide what a good answer from the candidate should look like.

For example, a good candidate for a project manager role should show exceptional communication skills, speak confidently about their previously completed projects, and pinpoint how they contributed to their completion.

A candidate for a CTO should explain which projects they spearheaded, the teams and people they managed, the technologies they used, and their overall impact on the business while they were employed there.

In short, this is the performance you expect from an amazing candidate during the interview.

3. Use an interview rubric to create a scoring system

An interview rubric is a crucial part of the form. To get everyone on the same page with the scoring method, the team will need to:

✅ Quantify the key job skills by using a numerical rating system. For example, a candidate with all five of your desired skills scores a 5/5.

✅ Decide on the rating scale or what each score means so that scoring is consistent across the team. For example, 1 = poor and 3 = satisfactory. In other words, if your scale is 1-5, use that same scale across questions and categories.

✅ Double-check everyone understands the rating scale before the interview begins. Then, debrief afterward to ensure everyone followed it correctly. Explain in detail what each level of the rating scale means to avoid misunderstandings in your team and prevent you from dropping qualified candidates.

All interviewers must use the rubric to evaluate candidates fairly—against a consistent set of expectations. Plus, it’s a good idea for all interviewers to provide input about what constitutes a quality answer and add what they’ve learned from their experience.

What’s more, rubrics can reduce bias by supporting a more analytical approach to interviews. Considering up to 65% of tech recruiters feel there is bias in tech recruitment, hiring teams using an interview rubric can mitigate this.

4. Structure your interview assessment form

Once again, each interview assessment form should be built from scratch for every business and role. However, you might like to follow this logical form structure:

• Candidate information section (name, the role they applied for, date and time, interviewer’s name)
• Evaluation criteria (broken down into categories such as soft skills, technical skills, cultural fit, problem-solving skills, etc.)
• Rating system (a standardized rating scale for each criterion your hiring team can understand)
• Behavioral questions (specific examples of past experiences)
• Skills-specific questions (tailored to the job requirements for a specific role)
• Notes and observations (free text section to jot down important notes, red flags, and observations)
• Overall assessment (a summary of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and a final recommendation on what to do with the candidate)
• Final comments and sign-off (additional feedback and the interviewer’s signature and date)

5. Leave space for notes and final comments

During an interview, you may hear the candidate say something that piques your interest, for the right or wrong reasons, that you want to discuss with the team afterward.

For example, you immediately notice the candidate is bragging about their achievements. And you jot this down as an interview red flag to unpack later.

That’s why it’s a good idea to allow plenty of space on the form for comments, notes, and your overall impression—remembering something you noticed six candidates ago is not easy for everyone…(except that braggy guy, of course!).

Best practices for using interview evaluation forms

An interview evaluation form is not just a stack of additional paperwork for your hiring process. When used intentionally, these forms help managers make better hiring decisions, by delivering consistency throughout the hiring process. The gains are the same whether you have 10 or 100 candidates.

Use feedback forms at the beginning of the recruitment process

Feedback forms are only valuable if you use them early on. When you establish consistent standards for assessment in the beginning, it’s easy to go back and find out who said what about a candidate and how their performance fares against your standards.

It also ensures fairness and objective assessment across candidates. You’ll compare applicants on the same basis, and all staff members immediately knew whether a candidate is a good fit just by glancing at the notes.

Train your interviewers

Just like any tool, interview evaluation forms require your team to know how to use them well. While most evaluation forms are pretty straightforward, you’ll still have to sit down and explain:

• How to use the rating scales
• How the hiring team benefits from using them
• How it provides a better candidate experience
• How to best extract useful information out of candidates

Once you create an interview evaluation form you’re happy with, set aside a few time slots to coach your recruiters and HR team on how to use them.

Regularly update your interview forms

At some point, you and your team may notice your interview evaluation form needs changes, such as adding a section on coping with remote work. Regularly updating your forms can minimize any interviewer frustration as the content is relevant and ready for them.

In addition, you may need to adjust the form depending on the position. If it’s a junior position, a simple evaluation form will suffice, but for a managerial or leadership position, the form may need more detail, such as delving into the person’s specific experience and abilities.

Follow a structured interview process

A structured interview format is another tool that facilitates fairness in the interview process. With structured interviews, the team uses a pre-defined set of interview questions for every candidate interviewed for a particular role.

What’s great is this format can speed up the interview process, as interviewers get less sidetracked (hopefully) with irrelevant details, like the candidate’s favorite type of pizza! If the team is interviewing a boatload of candidates for a role, saving time and staying on track is definitely a must.

Structured interview questions can include:

• Skill-specific questions, such as “What programming language do you prefer and why?”
• Behavioral questions, such as “Describe a time you had to motivate a team or team member to manage a shorter deadline.”
• Company culture questions, such as “What did you like most about your last company?” But be careful not to focus too much on ‘culture fit’ and instead look for positive signals of organizational fit.

Make hiring decisions based on evaluation forms

Interview evaluation forms can help immensely with making the right hiring decisions in more ways than one. They…

• Give you an objective comparison of different candidates
• Establish a baseline for what a “good” candidate is
• Make the hiring process more transparent for everyone involved
• Protect you from potential issues with candidate discrimination later on
• Allow data-driven hiring instead of making decisions based on a hunch

But this may be easier said than done. Here’s a simple process for making data-driven decisions based on evaluation form data.

• Organize and consolidate all the data for one candidate in one place. An applicant tracking system will be of great help here.
• Look for patterns. Identify the candidates all your hiring team members highly praise. At the same time, find discrepancies where different reviewers have opposing comments.
• Quantify the results. Use the rating scale for each skill set to find averages for each criterion. Then, get an overall score for each candidate to create a list of your top candidates.
• Contextualize qualitative feedback. Combine quantitative and qualitative insights for a balanced overview of each candidate’s interview performance.
• Avoid bias. Watch out for confirmation bias, i.e., favoring feedback that coincides with the interviewers’ personal opinions. Also, pay attention to the halo/horn effect, where a single trait or impression is overemphasized.
• Prioritize role-specific needs. Match each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses against the key competencies for the role.
• Consider cultural fit. Review the responses and see how the candidates’ values align with yours.
• Cross-check with other inputs. Take the data from the interview evaluation form and compare it against the candidate’s assessment results, resumes, portfolios, and other available data.
• Discuss as a team. Organize a post-interview debrief to discuss the most promising candidates, resolve conflicting feedback, and achieve consensus on who goes further.
• Document the decision-making process. Write down who was rejected and why, as well as the reasons why some candidates moved on to the next round. If you need to run an audit later on, you’ll have all the details in one place.

Common mistakes to avoid in interview evaluations

While interview evaluation forms can be incredibly valuable, they can also harm your hiring efforts if not done well. Here are some of the most common mistakes you should watch out for.

• Lack of clear evaluation criteria. Avoid overly broad or ambiguous criteria such as “good fit” or “strong skills.”
• Overly subjective ratings. Impressions that rely on feelings or impressions without hard evidence can be discarded.
• Evaluation bias. Allowing personal preferences, stereotypes, or the halo/horn effect to impact hiring decisions.
• Incosistent rating scales. For example, using a 3-point scale for one skill set and a 5-point scale for a different one.
• Overemphasis on scores. Focusing only on numerical scores without considering qualitative feedback.
• Ignoring job-specific skills. Using a generic interview evaluation form and not adjusting it for the role you’re hiring for.
• Neglecting cultural fit. Taking into consideration hard and soft skills but not testing for cultural fit.
• Inadequate space for notes. Not leaving enough space for the interviewer to add their contextual remarks.
• Lack of alignment across reviewers. For example, when reviewers use the evaluation form in different ways or interpret the criteria differently.
• Overloading the form. Including too many questions or overly complex questions that lead to rushed or incomplete evaluations.
• Not capturing the follow-up questions. I.e., not documenting cases when the candidates’ responses require additional input or clarification.
• Skipping final recommendations. Not asking interviewers to provide a clear summary or hiring recommendation.

Supplement your interviews with skills assessments

Creating an interview evaluation form that is relevant and easy to use will help the hiring manager ensure consistency and a more fair approach when evaluating candidates.

Another key aspect of the recruiting cycle is skills assessments. Skills tests focus on applicants’ actual skills and capabilities, filtering out those with high potential.

With 49% of today’s employees working in jobs unrelated to their formal education, there’s ample scope for a skills-first approach to hiring.

Skills assessments fit in well in two different spots in the recruiting cycle:

☝️ You can assess candidates’ skills before the interview. And use the test score to identify the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, which the panel can discuss with the applicant during the interview.

✌️ Or, you can assess candidates’ skills after the initial interviews. That’ll be once the high-level technical and cultural fit has been confirmed.

Assess candidate strengths with Toggl Hire

Combining Toggl Hire with interview evaluation forms gives you a 360-degree view of your candidates’ performance. With our skills tests, you can determine if the candidate has the right soft and hard skills for the role at hand.

Once the results come in, send the candidates follow-up tasks to do at home and confirm your assumptions. You can then run a video interview with Toggl Hire and make notes in an interview evaluation form.

The end result is a comprehensive list of details on every candidate, ensuring a data-driven hiring decision you won’t regret. Ready to give it a try? Sign up for a free Toggl Hire account today.

The most successful people in the world guard their time above all other assets. Mark Zuckerberg wears the same clothes every day to save mental energy, while IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad schedules his entire day in ten-minute blocks to ensure he never wastes a minute.

But what about you? What if you could get more done in less time? What would you do with all those extra hours? This is the power of mastering time management — a skill that makes organizations more efficient and profitable while fostering a calm work environment.

Good time management skills to master (or hire for) in 2025

No matter where or how you work, you must master time management strategies.

These hold the key to making more money in less time and with less stress. Imagine being able to set clear goals, beat procrastination, consistently meet deadlines with ease, and deeply enjoy your free time feeling fulfilled across both your personal and professional life.

Developing this skill is more than just a lifestyle hack; you won’t be able to conquer a competitive environment without it. Knowledge workers believe just 54% of their work is high-impact.

That means they spend 46% of their time on busy work rather than making any real waves. Mastering time management immediately tilts the scales, helping you drive more impact in less time — a key skill for any organization leader.

Organization

Do you ever feel lost and overwhelmed as you flick between Excel sheets, a software database, and your emails? What about losing track of what project is at what stage or mixing up your deadlines? It can feel like driving on a gravely overgrown road — lots of fuel for not much mileage.

Systemizing your approach to work is like repaving the road. It will build routine into your workflow and lower cognitive load. This kind of mental organization will make you more efficient (and effective!) over time.

Physical organization also plays a role in your ability to concentrate. Our brains hate cluttered spaces—constant visual disorganization literally drains our cognitive resources.

Prioritization

Even the most well-paved road is useless if it takes you in the wrong direction. Organization without prioritization will just keep you aesthetically busy without leaving any real impact. We want to make a difference. And for that, we need to know what important tasks need our immediate attention.

