Ascentis (discontinued) vs. Paycom

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ascentis (discontinued)
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Ascentis HR uses web-based management programs to help automate complex HR processes. Ascentis’ other services included customizable payroll, time and attendance and recruiting modules. Ascentis was acquired by UKG in March of 2022, and will be discontinued.N/A
Paycom
Score 7.5 out of 10
N/A
Paycom supports HR and payroll with automated, employee-first technology that supports every stage of employment. Its single database enables seamless data management, to reduce errors, endless data entry and time-consuming administrative tasks.N/A
Pricing
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Features
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Human Resource Management
Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.1
Ratings
10% below category average
Paycom
7.9
Ratings
1% above category average
Employee demographic data6.70 Ratings9.00 Ratings
Employment history7.30 Ratings8.60 Ratings
Job profiles and administration6.90 Ratings8.20 Ratings
Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.6.70 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Organizational charting5.20 Ratings7.40 Ratings
Organization and location management8.00 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)8.80 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
2% below category average
Paycom
8.1
Ratings
2% above category average
Pay calculation7.10 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Support for external payroll vendors6.10 Ratings6.40 Ratings
Off-cycle/On-Demand payment8.30 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Benefit plan administration6.70 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Direct deposit files9.20 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management8.60 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Reimbursement management8.80 Ratings7.30 Ratings
Leave and Attendance Management
Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.8
Ratings
2% below category average
Paycom
7.7
Ratings
4% below category average
Approval workflow7.90 Ratings7.90 Ratings
Balance details7.00 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Annual carry-forward and encashment8.40 Ratings7.80 Ratings
Employee Self Service
Comparison of Employee Self Service features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.0
Ratings
14% below category average
Paycom
8.9
Ratings
10% above category average
View and generate pay and benefit information7.80 Ratings9.80 Ratings
Update personal information8.60 Ratings9.60 Ratings
View company policy documentation5.40 Ratings8.70 Ratings
Employee recognition6.00 Ratings7.30 Ratings
View job history7.30 Ratings8.90 Ratings
Asset Management
Comparison of Asset Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.8
Ratings
33% below category average
Paycom
4.9
Ratings
49% below category average
Tracking of all physical assets5.80 Ratings4.90 Ratings
HR Reporting
Comparison of HR Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.3
Ratings
17% below category average
Paycom
6.7
Ratings
11% below category average
Report builder7.00 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Pre-built reports7.50 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Ability to combine HR data with external data4.60 Ratings5.80 Ratings
Onboarding
Comparison of Onboarding features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.1
Ratings
43% below category average
Paycom
7.8
Ratings
1% below category average
New hire portal5.30 Ratings8.00 Ratings
Manager tracking tools4.90 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Performance and Goals
Comparison of Performance and Goals features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
7.2
Ratings
9% below category average
Paycom
5.6
Ratings
34% below category average
Corporate goal setting6.70 Ratings4.20 Ratings
Individual goal setting7.60 Ratings6.90 Ratings
Line-of sight-visibility7.10 Ratings4.80 Ratings
Performance tracking7.20 Ratings6.20 Ratings
Performance Management
Comparison of Performance Management features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
6.0
Ratings
27% below category average
Paycom
7.1
Ratings
10% below category average
Performance plans5.60 Ratings7.50 Ratings
Performance improvement plans5.60 Ratings7.10 Ratings
Review status tracking5.80 Ratings7.60 Ratings
Review reminders6.50 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Multiple review frequency6.60 Ratings6.10 Ratings
Succession Planning
Comparison of Succession Planning features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.9
Ratings
28% below category average
Paycom
6.8
Ratings
14% below category average
Create succession plans/pools6.40 Ratings9.10 Ratings
Candidate ranking6.40 Ratings6.80 Ratings
Candidate search5.00 Ratings5.80 Ratings
Candidate development5.80 Ratings5.40 Ratings
Recruiting / ATS
Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of Product A and Product B
Ascentis (discontinued)
5.5
Ratings
34% below category average
Paycom
5.8
Ratings
29% below category average
Job Requisition Management5.40 Ratings5.90 Ratings
Company Website Posting5.20 Ratings5.30 Ratings
Publish to Social Media5.60 Ratings4.90 Ratings
Job Search Site Posting5.80 Ratings5.30 Ratings
Duplicate Candidate Prevention5.60 Ratings6.30 Ratings
Applicant Tracking5.70 Ratings5.40 Ratings
Notifications and Alerts5.30 Ratings7.20 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Small Businesses
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Dayforce Powerpay
Dayforce Powerpay
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Paypro Workforce Management
Paypro Workforce Management
Score 9.7 out of 10
Enterprises
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
PeopleStrong
PeopleStrong
Score 9.9 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Likelihood to Recommend
7.2
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
6.3
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.6
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Availability
6.7
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Performance
7.1
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
8.2
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.0
(0 ratings)
6.4
(0 ratings)
Online Training
8.3
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.3
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Configurability
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
3.0
(0 ratings)
5.5
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
6.7
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.6
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.6
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Ascentis (discontinued)Paycom
Likelihood to Recommend
In working with Ascentis in payroll, the program makes my job so much easier. I am new to this position and the learning process has been so much easier with this product than those in the past. I appreciate the patience I am given when I call in for assistance as well.
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It's very mobile friendly, especially for people that aren't tech savvy. We have an aged workforce where we were really concerned about how they would adapt, going from the comfort of using paper to a mobile and online application. But the training was really easy and the adaptation has been simple for us as a company.
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Pros
  • Easy to use software. I have had several new HR employees comment on how easy the system is to learn!
  • Problem Solving- Ascentis is always problem solving! When we were in the process of selecting a new payroll company, we needed unemployment claims management assistance for our locations, something Ascentis did not currently offer. The sales rep went out of his way to find a unemployment claims management company that would work with Ascentis and us. That company has