There are lots of frameworks you can use to get your priorities in order. The Covey Matrix is a great place to start if you want to get a sense of what is urgent vs non-urgent and important vs non-important. Getting a better grip on this improves decision-making and delegation and makes you more likely to hit long-term goals.

Goal setting

Setting clear, achievable goals is a great way to build a roadmap from where you are to where you want to be. By breaking down big visions into manageable milestones, you’ll build momentum and motivation right into your daily work life.

Make sure the goals you set are dependent on variables you can control, not external outcomes. For example, if you’re a freelancer who wants to grow their business’s social media presence, you cannot control how many followers you’ll get in the next 3 months. But you can control how often you’ll show up. “I will post 5 times per week” is a much better goal than “I will get 10,000 followers in 90 days.”

The head of a software company might have different types of goals that span different responsibilities. For instance, they might be hiring, leading a tech project, and dealing with business admin all at once. Keeping these goals measurable and time-bound ensures they don’t spiral into a rabbit hole on any of these (which can be easy to do), but rather keep moving forward at pace.

Task management

Few things are as satisfying as ticking off a to-do list. Once you know your high-priority items, you can start effectively managing the different associated tasks. Project management apps, such as Toggl Plan, can help with planning, tracking, and completing tasks efficiently.

Keeping on top of tasks is especially important for cross-functional projects that involve other team members. Poor time management can bottleneck a whole project needlessly, kind of like when traffic forms out of nowhere (seriously, that’s a thing!).

Communication

What’s a junction without a traffic light? The same as a project without good communication — absolute chaos.

Clear, concise communication is what allows everything else to flow. Without it, teamwork and collaboration take a hit, and misunderstandings and stress levels rise.

Communication skills are especially important in remote teams, where it isn’t always possible to hop on a call and iron things out, especially if you’re spread out over 18 time zones like we are at Toggl!

That’s why we came up with a few basic Slack communication rules for our team. For example, if you’re asking for input or feedback on something, you must provide all the context needed to understand it in your message — that means links, tables, or documents.

We also recognize different people prefer different communication styles. This could be as simple as personal preference, or it could vary based on culture or even neurodivergence.

Delegation

All the time-blocking in the world won’t give you more than 24h in a day. There comes a point—whether for better productivity or your own sanity—that you’ll need to delegate tasks. Knowing how to assign tasks to the right people is a skill in itself.

Doing so is important as it optimizes resources and time, leading to more overall profitability. It also is one of the most important time management techniques as it protects against burnout. By focusing only on priority tasks and delegating the rest, you’re able to keep dreaming—building out the vision and the team to make it happen, rather than worrying about multitasking across low-value activities.

Problem-solving

Problem-solving is one of the top 10 most desirable power skills right now. Good problem-solvers are an asset to any organization, generating creative solutions, implementing effective fixes, and ultimately improving processes.

Their ability to quickly identify issues and develop solutions saves time and prevents minor issues from escalating. Again, this is so important in a remote work setting, where it’s especially easy to misread someone’s intentions over written communication or let small issues get big for no reason.

Stress management

When you’re stressed, you can’t manage your time correctly, which just stresses you more. So how do we get out of this vicious circle?

Believe it or not, stress management is deeply tied to organizational and time management skills. When we’re organized, prioritize our tasks, and manage our schedules, we reduce the chaos that often leads to stress. Organizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and planning breaks maintains focus, prevents overwhelm, and reduces the risk of burnout.

To manage stress, try time-blocking intense work sessions — a time free of emails and other notifications or distractions. Build breaks into your day to keep momentum up. Lastly, it’s a good idea to channel excess stress into a workout or daily walks to ground yourself.

Setting boundaries

This last skill doesn’t come naturally to many. But like anything, with intentional practice, it will get easier and better. The hard fact is you’ll never have the spaciousness you crave in your personal life if you don’t learn how to say ‘no’ to non-urgent tasks.

Self-discipline to get more done is one thing, but recognizing when you’re at your limit is another.

Being able to confidently communicate when you reach that point is also important, as it will help you maintain your commitments to those who are counting on you. It’s unfair to your employees or teammates to take on more than you can handle because they’re indirectly taking a hit they didn’t consent to.

Why are time management and organizational skills important?

Improved time management directly impacts a company’s bottom line by as much as a 61% increase in revenue. But benefits run deeper than just dollar signs. With effective time management also comes…

🚀 Increased productivity

Time management skills help employees prioritize tasks and work more efficiently. By allocating time effectively, employees can focus on high-impact tasks, reduce wasted hours, and maximize output. This leads to a greater sense of accomplishment and enhances productivity without unnecessary stress or strain.

🔋 Enhanced job satisfaction

64% of workers have struggled with lacking enough time and energy to complete all their work in a day. By getting a better handle on their workload through time management, stress decreases, and work-life balance improves. This improves morale at work and reduces burnout, leading to an overall improvement in well-being.

⚙️ Improved team dynamics

Proper time management across the board makes a team work like a well-oiled machine. It means fewer delays, clearer communication, and smoother collaboration. Shared understanding and respect for deadlines strengthens trust and cooperation, making teamwork more enjoyable and productive.

Plus, collaboration boosts workplace performance. According to a Stanford study, employees who collaborated were 64% more likely to stay on-task than those who didn’t. They also experienced less fatigue, were more engaged, and had better results than their solitary peers.

🪜 Career advancement

Mastering time management skills is also a stepping stone for career advancement. Employers highly value employees who can manage tasks independently, meet deadlines, and optimize productivity.

That’s why time management is one of the top 10 most desirable soft skills, according to Forbes.

Mastering time management will no doubt make you stand out from your peers if you’re aiming to grow within your organization.

Why time management tools are such an important part of time management strategies

Time management tools come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. A simple to-do list on paper, a full-fledged software app, intangible frameworks, or techniques like Pomodoro…the list goes on. Different approaches will work for different people, but one thing they all have in common is you get better at them the more you practice.

Technology can automate repetitive tasks, simplify your workflow, and provide reminders for tasks or deadlines that might otherwise slip through the cracks. Some employee time tracking software even pulls usage data to offer insights into work patterns and suggestions to improve efficiency. Here are some suggestions:

• Todoist: A great alternative for pen and paper to-do lists
• Trello or Asana: For project management
• Toggl Track: Time tracking tool to see where you’re spending time on tasks and where you can improve efficiency.

Prioritize tasks with Toggl Track

Toggl Track is an intuitive, easy-to-use time tracker that accounts for every moment. It’s a great accountability tool to combat procrastination and get real about how you can improve your work days. It boasts some great time management features that will help you stay focused, like:

• Setting time tracking/management goals for yourself or for your employees
• Google Calendar and Outlook integration to block and track time spent on meetings and other scheduled events
• Seeing your tracked time in a calendar which helps you understand how you spend time in a visual way

For example, if Toggl Track reveals you’re checking your email inbox every 30 minutes, perhaps you should time-block two hours per day to dedicate to emails. This will prevent you from switching to that tab during the workday because you know you have time set aside for it later, enabling you to find flow faster in other tasks.

Sign up for a free account and try it for yourself!

For the average person, tracking time can be incredibly boring or even an invasion of privacy. But for someone running a business, keeping tabs on time is the key to increased efficiency, productivity, and profitability. It’s also essential if you’re billing clients by the hour. 

Of course, time tracking methods aren’t made equal. Manual tracking with spreadsheets and notes belongs in the past — it’s clunky and requires hours of mind-numbing work. In contrast, time tracking software allows you to track projects with ease as you grow your bottom line. 

If you’re searching for a new time tracking system, you may be confused by the range of price points, features, integrations, and use cases available. This guide answers all your questions (and then some) to learn the most important aspects of purchasing a time tracking tool.

5 signs you need a time tracking system

Time tracking software does more than just track your team’s working hours. It gives you insight into the health of client accounts, the wellbeing of your employees, and measures the gap between the hours allocated to a project — and the resources actually used. 

Here are five signs it’s time to invest in a time tracking system 👇

1. You are using spreadsheets (like Excel or Sheets). Manual spreadsheets make it difficult to track real-time progress or adjust for project changes. Not only is tracking projects, time, and tasks manually prone to human error, it’s also inefficient and time consuming. 
2. Your team isn’t meeting project deadlines. Frequent delays or missed deadlines is a warning signal of a lack of visibility into how your team spends its time. A time tracking system shows where time is allocated, what tasks your team are working on, and whether resources are being used effectively.
3. Your customers question where time was spent on their project. If clients are asking where time went or doubting the value provided, it’s a sign you need a system to clearly show how effort aligns with deliverables.
4. You have zero insights or reports into projects. Without real-time data or historical reports, you can’t analyze trends, allocate resources effectively, or anticipate project bottlenecks.
5. You struggle to maintain accountability in your team. Disorganization or lack of clear accountability among team members can lead to wasted time, scattered capacity, or overlooked tasks.

If any of the above pain points resonate with you, it might be time to think about using a time tracking system.

What does a time tracking system do, and do you need one?

A time tracking system is much more than a stopwatch. The right platform has other key benefits besides telling you how much time you spend on a task or project:

1. Profitability

Profitability tracking is used to plan and estimate internal and client projects. It’s easy to compare the estimated time to your team’s actual time on a task.

Why it’s helpful 👇

• Determine your utilization rates, also known as how much of your total work is billable. For example, our research showed that design agencies have a high utilization rate of 70%, meaning they can bill clients for 70% of their work. The other 30% can then be comfortably allocated to non-billable work, like admin tasks, without worrying about making the project unprofitable. 
• Analyze data gathered from time tracking to deliver good client work while remaining profitable and accurately forecasting costs, revenue, and necessary time for future projects.

2. Productivity

Productivity tracking logs your time according to clients, projects, and tasks.

Why it’s helpful 👇

• Understand how much of your work time is productive, as opposed to scrolling TikTok or chatting with coworkers.
• Learn how long time individual tasks take, helping you forecast future projects more accurately.

3. Forecasting & planning

This feature determines how each project’s allotted time is used. For example, if it’s the 25th of the month and only 30% of the retainer hours are used for the client, the manager can be alerted and then decide how to strategically use the remaining time for the biggest impact.

Why it’s helpful 👇

• Monitor hours worked compared to forecasted hours for each client to see if a project is progressing as planned, if it’s profitable and if team members are completing the most valuable tasks.
• Determine the cost of individual tasks and compare them to the time a team member puts into them.

4. Precise billing & invoicing

Useful to set hourly rates for specific clients, types of work, and employees. Bill your clients accurately down to the last cent and create invoices based on the time entered by your time.

Why it’s helpful 👇

• Distinguish between billable and non-billable hours and remain profitable.
• Use built-in invoicing to create invoices with a few clicks, shortening the time from the created invoices to getting paid.

5. Time tracking for legal requirements

Many countries and states now require employers to track employee time for compliance and legal purposes. Time tracking can accurately record how long employees work for and if they are getting mandated breaks.

Why it’s helpful 👇

• Track time accurately for your team members and comply with federal and local laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and EU Working Time Directive (EWTD).
• Track overtime easily and pay your employees fairly for the extra work.

When a time tracking system makes sense

Most businesses that want to stay on track, profitable, and productive could benefit from using a time tracking app daily. Here’s how to tell if your business needs a time tracking system:

You don’t know the difference between your billable and non-billable hours	You struggle to determine which clients and projects drain your time and resources
You can’t accurately forecast how much time your team will spend on a project	You must comply with legal requirements and have accurate timesheets for each employee
You frequently price project work by the hour or completed project	You want to balance your team workload better to prevent burnout and poor employee engagement
You can’t cope with manual time tracking through timesheets, tables, and documents	You need to distinguish between profitable projects or clients that hog more time than they pay for

To get the most out of a time tracking system, most teams require a paid software. So, the next part of evaluating whether it’s a viable software for your team is to calculate the ROI.

Calculate the cost of a time tracking system vs the ROI

There are plenty of free time tracking apps out there, and if you’re just starting, it’s only natural to consider these first. But purchasing a time tracking app is an investment rather than a cost. Although many require you to pay per user or seat, the return on investment can be massive over time.

You can track the ROI from your time tracking platform by:

• Comparing your profitability for each project against your time on it
• Considering the more accurate billing process, as you charge each client for the exact amount of time spent on their project
• Discovering productivity bottlenecks in your client roster and your team
• Determining what accounts for billable and non-billable time
• Having more data to make data-driven decisions instead of trusting your gut feel

Free time trackers are a good starting point, but if you’re serious about increasing productivity and profitability, they’re not a good long-term solution.There are certain downsides to using a free tool that can limit its overall impact on your operations:

❌ They may have limited or zero report customizations available
❌ It’s often not possible to add billable rates for individuals, teams, and projects
❌ You’ll usually lack forecasting, project analysis, and integration capabilities

While you may start on the free plan, this is not the best for larger teams needing better insights into profitability, billable rates, and capacity.

Must-have functionalities of a time tracking system

Choosing a time tracking system can feel incredibly difficult simply because of the enormous choice in the market. Here are the features you should look for in a time tracking system, at a minimum.

1. Ease of use

If you’re spending money on a tool, you’ll want your team to use it. Time tracking won’t come naturally to your team in most cases, and if the tool is easy to use, adoption will become easier, too. Also, using a time tracking app will become second nature if it integrates with your existing tech stack.

Here’s how to assess if a time tracking system is easy to use:

• The user experience should be straightforward, allowing you to add users easily, set reminders and alerts, and create workspaces.
• It should integrate with existing tools, such as project management, development, invoicing, design, and others.
• It should be available on multiple platforms and devices, e.g. desktop, web, and mobile
• It should have good customer support that functions across different channels, such as email, live chat, Slack, and phone.

How to evaluate this:
✅ The vendor promises minimal learning curve
✅ Product walkthrough to help you pick up the basics
✅ Proven examples of other teams easily adopting the time tracker into their tech stack

2. Flexibility

To increase adoption with your team, the time tracking app should be flexible and accommodate their needs instead of disrupting the way they work.

• Ideally, the tool should have automated time tracking. You hit the “start” button, and the tool automatically switches back and forth between apps in the background, accurately logging tasks and projects.
• A variety of apps, such as web, desktop, and mobile, make user adoption even easier
• The tool should integrate seamlessly with the apps you already use. For example, if you already use Trello for project management and Quickbooks for invoices, pick an app that has native integrations with both.

How to evaluate this:
✅ The platform offers different ways to track time
✅ Automated time tracking
✅ Integrations with apps you already use

3. Reporting and analytics capabilities

Tracking time is just the beginning of getting in control of it. Reporting features deliver an overview of how your team spends their time at work, which clients and projects take up their days, the ratio of billable and non-billable hours, and more. Look for:

• Tools that have metrics such as burn rate (billable/non-billable hour ratio)
• Project cost based on time tracked
• Project profitability (the ratio of projected vs. estimated revenue)
• Detailed timesheets

How to evaluate this:
✅ Project time estimates
✅ Billable rates/labor costs
✅ Different reporting views (e.g., pie charts, table charts, timelines, filters)
✅ Sharing options and export formats (e.g., scheduling automated client emails or public link sharing)
✅ Customizable dashboards for continuous reporting on data that matters to your company

4. Data security

The data generated by the time tracking system should be available to you and your team only. This is especially relevant for heavily regulated industries where client data should be protected at all costs.

Look for:

• Enterprise-level security
• Data encryption in transit and at rest
• Secure servers with protection against cyber attacks

How to evaluate this:
✅ Access rights
✅ TLS 1.2 protocols
✅ AES256 encryption
✅ SHA2 signatures (as supported by the customer)

How to validate time tracking vendor support

While a lot of time trackers look similar on the surface, many of them only offer the basics like time entry tracking or basic reports. To get the most out of your time tracking system, the vendor must offer detailed guidance and support for your team.

Here are some areas of support you should expect.

📚 Detailed guides

Many of us like to self-serve problems and troubleshoot to solve issues quickly. Research if chosen time tracking vendors have detailed guides and knowledge bases available to get answers to your questions. Some vendors also have communities where users can discuss quick solutions and tips.

🤝 Onboarding help

Your vendor should offer a customized onboarding process to ensure your new Toggl Track program fits into your team’s workflow. This could include sharing onboarding materials and videos, to training and priority support if needed.

🧑‍💻 Dedicated Customer Success manager

Larger teams or those with complex requirements can require ongoing expertise, feature assistance and even custom solutions to optimize their specific workspace. An Enterprise-grade time tracking software should offer a dedicated customer success manager to these teams to maximize the value of their time tracking system.

Successful companies using time tracking systems

Businesses of all shapes and sizes use time-tracking systems to increase profitability and productivity while making their teams and customers happier. These are some of the best examples.

Talk Shop Media saves 80 hours a month on time tracking while improving operations

Talk Shop Media is a full-stack marketing agency with around 50 people covering a variety of professional services, from PR to SEO and paid ads. Their previous time tracking app had a dated interface, and the reports were limited, leading to compliance issues.

After getting started with Toggl Track, the team spent 50% less time on time tracking, resulting in 60-80 hours won back every month. The reason? The simple and user-friendly interface.

With Toggl Track, Talk Shop Media created comprehensive reports on profitability, account health, and employee wellbeing. Toggl Track allowed them to collect and analyze data for reports without additional work.

The end result was the ability to identify accounts that needed extra attention, such as restructuring the retainer agreements and project rates.

“Time tracking data is crucial for us. If you need to know the health of your accounts, there’s no other way to figure it out without time tracking. Advanced and visually appealing Toggl reports and easy-to-use UI translated into much better company-wide time tracking compliance and accuracy of data.”

Hannah McClenaghan, Operations Manager, Talk Shop Media

FullStack Labs uses time tracking data to win more business

FullStack Labs is a software consultancy that grew from 70 to 600+ people in a very short time span. In a very crowded space, FullStack Labs stood out by providing clients with transparent Toggl Track reports to each client.

Instead of templated invoices with just a few lines and a sum to be paid, they included a breakdown of the delivered work along with who did it. Using Toggl Track time reporting in their pitches allowed them to win major clients such as Uber and multiple Fortune 500 companies.

On the operations side, this reporting practice allowed them to retain their top performers. Thanks to detailed reports, they compensated their team fairly and accurately and paid them overtime on top of their salary.

How to set your business up for success with Toggl Track

Toggl Track is a time tracking system you can adapt and customize to suit your company. From small teams to enterprise businesses, we’re confident we’ve got your use case covered.

If you have a small team, you can start as low as $9 per user/mo. Enterprise businesses can use some of the more advanced plans, which include features such as forecasts, analyses, SSO, timesheet approvals, and more.

Toggl Track offers much more than simple time tracking. Some standout features include:

✅ Billing and invoicing
✅ Payroll processing
✅ Project time tracking for multiple projects at a time
✅ Client management
✅ Detailed reports and analytics across employees, projects, and clients

Toggl Track integrates with the tools you love and use every day, including Asana, Jira, Github, Salesforce, Notion, Slack, and Zapier. Not only are there 100+ tools to choose from, Toggl Track also  has a custom API to fit into any tech stack.

If you don’t have a diverse tech stack to integrate with, you can use our browser extension and easily track your time using tools such as Notion and Zendesk.

Even though it may sound complex with its rich feature set, Toggl Track is incredibly intuitive and easy to use. Even if your team has never tracked their time before, adopting and mastering Toggl Track is as easy as pie.

Scattered and unstructured schedules used to rule my life. I juggled tasks, missed deadlines, wasted time, and ended each day feeling frustrated.

As a creative, that was not only frustrating but also eating away at my business and making it hard to grow. But…everything changed when I discovered time blocking. I quickly learned how to reclaim my time, better balance work and pleasure, and even carve out some time for a little guilt-free scrolling.

Using one of these nine time blocking apps, you too can whizz through your to-do list with room to breathe at the end of it all. 

The best time blocking apps at a glance

Tool	G2	What is It?	Best For
Motion	4.0	A dynamic scheduling tool that optimizes your day in real time	Professionals and teams looking for AI-driven time management
TickTick	4.6	A versatile task manager with built-in time-blocking features	Individuals who want a blend of simplicity and functionality in task management
Sunsama	N/A	A daily planner that combines tasks, calendar events, and priorities in one place	Professionals who need to align daily tasks with long-term time management goals
Toggl Track	4.6	A time tracking tool that offers insights into productivity patterns	Freelancers and teams who want to understand and optimize their time usage
Todoist	4.4	A powerful task manager that helps you organize work and life	Anyone looking to manage tasks efficiently with helpful reminders and due dates
Clockwise	4.7	An intelligent calendar assistant that optimizes your schedule for focused work blocks	Professionals and teams in need of automating their scheduling
Planyway	4.4	A team calendar and timeline for Trello and Jira users that facilitates time blocking	Users who manage projects and tasks directly in Trello or Jira
Morgen	5.0	A tool that integrates all your calendars and tasks in one interface for better time management	Individuals who juggle multiple calendars and platforms
Google Calendar	N/A	A widely accessible calendar app that supports straightforward time blocking	Anyone looking for a simple and integrated way to plan their day

What is time blocking?

Time blocking is a time management technique in which you dedicate specific time slots in your calendar to different tasks or activities.

It’s not to be confused with the slightly stricter timeboxing, which requires you to complete a task within a given timeframe. Time blocking reserves time for specific activities but allows you to complete them across several sessions.

Apps make this process a lot easier, giving you a clear visual of ​​your task list and time window. That way, you know exactly how far along you are, how much time you need for each task, and what you can realistically get done in time.

Here are some more time blocking benefits:

• Reduces procrastination: Time blocking overcomes the urge to put things off (we’re looking at you, procrastinators), making you more likely to start and complete tasks on time.
• Improves focus: It encourages single-tasking by assigning a specific task to a particular time block, which can improve your deep work concentration and productivity.
• Minimizes multitasking: Time blocking curbs the temptation to juggle back and forth between tasks, reducing the cognitive overload and burnout that come with trying to multitask.
• Promotes work-life balance: Daily planning allows you to deliberately carve out time for free time and self-care, ensuring work doesn’t infringe on your personal life.
• Ensures you’re realistic: Time blocking highlights how long tasks actually take so you can better plan your deadlines and schedule tasks.

Time blocking can be adapted to various work environments and personal routines—whether you’re a freelancer or have too many team members to count.

For instance, consulting firms and marketing agencies can allocate specific time slots for client meetings, research, and content creation. Then, you have internal teams like HR and IT who might want to dedicate blocks of time to tasks such as employee relations, system maintenance, and project development. 

Plus, time blocking isn’t just for work — you can also carve out time for exercise, family, and hobbies.​​

How I evaluated each time management app

No two apps are made equal, but I created this list of the best time blocking apps based on the following criteria:

• Calendar integrations: The ability to integrate your favorite calendar app makes synchronization across all devices and platforms a breeze — a must for any time blocking app.
• Task management: Robust task management features mean you can stay on top of your to-dos and prioritize tasks like a pro, all within the app.
• Ease of use: A user-friendly interface means you’ll be navigating the app with no learning curve, encouraging you to stick with it and boost your productivity.
• Calendar view: A good time blocking app offers plenty of different views, whether you like looking at a calendar or timeline or need to see your monthly or daily schedule.
• Customization options: Just as no two apps are equal, neither are two users — customizable features cater to your unique preferences and workflow.

An in-depth overview of the best time blocking apps

Motion

📌 Motion ​​is an AI-powered time blocking app that integrates with your calendar to prevent any scheduling conflicts.

Motion simplifies your scheduling needs thanks to its AI-powered time blocking features. By integrating a calendar that distinguishes between personal and work activities, Motion makes sure tasks are auto-scheduled without any conflicts, improving your operational efficiency.

It comes with a “booking page” feature to create a page and schedule meetings. From that page, send a link to others who can book time based on your availability. This way, appointments will auto-populate into your calendar without overlapping with other tasks.

If you’re looking for a time blocking app with great reporting features, Motion might fall short. It can also be pricey for individual users and has fewer team collaboration options than competitors.

✅ Pros

• Auto-schedule meetings
• Integrates with popular calendar apps
• Powered by AI

❌ Cons

• Team collaboration features are subpar compared to most other time blocking apps
• Pricier than competitors
• Doesn’t have advanced reporting capabilities

Plan	Cost	Details
Individual	From $19/month for one user	Includes booking site pages and templates
Business Standard	From $12 per user/month	Supports teams of 20 users or less and includes project workflow automation for 10 concurrent workflows
Business Pro	Pricing available upon request	Supports teams of 20+ users looking for unlimited workflows and API access

G2: 4.0 (93), Capterra: 4.3 (47)

TickTick

📌 TickTick is a productivity app with time blocking features that allow users to dedicate focus time to their most important tasks.

TickTick excels at organizing tasks and planning time effectively. Its features align with the Getting Things Done framework, which encourages you to free up your brainpower by storing all your work information in an external source (like an app).

It integrates with other essential tools (Outlook, Slack, Gmail), but its strength lies in its task prioritization and varied viewing options. This way, critical tasks won’t slip by when you’re mapping out your daily schedule. 

TickTick doesn’t have any built-in time tracking or time reports. However, knowing your time habits and how long each task takes is enough to improve your time management. Their Premium version allows you to record how long each task takes manually.

✅ Pros

• Intuitive interface
• Ability to organize tasks based on set criteria 
• Affordable paid plan as well as a free version

❌ Cons

• Calendar views and timelines are only available for Premium subscribers
• Doesn’t have built-in time tracking
• Doesn’t have time reports
• You can only get an annual plan

Plan	Cost	Details
Free	Free for one user	Great for organizing a simple to-do list!
Premium	From $35.99/year	Includes advanced features like multiple calendar views, task duration, and statistics

G2: 4.6 (106), Capterra: 4.7 (123)

Sunsama

📌 Sunsama plans your day realistically so you can avoid procrastination and missed deadlines.

Sunsama organizes your daily tasks into specific time slots and integrates with project management tools like Trello, Asana, Notion, and Monday. We’re all guilty of taking on more than we can handle, but Sunsama sends unrealistic workload notifications to ensure you stay energized.

This way, you’ll have a balanced workload and set aside some time in the day for yourself. The manual planning process, while thorough, can be time-consuming, and the lack of a free plan post-trial may be a drawback for some.

✅ Pros

• Comes with a built-in timer and analytics
• Prevents over scheduling

❌ Cons

• Doesn’t have a free plan
• Lacks automated features

Plan	Cost	Details
Monthly Subscription	From $16 per user/month (when paid annually) or $20/user/month when paid monthly	A monthly subscription grants you access to all features (you can also test Sunsama with a 14-day free trial)

Capterra: 4.7 (25)

Toggl Track

📌 Toggl Track is a time management app that helps you organize and track your time, whether managing projects in single or multiplayer mode.

Toggl Track integrates with Google or Outlook calendars and effortlessly compares time blocks with the intuitive calendar view. This feature allows you to swiftly duplicate your calendar events as time entries, saving valuable time and reducing manual effort.

​​You can also view detailed time reports to evaluate your time management habits across various periods. You’ll know how much time each task takes and time spent on unplanned activities. This gives you the data to review your time blocking strategies and optimize every workday.

With an idle time detection feature, Toggl Track gives you a friendly nudge if you’ve been inactive for a while — ensuring your time entries are accurate. Plus, with reporting capabilities, it shows exactly what you did during each time block so you can optimize for productivity and have something to show for your work.

✅ Pros

• Easy to use on any platform
• The free plan has great time blocking features
• Access detailed, customized reports

❌ Cons

• The free plan only includes five users

Plan	Cost	Details
Free	Adds multiple workspaces under one organization, priority support, custom solutions, and much more!	Includes unlimited time tracking, tags, and clients
Starter	From $9 per user/month	Comes with project templates, billable rates, time estimates, and alerts
Premium	From $18 per user/month	Includes timesheet approvals, project forecasts, and team labor costs
Enterprise	Custom pricing	Adds multiple workspaces under one organization and priority support, plus custom solutions and much more!

G2: 4.6 (1,572), Capterra: 4.7 (2,532)

Todoist

📌 Todoist is a to-do-list app compatible with all your devices for user-friendly organization and time blocking.

Todoist has great scheduling options so you can block time to get work or personal tasks done (because why not both?). Set specific due dates and times for your tasks, creating a system that segments your day into dedicated time blocks for your various activities.

It comes with an AI assistant (for paid users) that helps you rename tasks and even suggests what projects they should belong to. If you’re a large team looking for a time blocking app, Todoist may not have enough collaborative features to your liking. But small teams and solos are sure to enjoy it. 

✅ Pros

• AI assistant (for Pro)
• List, calendar, and Kanban view options
• User-friendly on all platforms and devices

❌ Cons

• Lacks advanced project management tools
• Not great for team collaboration

Plan	Cost	Details
Beginner	Free	Includes three filter views and five personal projects
Pro	From $4/month	Comes with an AI assistant and 300 personal projects
Business	From $6 per user/month	Adds a shared team workspace with up to 500 team projects

G2: 4.4 (800) Capterra: 4.6 (2,526)

Clockwise

📌 Clockwise helps you create and manage your team’s ideal schedule. 

Clockwise is an AI-powered time management tool designed to optimize your team’s schedules so you can all be more productive with your time. It integrates with your favorite business productivity tools to easily overcome scheduling conflicts. 

It has many features to help with time blocking, like its AI scheduler. You chat with it like a chatbot, asking it to perform tasks like “clear my day,” and it’ll automatically reschedule your meetings. However, individuals or smaller teams with less complex scheduling needs might not get the most value out of it.

✅ Pros

• User-friendly AI interface
• Great for large or busy teams

❌ Cons

• Not great for meetings with external users
• It doesn’t replace your calendar, it only integrates with it

Plan	Cost	Details
Free	Free	Includes access to intelligent calendar management
Teams	From $6.75 per user/month	Adds group scheduling links and helps optimize meeting times
Business	From $11.50 per user/month	Includes round-robin scheduling logic and access to admin controls
Enterprise	Pricing available upon request	Allows you to centrally manage user provisioning and de-provisioning, along with other benefits

G2: 4.7 (66)

Planyway

📌 Planyway lets you block time easily in Trello and Jira without learning an entirely new app. 

Planyway integrates seamlessly with your favorite project management tools (we’re looking at you, Trello, and Jira). It transforms your board into a visual calendar you can drag and drop tasks onto and block out time for.

Track progress with time entries in a list or calendar view and even log time within Trello cards. While some users mention that Planyway isn’t as user-friendly on mobile devices, if you primarily work on your desktop and value a tool that offers customizable checklists and views, Planyway is a strong choice. 

✅ Pros

• Clean, easy-to-navigate interface
• Great for Trello and Jira users

❌ Cons

• Users report that the mobile app is buggy
• Lacks other helpful integrations

Plan	Cost	Details
Free	Free	Pricing is available upon request
Individual	From $4/month	Includes a multi-board view, an automated time tracker, and subtasks visualization
Team	From $3 per user/month	Includes shared team workspace with team timeline and team time tracking
Enterprise	Pricing available upon request	Adds extra security requirements and dedicated customer success

G2: 4.4 (18), Capterra: 4.5 (298)

Morgen

📌 Morgen is a versatile calendar app that integrates the functionalities of both a calendar and a daily planner. 

Morgen is another AI-powered planner that helps you prioritize your tasks and intelligently blocks out time for them in your schedule. ​​It’s best for individuals who need a comprehensive tool for managing their schedules, tasks, and appointments across various devices — like Windows, macOS, Apple, iOS, and Android.  

It’s also better suited for individuals or small teams but still a great option for users wanting to plan and complete their to-do lists realistically.

✅ Pros

• Visually appealing interface
• Great structured time blocking features
• Includes scheduling links

❌ Cons

• The free mobile version is read-only
• Expensive compared to competitors

Plan	Cost	Details
Basic	Free	Includes a desktop app and one calendar integration
Pro	From $9/month	Includes unlimited calendars, task integration, and time blocking features
Enterprise	Pricing available upon request	Adds custom workflows and multi-team management

G2: 5.0 (3)

Google Calendar

📌 Google Calendar is a popular calendar app that lets you segment your day into distinct periods dedicated to work, personal commitments, or simply “you” time. 

Why invest in a tool that integrates with Google Calendar when you can use Google Calendar for your time-blocking needs?

Google Calendar offers a holistic view of your schedule and integrates easily with other Google applications. If you don’t want any fancy features and prefer to keep everything in the same app, then it’s the perfect beginner-friendly option.

You can add detailed event descriptions to ensure you know exactly what’s on your agenda, set up recurring events for those routine tasks, activate a “Do not disturb” status to minimize distractions, and even color code your events. 

✅ Pros

• Great free plan
• User-friendly and integrates with other Google apps
• Comes with basic features for beginners

❌ Cons

• Lacks detailed task management features
• Adjusting time blocks is a manual process

Plan	Cost	Details
Free	Free version for users with a Gmail account	Comes with all basic planning features
Business Starter	From $6 per user/month	Includes a business email and 100-participant video meeting capabilities
Business Standard	From $12 per user/month	Includes everything in Business Starter plus the Gemini app and meeting recording
Business Plus	From $18 per user/month	Adds extra storage and meeting capabilities

Capterra: 4.8 (3,337)

Best practices for implementing time blocking

Apps make time blocking easy, but where do you even begin? And how do you make it a habit, not a one-time thing? These are our top strategies for effectively incorporating time blocking into daily routines.

Start by prioritizing tasks

Start by identifying and prioritizing your most important tasks using a method like the Eisenhower Matrix. Map out your day by assigning specific time slots to each task, and make a pact to stick to your plan. Try to get those high-priority tasks done during your peak productivity hours. Circle back regularly to review and tweak your schedule, always making sure you’re getting the pressing tasks out of the way first.

Then, set realistic time blocks

Set time blocks that work for you—it doesn’t have to necessarily follow any strategies you see touted online. Time blocking isn’t one-size-fits-all—experiment with different approaches to find what works best for you. If morning time blocks aren’t clicking, try shifting them to the afternoon. And remember, it’s better to overestimate the time needed than to constantly run over and burn yourself out!

But allow flexibility for unexpected changes

Life often throws curveballs, fastballs, and changeups, so be ready to adapt. Pencil in some “flex time” within your schedule to account for unexpected interruptions or tasks that run over. When these surprises pop up, you can swiftly adjust your time blocks, re-prioritizing as you go. The best part? Time blocking apps can help you deal with the unexpected!

How to use Toggl Track for better time blocking

Think of Toggl Track as your very own personal assistant, giving you precise time tracking that seamlessly integrates with your schedule.

With detailed reports, you’ll gain powerful insights into where your time goes, helping you refine your blocks and boost productivity. Plus, Toggl Track plays nicely with your favorite productivity tools, making it simple to incorporate into your workflow.

​​Effortlessly tracking tasks, spotting trends, and continuously improving your time management don’t have to be a pipe dream. Create a free account and see how Toggl Track can help you do just that!

Ever feel like you’re constantly juggling career responsibilities and personal commitments with no time for yourself? Well, you’re not alone — 60% of US workers say they don’t have boundaries between work and personal lives. 

With our pockets constantly buzzing with notifications, it’s like we’re always in the office. And even if we’ve physically clocked out for the day, mentally, we’re still drifting back to that unfinished to-do list.

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance has become a massive challenge, which is why time management strategies are so important. 

Managing your time effectively is easier said than done. That’s why we’re exploring the best timeboxing apps in 2025 to improve your business productivity and personal well-being.

The best timeboxing apps at a glance

Tool	Best For
Sunsama	An AI-powered timeboxing app for automatically scheduling tasks into your daily routine. It is best for individuals or teams who want to prioritize tasks with minimal manual work.
Motion	An AI-powered timeboxing app for automatically scheduling tasks into your daily routine. Best for individuals or teams who want to prioritize tasks with minimal manual work.
Toggl Track	A productivity app that manages tasks and organizes time effectively. It is best for freelancers and small teams seeking an affordable and feature-rich tool.
TickTick	A productivity app that manages tasks and organizes time effectively. It is best for freelancers and small teams seeking an affordable, feature-rich tool.
Any.do	A task management app for organizing and managing personal and professional projects. It is best for individuals and small teams who value simplicity and cost-effectiveness.
Todoist	A timeboxing app that helps individuals avoid distractions. It is best for individuals who struggle with procrastination.
Freedom	A timeboxing app that helps individuals avoid distractions. Best for individuals who struggle with procrastination.
Akiflow	A calendar app with plenty of widgets and task management features. It is best for professionals who use Apple products.
Playway	A calendar app that integrates with popular project management tools. It is best for teams who use Trello and Jira.
Fantastical	A calendar app with plenty of widgets and task management features. Best for professionals who use Apple products.

Are timeboxing apps different from time-blocking apps?

Timeboxing and time-blocking might sound interchangeable, but they offer unique approaches to managing your schedule. Timeboxing involves setting fixed time slots for individual tasks. This method is great for those who thrive under deadlines and need a structured approach to tackle their to-do list.

Time-blocking involves dedicating specific periods to focus on a set of tasks or a particular type of work. You create blocks for similar activities instead of assigning a time slot to each task. For example, blocking mornings out for creative work and afternoons for admin tasks. This approach is ideal for people who prefer flexibility and find it easier to stay focused when they can switch between similar tasks. 

Choosing between the two methods depends on your personal workflow preferences and the nature of your tasks. Timeboxing might be your best bet if you prefer a more rigid structure and clear deadlines. But if you prefer a flexible schedule and can stay focused on similar tasks, time-blocking could be the better way to go.

The best timeboxing apps to add to your tech stack in 2025

Selecting the best timeboxing apps was no easy task, but we approached it with a clear list of criteria! First, we dove into reviews and user feedback to ensure each app had a stellar reputation and offered a fantastic customer experience. For each tool, we included links to their respective G2 and Capterra profiles so you can check out the reviews yourself.

Then, we checked each app included essential timeboxing features that truly boost time management — like timers, time tracking, and distraction blocking. Finally, we aimed to create a diverse list that caters to various needs — whether you’re a freelancer, team leader, or just an everyday person looking to up your personal productivity game. 

Sunsama

📌 Sunsama integrates with popular calendar and task tools for easy organization and realistic day-to-day planning.

Sunsama is a daily planning app with timeboxing features that neatly organize your routine into time-specific blocks. It integrates with popular project and task tools like Asana, Notion, Monday, Trello, and ClickUp, allowing you to drag and drop your tasks right into your calendar.

If you exceed your daily working hours, Sunsama sends an unrealistic workload notification. This keeps your workload balanced and helps you avoid burnout. 

The manual nature of its planning process can be time-consuming, and the absence of a free plan post-trial may discourage some potential users. While Sunsama offers daily reflections and weekly reviews, it doesn’t have more advanced reporting options.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Easy to plan everyday tasks • Keeps your workload realistic • Auto changes your status in Teams or Slack	• Lacks advanced reporting capabilities • Doesn’t have a free plan • Planning is more manual than automated

Pricing and plans

Monthly subscription: From $16 per user/mo billed annually. Access to all features. Comes with a 14-day free trial.

Capterra: 4.7 (25)

Motion

📌 Motion ​​is an AI-powered timeboxing app that accelerates task management by intelligently scheduling tasks into your daily routine.

Motion does the heavy lifting for you. With the power of AI, you don’t need to manually set your tasks for the day or reschedule them if they’re not completed. 

For each task, fill out the expected completion time, the due date, and your preferred timeframe. You also have the option to add notes, a start date, and labels for organization. Then, Motion will auto-schedule these and automatically block tasks and focus time on your calendar. 

Users report the app being slow and buggy sometimes, which isn’t great when trying to manage your time effectively. It can be a bit pricey for individual users, and those wanting more reporting capabilities might be disappointed.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Auto-scheduling features • Prioritizes specific tasks based on priority, deadlines, duration, and working hours • Can reschedule tasks when unexpected events happen	• Team collaboration isn’t great • Takes a while to set up • Lacks reporting tools

Pricing and plans

• Individual: from $19/mo. Supports one user. Includes meeting booking pages and templates. 
• Business Standard: from $12 per user/mo. Supports teams of 20 users or less. Adds project workflow automation for ten concurrent workflows.
• Business Pro: Supports teams of 20 users or more. Booking a demo to learn more about pricing. Includes unlimited workflows and API access.

G2: 4.0 (93), Capterra: 4.3 (47)

Toggl Track

📌 Toggl Track combines time tracking and timesheet management to increase your focus and productivity in an easy-to-use platform.

If you’re looking for integration with over 100 popular tools, advanced reporting capabilities, and a super easy-to-use and intuitive interface, Toggl Track is for you! Drag and drop tasks to schedule time blocks on your calendar, and then log time for these tasks in real time and all in the same place.

Toggl Track helps you complete tasks on time during predetermined specific time slots. Visibility into individual task duration improves your focus and productivity in the long run. 

​​Use summary, detailed, or weekly reports to see everyone’s tracked time and productivity, generate timesheets, and spot productivity gaps. Whether you’re interested in a free or team plan, Toggl Track has you covered.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Free plan  • Ease of use across all platforms • Detailed, customizable reports • Built-in time-tracking	• Five-user limit for free plan

Pricing and plans

• Free: Free for up to five users. Comes with unlimited time tracking, clients, and tags.
• Starter: From $9 per user/mo. Adds billable rates, project templates, and time estimates and alerts.
• Premium: From $18 per user/mo. Includes timesheet approvals, project forecasts, and team labor costs.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing. Comes with multiple workspaces under one organization and priority support.

G2: 4.6 (1,572), Capterra: 4.7 (2,532)

TickTick

📌 TickTick is a timeboxing and productivity app that helps individuals and teams manage tasks, organize their time, and become more productive.

TickTick makes it easy to organize tasks and plan your day, week, or month accordingly. Ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? It’s when you break down your tasks into bite-sized chunks. With a Pomodoro timer, you can complete your work in focused sessions, maximizing your productivity. 

The platform integrates with popular tools like Outlook, Slack, and Gmail and has many different viewing options—from calendar to Kanban to timeline. Since you can set four priority task levels, you don’t have to worry about procrastination getting in the way of the important stuff. TickTick will ensure you finish those key tasks first!

TickTick doesn’t come with built-in time tracking or time reports. Tracked time data can highlight your time-spending habits and boost productivity. If you have a Premium plan, you can manually add how long each task takes you.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Easy to use and beginner-friendly • Organize tasks with features like tags, multi-priority, smart lists, and sorting • Offers a free plan and an affordable paid version	• Timeline and calendar views are only available for Premium • Lacks built-in time tracking • Doesn’t have time reports • You can only purchase an annual plan

Pricing and plans

• Free: Free for one user. Great for organizing a to-do list.
• Premium: From $35.99 per year. Includes premium features like multiple calendar views, task duration, and statistics.

G2: 4.6 (106), Capterra: 4.7 (123)

Any.do

📌 Any.do is a to-do list and timeboxing app for organizing tasks, managing calendar events, and planning daily work.

Any.do simplifies task management whether you’re on your phone, computer, tablet, or even your watch. It’s perfect for the busy student, parent, or freelancer—which is reflected in the cost. You can set a daily planner, and trigger reminders so you never forget an important task.

The Premium plan delivers access to color coding tags, integrations, and more reminder features. Remember that this isn’t the best tool for teamwork, as it doesn’t have the same functionality as a project management tool. However, it’s a cheap option for individuals and everyday use.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Available on multiple platforms • Affordable for individuals  • Can send smart, personalized suggestions	• Doesn’t have many advanced features • Lacks built-in time tracking • Lacks functionality for teams

Pricing and plans

• Personal: Free for one user. It comes with reminders and a daily planner and allows you to sync across all devices.
• Premium: From $4.99/mo when billed annually. It includes AI-powered features, color tags, and location reminders.
• Family: From $8.33/mo for four members when billed annually. Adds a shared family space and up to four shared projects.

G2: 4.2 (193), Capterra: 4.4 (177)

Todoist

📌 Todoist is a task management app for managing simple and professional projects.

Yep, Todoist is great for your personal and professional life! You can prioritize your task list based on labels and deadlines. It also integrates with your favorite third-party apps like Slack and Zendesk.

Todoist comes with an AI assistant for breaking down tasks, suggesting tasks for projects, or even renaming tasks for better actionability.

While it falls short in handling complex projects, it’s ideal for basic tasks and project management, great for individuals and small teams who value simplicity and cost-effectiveness. 

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Offers project templates • Different view options (like lists, calendars, Kanban) • User-friendly on all platforms	• Doesn’t have advanced project management tools • Not great for larger teams

Pricing and plans

• Beginner: Free to use. Comes with five personal projects and three filter views.
• Pro: From $4/mo when billed annually. It includes 300 personal projects and an AI assistant.
• Business: From $6 per user/mo when billed annually. Adds a shared team workspace with up to 500 team projects.

G2: 4.4 (800) Capterra: 4.6 (2,526)

Freedom

📌 Freedom is a timeboxing app for individuals who need to avoid distractions and focus on their work by blocking websites and apps. 

Freedom lets you create custom blocklists with the websites and apps you want to block. You can also block all websites and add exceptions for the ones you need. This blocklist is synced across all platforms, including Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Chrome.

Plus, with a locked mode, it won’t let your distractions get the best of you. When enabled, this feature doesn’t let you end a Freedom session to keep you focused. You can schedule these focus sessions so they begin automatically.

Unfortunately, Freedom lacks tool integrations or comprehensive task management features. But it’s a great app to optimize your workday if you want to stop wasting time on distractions and spend more time on your tasks.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Syncs your blocked apps across platforms • Comes with ambient sounds for deep work • Advanced scheduling features	• Lacks task management features • Not great for teams • Lack of integrations

Pricing and plans

• Free: Offers a free plan with limited features.
• Premium: From $3.33/mo when paid annually or $8.99 when paid monthly. Comes with browser extensions, focus music, and locked mode.
• Forever: A one-time payment of $99.50. Has all the same perks as Premium without a recurring fee.

G2: 5.0 (6)

Akiflow

📌 Akiflow is a timeboxing app for boosting team productivity, managing tasks, and planning calendars and schedules in one place. 

If you’re tired of juggling apps and tools, Akiflow can make your life much easier. ​​It integrates tasks from different apps, such as ClickUp, Notion, Google Calendar, and Gmail, into one centralized location.

Akiflow also has powerful scheduling features, like time blocking and meeting booking. It also has a guided planning feature to help you plan your schedule and review your daily performance.

Remember that Akiflow is priced higher than other timeboxing apps, which might deter budget-conscious users. If you like using desktop apps, you’ll have no problem. However, users who prefer mobile apps might be disappointed.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Lets you block time slots for tasks • Task consolidation • Has a range of views (calendar, upcoming, plan)	• Mobile app must be used in conjunction with the desktop • Pricier compared to other options

Pricing and plans

• Monthly: From $34/mo. Comes with unlimited integrations, tasks, and meetings.
• Yearly: From $9.5/mo.

G2: 5.0 (33), Capterra: 4.8 (92)

Planyway

📌 Planyway is a team calendar and timeline tool for project planning and time management. 

Planyway lets you track the progress of projects in a timeline view, time block tasks, plan workloads, track time, and sync your calendars to keep all tasks and deadlines in one place. With Trello, Jira, and GitHub integrations, Planyway gives you a visual overview of tasks, deadlines, and team workload.

You can also see time entries in the list or calendar view and log time directly in Trello cards. Some users say Planyway isn’t user-friendly on mobile devices. But if you’re mainly working on your desktop and want a tool that makes it easy to customize your checklist and view, then you shouldn’t have a problem with Planyway. 

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Integrates with Trello, Jira, and GitHub • Beautiful, intuitive interface • Great organizational features	• Mobile app is subpar • Lacks other integrations

Pricing and plans

• Free: Comes with filters and calendar views.
• Individual: From $4/mo. Includes multi-board view, automated time tracking, and subtasks visualization.
• Team: From $3 per user/mo. Adds shared team workspace with team timeline and team time tracking.
• Enterprise: Contact sales for pricing. Comes with extra security requirements and dedicated customer success.

G2: 4.4 (18), Capterra: 4.5 (298)

Fantastical

📌 Fantastical is a calendar app for managing your tasks, meetings, and events all in the same place.

Fantastical is designed for iOS and Apple products with features like calendar management, weather integration, and basic task management. If you want an alternative to Apple Calendar, Fantastical is your go-to.

Fantastical now offers a Windows app in the Microsoft Store, but most unique widgets are tailored for Apple products. You can toggle between light and dark mode and organize your calls and meetings—but there aren’t robust time tracking capabilities.

✅ Pros	❌ Cons
• Apple widgets and integrations • Task management features • Weather updates	• Designed for Apple users • Users report not being happy with the switch from one-time payments to a subscription model

Pricing and plans

• Free: Free to use with one calendar set, events, tasks, and notifications. 
• Individuals: From $4.75/mo, billed annually. It comes with unlimited calendar sets, Apple Watch support, and scheduling features. 
• Teams: From $4.75 per user/mo, billed annually, this service lets you manage any number of users who each have their own account.

G2: 4.4 (16), Capterra: 4.8 (20)

What makes a great time boxing app?

You might be scanning the list and thinking, “These are all great options!” First, you’d be right; that’s why they made our list. But as you start comparing different apps head-to-head, it’s important to know what to look for.

A great time boxing app should have several key features setting it apart. Here’s what defines an outstanding time boxing app:

• User-friendliness: The app should be intuitive and easy to use, allowing you to quickly set up and manage your time blocks without a steep learning curve.
• Customization options: Look for apps that customize your time blocks, set reminders, and adjust settings to fit your unique workflow.
• Integration capabilities: Choose an app that integrates with other productivity tools, calendars, and apps you already use.
• Effortless task management: These are all about boosting productivity, so the app should make it easy to add, edit, and organize tasks within your time blocks.

How to integrate time management into your workflows

Setting clear priorities daily is the best way to start taking back your time. Figure out your most important tasks and focus on those first. Your timeboxing app should also support this prioritization. Using technology isn’t cheating; consider it a shortcut to getting things done. 

Time boxing (and time blocking, if that’s more your vibe) is a great way to schedule your tasks and improve operational efficiency. Dedicate specific periods to focus on a set of tasks or a particular type of work. And as tempting as it is, avoid distracting yourself with social media or the news!

With these tips, create a balanced routine incorporating your professional responsibilities and personal commitments. No one wants to suffer from burnout. Here are some of our favorite time management techniques you can steal:

• Set clear boundaries and stick to them
• Schedule some “me time” to focus on your well-being
• Say “no” sometimes if your schedule is full
• Take regular breaks to break up focus and relaxation time
• Use a timeboxing app to stay organized and on track

Try Toggl Track for time tracking accuracy

Toggl Track is an excellent addition to your larger timeboxing strategy because it seamlessly integrates with your to-do lists and task management apps. With a browser extension, you can track time effortlessly anywhere — say goodbye to tool fatigue!

While some timeboxing apps offer basic time tracking, Toggl Track takes it to the next level with comprehensive and customizable reporting features. These features allow you to identify inefficiencies and optimize your schedule.

Sign up for a free Toggl Track account and find out exactly what we mean!

We live in a beautiful world of some 1,500 ethnicities and over 7,000 languages spoken by people of different ages, abilities, and genders.

Yet, a quick look at a Fortune 500 leadership page suggests only one particular type of person can succeed in the corporate world. Yep! White, middle-aged men have been unjustly favored in the hiring process for decades. It’s time to change that. 

In the UK, the FTSE Women Leaders Review has set a recommendation that FTSE 350 companies have at least one woman in one of the four key roles by the end of 2025. The new EU Pay Transparency Directive also requires companies with a gender pay gap of above 5% to take immediate action.  

Moreover, many companies are taking voluntary steps to improve diversity hiring. Because they know the hard facts: 

Companies that value diversity have a 6.8% higher stock price, 4X higher employee engagement rates, and 3.3 lower staff turnover. 

Culture Amp 

If you, too, believe that bringing more voices to the table is better for business (and by proxy for the societies it operates in), here’s your primer on how to build a case and implement diversity hiring practices in 2025. 

What is diversity hiring?

Diversity hiring is the process of correcting conscious and unconscious bias in the talent acquisition process. 

Even the most experienced recruiters might unconsciously privilege certain candidates based on their socioeconomic background, prior experience, or educational credentials. Diversity hiring neutralizes biases related to age, ethnicity, religion, disability, and gender in hiring decisions, giving equal opportunities to every candidate. 

“Diversity hiring” doesn’t mean hiring someone because they tick a specific box,” clarifies Lauren Daly, Founder of Networkher UK. “It means giving every talented individual a fair shot at opportunities they may not have considered simply because the door hasn’t felt open to them.” 

Sadly, many candidates felt left on the “porch.” Female candidates are less likely to apply to advanced, high-paid open roles because they’re worried about not meeting all qualifications, according to Katherine B. Coffman, an Associate Professor at Harvard Business School. Including more precise requirements in the job description (a skills test passing threshold in the case of Coffman) drove 29% more female applicants. 

Women, and disproportionally women of color, also face higher occupational segregation. According to UN data, 62% of women work in the services industry, and only 4% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies identify as female. Similarly, 63% of LGBTQ+ people have dealt with some form of discrimination during their career, either being excluded from a promotion or treated with prejudice by colleagues. 

The purpose of diversity hiring is to ensure that companies hire people for the right skill sets, not ‘convenient’ or ‘conventional’ character attributes. 

Diversity vs. inclusion

Browse an HR blog or two, and you’ll quickly see the words diversity and inclusion (DEI) often go together. There’s a reason for this, but the two terms don’t actually mean the same thing.

Diversity hiring refers to the processes and tools we use when building a diverse workforce. It’s a strategic approach to the recruitment process, not an overarching theme for all areas of business organization.

Inclusion is an ongoing task that extends beyond the goal of recruiting diverse candidates. Inclusive companies develop policies and processes that contribute to cultivating diverse teams. For example, they might schedule work events to celebrate different cultures or implement cultural competence training.

That said, you can’t practice diverse hiring and then neglect workplace inclusion. People who feel alienated, misunderstood, and otherwise “passed over” in daily work will not be productive or stay with the company for long. 60% of Canadian employees would quit their jobs for benefits that are more inclusive of their colleagues’ diverse needs.

Diversity hiring vs. diversity hire

Another key distinction is between diversity hiring and diversity hires. Superficially, the two terms are almost identical, but they refer to different workplace concepts.

Diversity hiring is a systematic process that applies unbiased candidate assessments to source candidates with the skills companies need.

A diversity hire is an individual recruited to improve diversity metrics or tick HR boxes. They may have the required skills and suit the organizational culture, but without the right policies in place, a “diversity hire” usually happens more by accident than design.

Diversity hires also tend to face additional challenges in the workplace. Employees from different backgrounds might feel under increased pressure to deliver and feel more like a statistic than a human being — hardly a recipe for productivity and employee retention.

Diversity hiring helps leadership teams avoid this situation. A good diversity and inclusion hiring strategy means thinking beyond the quotas and focusing on systematic changes in talent acquisition, pay grading, succession planning, representation in management, and wider cultural transformations.  

Benefits of building a diverse workforce

Diversity hiring assumes major changes to your recruitment and selection process. Orchestrating change is tough, especially when you lack leadership buy-in. 

So, it’s important to understand why diversity and inclusion are critical parts of business success and communicate that data to others. Here are several statistics that we find particularly persuasive:

• Companies with high ethnic and gender diversity on executive teams economically outperform less diverse organizations by 39%. [McKinsey]

• Financial companies with above-average gender diversity outperform less diverse competitors by 8.3%. In healthcare, the figure is 9%, while real estate companies see an 8.2% dividend [Morgan Stanley]

• Companies that prioritize DEI increase employee happiness by 31% and motivation by 25%. Happier, more productive staff delivers better business outcomes. [BCG]

• Employees who strongly believe the organization doesn’t value diversity are more than three times more likely to leave within 12 months. [Culture Amp] 

The takeaway from these figures is simple: diversity delivers financial and organizational gains, and many companies are already capitalizing on these benefits. 

More likely to outperform competitors

Hard evidence from the US and the UK points towards a strong correlation between leadership diversity and company performance and profitability. 

David P. Daniels, a Professor at the National University of Singapore Business School, and his colleagues studied the stock market and investment trends to find the causal relationship between better financial outcomes and gender diversity. 

The majority of investors they spoke to believe that low diversity numbers would trigger a negative stock price reaction. High figures do the opposite. They’re also likely to support diverse firms more due to their perceived creativity, ethicality, and lower legal risks.

Respectively, a 1% increase in gender diversity among major tech firms like Google and eBay could increase their valuation by $152 million, researchers concluded.  

McKinsey data also confirms this: ethically and gender-diverse companies outperform their peers year over year by as much as 39%. 

Makes organizations more attractive to skilled professionals

In the age of remote work, top talents hail from every corner of the world. Employers who know how to attract and nurture diverse talent pools are less likely to suffer from skill shortages and ultra-high employee hiring costs. 

3 in 4 job seekers see workforce diversity as an important factor when applying for positions. As part of this, 64% of candidates expect job postings to include compensation data — and 44% chose to not apply when this data wasn’t public over the last 12 months.

Inclusive hiring becomes even more important as the workforce demographic shifts.

77% of US Gen Z workers want to work for a company that cares about diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as prioritize social and environmental responsibility. To attract the new generation of talents, you’ll need to blend better representation in employer branding with fair hiring practices. 

Brings a wider range of perspectives and approaches

Nine in ten employees have a positive experience working with and learning from colleagues of different backgrounds and perspectives. Such experiences neutralize groupthink and encourage more people to challenge the status quo, which is great for business. 

Korn Ferry research shows diverse teams make better decisions than homogenous ones 87% of the time, and are 70% more likely to succeed in new markets with new products. By reinforcing collective intelligence with different voices, companies can minimize uniformity in thinking, leading to bolder, more creative, and more impactful business ideas. 

Contributes to a fairer and more equitable society

Companies are increasingly held responsible by stakeholders, shareholders, and societies at large for their actions. And most have a massive platform to do good (rather than just pretending to with different washing campaigns).  

As part of its commitment to DEI, Heineken decided to challenge the stigma faced by female football players and fans. Its marketing team launched a ‘social swap’ experiment, asking Jill Scott MBE and Gary Neville to swap their social media accounts and post as one another. 

Although Gary posted on Jill’s account, she received five times more negative and sexist comments. The experiment turned into a marketing video, generating over 1 billion impressions, 7 million views, and crucial conversations about gender bias. 

We have the opportunity of such broad reach, as a long-standing sponsor of UEFA, to use our platform for good and challenge with initiatives like the Social Swap, all with the aim to refresh perspectives.

Pascale Throne, Global Diversity & Inclusion Head at Heineken

3 common challenges HR professionals face when implementing diversity hiring

Although diversity is a great investment, human resources teams often struggle to push through with their DEI initiatives. 

Why? Many companies lack data to justify investments. Only 15% of companies connect their DEI progress to business outcomes such as increased profitability or productivity.

Those who do get a green light often face internal resistance due to ingrained unconscious bias. “We all tend to seek out comfort and familiarity,” says Francesca Gino, Harvard Business School professor. “And this often translates into choosing to work with those who are like us.”

That’s why your organization always ends up with the same candidate pool, limited to a very homogenous group of people without the skills you need. To change that, consider addressing the following problematic areas. 

1. Unconscious bias

Unconscious biases are perspectives we have about certain people that form outside of our conscious awareness. For example, you may think a younger employee is less experienced than an older one. Or prioritize candidates from the same Alma Mater as you. 

The problem with unconscious biases is they’re subtle. But they also cause major havoc in the recruitment process. Many rule-based resume screening tools automatically discard or down-rank candidates with non-traditional backgrounds. So, interviewers fail to choose the best candidate 42% of the time due to bias. 

To fix that, DEI leaders adopt new practices, such as: 

• Adapting interview formats (47%) to suit differently abled candidates
• Building more diverse hiring teams (45%)
• Using blind recruitment techniques (33%).

2. Difficulty attracting diverse candidates

“Diverse candidates simply don’t apply to our company.” I’m sure you heard that rant on LinkedIn. And most won’t unless you make a targeted effort. 

A 2024 survey by the UK Recruitment and Employment Confederation found that 44% of employers don’t use inclusive language in job descriptions, 61% don’t have diverse interview panels, and 75% don’t name blind CV submissions. 

In other words — they do nothing to attract diverse candidates. 

Candidates from minority groups already struggle with confidence and a lingering fear of discrimination. They seek out workplaces with high psychological safety and acceptance levels. To attract them, your job promotion strategy must send a clear message: Everyone is welcome. 

Get inspiration from the best job descriptions to improve your candidate value proposition. Include information on your DEI policy and a call to action to encourage submissions from every type of candidate, regardless of age, ability, or background.

3. Resistance to change

Old habits are hard to shake off. When hiring managers and people teams don’t see problems in the hiring process, they don’t rush to fix them. Unfortunately, many people lack awareness about the pitiful state of diversity in their organizations — that is until they face the court of public opinion. 

Conduct a diversity audit to get the real numbers on gender and ethnic representation across your workforce.

Just like Levi Strauss, you may realize that representation reduces the closer you get to the top. While the company’s frontline workforce is wonderfully diverse, with 37% white, 28% Hispanic or Latinx workers, 18% Black, 10% Asian, and 5% other BIPOC, its corporate and even more so top management teams aren’t as diverse.

In 2020, this revelation triggered a greater focus on diverse hiring and better succession management practices. 

Tips for building a diversity recruiting strategy in 2025

Many people believe that DEI can positively impact recruitment and retention. But 70% also say their company lacks a proper framework. If you’re in that camp, start by applying the following tips. 

1. Get buy-in from leadership

Diversity requires commitment at all levels, but most importantly from leadership. You’ll face resistance at every level if your executives aren’t on board. 

Use the power of data to reason with other stakeholders. Articulate your business case by showing how investments in diverse hiring practices can address lingering problems like long time-to-fill, skills mismatches, or low workforce productivity rates. 

Link quantifiable DEI benefits to organizational goals.

For example, if the leaders are concerned with profitability, showcase how diversity hiring can reduce time-to-hire for new roles and help with skills acquisition. If retention is the problem, bring out cases of how a more equitable culture improves employee engagement, satisfaction, and productivity. 

When trying to secure buy-in for diversity, Javier Palomarez, president and CEO of The United States Hispanic Business Council, likes to start with a series of questions: “What does the employment market look like in your industry? What does the future employee look like for your brand? Does your leadership team — this is where a lot of companies fall short — reflect the markets you serve?”

2. Get creative with candidate sourcing

Let’s start with one of the core ideas of diversity hiring: If you can’t reach diverse candidates, you won’t ever be able to promote diversity in your workplace. Therefore, candidate sourcing is where diversity recruiting starts.

Switch from using only general job boards like Indeed and Monster to more inclusive ones like Pink Jobs or Diversity.com. If you’re doing campus recruitment, add new universities to your mix, serving more diverse groups of students.

As part of its Inclusive Futures program, Lloyd’s launched an early-careers talent pool designed to engage black and ethnically diverse candidates from partnering universities. The company aims to develop an ‘executive pipeline’ to bring more diverse groups from the classroom to the boardroom.

It also helps to attend recruitment events that attract diverse attendees. These events could be in person, but groups like Work Without Limits also run virtual recruitment fairs — a great way to attract those with disabilities. 

Companies can also establish mutually beneficial links with diversity advocates or community groups. For instance, Lady Bird Talent runs Hire Women Week in January and promotes careers for women and non-binary folks all year round.

3. Try blind hiring tools

Another critical task when hiring diverse teams is removing sources of bias. Not an easy task, but a feasible one with the right blind recruitment tools for candidate screening. 

Blind recruitment software anonymizes candidate information during the hiring process. HR professionals may unwittingly pass judgment when seeing ethnic names, gender identifiers, age, or other personal identifiers.

By removing these from the beginning of the candidate screening process, you shift the attention to skills and qualifications.

Mobile startup, Listonic was tired of inviting the ‘wrong’ candidates for interviews—people who looked good on paper but lacked the necessary competencies. So Emil Krzeminski decided to try something new — remove resume screening from the hiring process and use skill assessments to recruit new sales partners.

“I knew that if I look at resumes, I will unintentionally start judging candidates by certain characteristics,” Emil shared. “Toggl Hire’s screening tests helped us assess candidates objectively and focus only on the most qualified ones.”

4. Check the language in your job descriptions

Read through some of your past job descriptions, ideally for recruitment processes that failed to deliver diverse employees. Do they contain biased terms like “hard-hitting” (which could sound excessively macho) or “dynamic” (which could deter older applicants)?

Use inclusive language to describe core job requirements. Foreground necessary skills and qualifications for job performance. Setting the bar too high deters less confident people — a huge diversity hiring snafu.

As the World Economic Forum’s 2023 report shows, more women respond to job offers with clear qualification requirements.

Writing an inviting and inclusive job description doesn’t add much overhead to your HR team. 

• Balance the gender tone. Use a good mix of masculine-tone phrases as feminine ones to attract a balanced mix of candidates. Phrases like “Prove you can crush deadlines” or “ someone who thrives under pressure” have a more masculine undertone versus female counterparts like “Showcase your ability to meet goals” or “someone who excels in dynamic environments.”

• Remove arbitrary candidate requirements. Information like college major, graduation year, GPAs, location, or even full years of experience in a particular sector is largely irrelevant for most jobs. When describing candidate requirements, focus on the skills and competencies you seek. You can leave some of these in a “nice-to-haves” section to encourage more applications. 

• Add a diversity statement. In the US, employers are legally obliged to include an EEO Policy Statement in all job descriptions. In other jurisdictions, it’s not mandatory but much recommended. Briefly summarize your commitment to providing diversity and equality opportunities to every candidate. 

5. Implement skills testing

Skills-based hiring progressively replaces traditional hiring approaches. It lowers the time and cost to hire while increasing candidate quality and workplace diversity. 

Testing eliminates bias from job candidate evaluations. Fully or semi-anonymized skill assessments provide recruiters with concrete evidence of the candidate’s aptitude for the role. As one of the screening methods, tests also benchmark one candidate against another based on their performance in different areas.

For example, knowledge of Android app development or remote work readiness. This way, you can fairly compare people’s abilities without focusing as much on their ‘clout’ or some other (un)favorable characteristics. 

From our experience with hiring remote employees across 40+ countries, skills assessments act as a great competency filter for shortlisting candidates faster and without bias. 

6. Develop a diverse employer brand

Poor brand reputation can deter people from diverse backgrounds. Think of some inappropriate remarks by your leadership or public complaints on Glassdoor from current employees. 

Candidates constantly form opinions about companies based on stories or (in the worst cases) scandals they see online — and those are plenty. 

Roblox came under public scrutiny after its current and former staffers came forward about the company’s lackluster diversity efforts. The C-suites reportedly had very ‘lax’ attitudes towards the problem, like a VP saying that he was working on hiring more women but wasn’t sure if it ‘counted’ if they were all of East Asian descent. 🤦‍♀️ 

Uber, in turn, had to issue hasty apologies after (its now-former) Chief Diversity Officer hosted DEI sessions titled “Don’t Call me Karen”, which many BIPOC employees found very diminutive and offensive. 

If you don’t want to repeat the same employer branding mistakes, you’ll need to practice listening to your employees and using their voices both to address root problems and showcase your progress to others. 

Uber made amends by finding a better executive to lead their DEI and working with its staff to ensure similar issues won’t reoccur. The company has since launched a Global Self-Identification (GSID) program and thought leadership series designed to explain how the company uses DEI data to advance our workforce, workplace, and even marketplace goals. 

Follow the lead and start sharing stories (no matter how big or small) about how your company aims to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. Showcase positive stories about the achievements of diverse employees.

7. Use a diverse interview team

Fact: homogenous hiring teams produce homogenous results. Diverse recruitment teams are more likely to consider potential candidates of different backgrounds. 

Take a look at your hiring panels. Do they reflect the diversity within your organization? Are you bringing a wide enough outlook? 

Diversifying hiring panels makes a big difference. Heineken wants to see 30% of senior management roles occupied by women in 2025. To do so, the company has created an internal Global Commerce Talent Committee, which now ensures at least one female candidate is shortlisted for every senior sales vacancy. To avoid bias, all company interviews also have a gender-diverse panel. 

8. Stick to structured interviews

DEI teams create standardized interview guides to promote fair assessments. During the first round(s), favor a structured interview process over an unstructured one to give all qualified candidates an equal opportunity. 

A structured interview includes a list of predefined questions and a standard scorecard for all applicants. Each interviewer then provides a score, and the team decides on progression based on the cumulative score. 

Structured interview questions should be role-related. Look for evidence of candidates’ skills and competencies rather than focusing on how they acquired these. Situational interview questions are handy. They ask candidates to role-play relevant scenarios, providing valuable information about how they would respond to workplace challenges without dwelling too much on their background. 

How do you retain diverse talent?

Diverse hiring is the first step of a wider DEI journey. You also need to build an environment of inclusion and diversity to retain the new hires. People who witness or experience discrimination, bias, or disrespect are nearly 1.4 times more likely to resign. That’s the last thing you want. 

To cultivate and retain a content, diverse workforce: 

• Offer diversity training programs to managers. Bias and cultural faux pas often come from a lack of awareness. Coach your senior staff to adapt their behaviors to a wider range of employee needs. To improve its DEI efforts, Ingka Group (parent company of IKEA) had over 1,400 senior managers complete the program. This helped the company achieve a 50/50 gender balance in management positions (all levels of management) and improve its inclusion score to 80%.  

• Create better career progression paths. Employees quit jobs when they see no opportunities for advancement. Diverse candidates hit the ‘glass ceiling’ more often due to the lack of visible representation at higher positions and prejudiced succession planning programs. 20% of BIPOC employees see racial identity as a barrier to career growth, and 35% suspect this but are not certain. In contrast, only 10% and 12% of white employees feel the same way. Review your workforce planning strategy to ensure you’re giving equitable opportunities to advance people of different backgrounds, genders, and abilities. 

• Create affinity groups. To cultivate a greater sense of belonging, create internal communities where employees with similar identities or interests can connect for support, mentorship, or just some casual chit-chat. Nike runs several employee-led networks for members and friends of the LGBTQ+, veteran, BIPOC, indigenous, and disabled communities. 

Retention should be as important as diverse hiring. Without driving deeper cultural transformations in your company, you’ll fail to gain tangible benefits diverse teams can bring. 

Is diversity hiring legal?

Yes, diversity hiring is legal in most jurisdictions, provided companies adopt the correct procedures and respect local labor laws. 

Although critics may not agree. For decades, recruiters drifted towards affirmative action to solve racial or gender disparities. HR teams set quotas and created training programs for underrepresented groups.

Critics often accused recruiters (and still do) of hiring minority employees at the expense of others (generally middle-aged white men). The idea of ‘reverse discrimination’ argues that employers favor groups or special interests, skewing their recruitment processes to meet social or political goals.

A June 2023 Supreme Court case struck down “race-based admissions programs” to US colleges. Soon after, 13 attorney generals wrote a letter to Fortune 100 CEOs. The AGs stated that companies “must overcome…underlying bias and treat all employees, all applicants, and all contractors equally, without regard for race.”

Global regulators argue for a simple principle: Employers cannot hire people from protected groups solely based on their ethnic origins or other personal characteristics. They need a robust justification based on the role and skill requirements. Anything else is discrimination. 

To make sure your diversity hiring program doesn’t cross any red lines, you need to design it in compliance with these laws. 👇

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) manages a suite of laws that seek to prevent discrimination at work. EEO includes the hiring process, workplace compensation, promotion, and assigning workloads.

Under Equal Employment Opportunity laws, companies cannot discriminate against individuals based on:

• Race
• National origin or ethnicity
• Gender or sexual orientation
• Age
• Disability (physical or mental)
• Religion

The consequences of ignoring EEO legislation are severe. In 2021, Wal-Mart received a $125 million fine for discriminating against an employee with Down Syndrome.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act has protected disability rights since 1990 and extends protected status to those with physical and mental disabilities (listed as conditions that “substantially limit one or more major life activities.”) Employers must avoid discrimination when hiring and take reasonable steps to accommodate disabled employees at work.

Employment Equality Directive

The EED is the European Union’s version of EEO. As in the USA, European employers must accommodate all employees and create and apply policies to prevent victimization, harassment, and discrimination.

Racial Equality Directive 

The EU’s Racial Equality Directive (RED) complements the EED. The RED prohibits discrimination based on race and mandates support for victims of racial discrimination or harassment. Companies also need to quickly remedy any instances of victimization, whether individual or systemic.

Gender Equality Directive  

The Gender Equality Directive (GED) prohibits gender-based discrimination across the EU. Candidates should be treated equally during recruitment, promotion procedures, or everyday work, regardless of their gender.

The GED includes provisions to enforce gender-neutral wording and imagery in job advertisements. It enforces neutrality throughout the recruitment pipeline — another good reason to create a diversity hiring strategy that minimizes bias at every stage.

How to measure the effectiveness of your diversity recruiting efforts

The purpose of diverse hiring is to eliminate systemic inequalities from your hiring process to judge candidates based on their merit, rather than personal attributes. But to solve the problem, you first need to diagnose it. 

“Data serves as the compass that guides our efforts towards achieving equality within our organization,” shared Salesforce Chief Equality Officer Lori Castillo Martinez. “It enables us to pinpoint the areas where we need to direct our focus and resources for maximum impact.” 

Salesforce data suggested a low representation of Black leaders in the US on VP levels and above. So, the company launched several equality and leadership development programs to support career growth among employees in this group. 

To ensure your efforts are directed at the right targets, you should track the right DEI metrics at the hiring stage. Namely:

• Interview-to-hire ratios for candidates of different backgrounds and gender to ensure they’re moving through the recruitment pipeline. 

• Offer acceptance rates to understand if applicants align with your culture and working environment. They can also diagnose pay inequality among different groups of people. 

• Sources of hire. Measure which channels bring a more diverse range of applicants to optimize your promotion strategies. 

• Retention rates by demographic groups. Benchmark employee retention rates among different groups to identify potential retention issues with diverse hires. 

Also, keep track of the workforce composition at different company tiers. Measure what percentage of people from diverse backgrounds are present at each level — frontline, management, executive, and board. Set targets if necessary, but don’t just hire to meet those targets. Stay focused on objectively measuring candidate competencies regarding the open role. 

Examples of diversity hiring goals

Just like any other hiring initiative, diversity hiring has to be backed by a specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (aka SMART) recruitment goal. 

For example: 

• Diversify recruitment channels. Set targets for trying alternative recruitment channels and strategies for candidate sourcing. Slack got ahead in DEI by recruiting many of its tech staffers from coding boot camps that trained underrepresented talent.

• Address pay equity. Gender pay gaps persist in many companies and have recently become a governmental concern. New salary transparency laws across the EU, the US, and APAC force employees to disclose salaries during recruitment and, in some cases, report gender pay gap statistics publicly. To address this, conduct an internal compensation review to ensure you offer fair, competitive compensation to new hires and current employees. 

• Improve the quality of hire. Quality of hire is a composite metric that reflects the value of new employees. It can be measured through turnover rates, job performance, employee engagement, and cultural fit with a 360 rating. By removing biases from the hiring process and using skills-based assessments, you’re more likely to attract strong matches. 

Remember, diverse hiring goals don’t have to be ‘moonshot.’ Small, targeted improvements across the entire recruitment cycle create a compounding positive net effect over time. 

Build diverse teams with Toggl Hire

Diverse companies are resilient and profitable. Organizations that incorporate different perspectives excel in talent acquisition, employer branding, workplace productivity, and ultimately—financial metrics.  

However, to make huge strides, you’ll need to upgrade your recruitment process. 

Toggl Hire helps companies build a more diversity-focused recruiting strategy with skills-based hiring. Tailor tests for different roles to find candidates with the right competencies without using bias-prone measures like ‘age’, ‘tenure’, or ‘college degree’.  

Give everyone a fair shot without overwhelming your recruitment teams with cheat-proof responses, automated grading, and data-driven candidate insights.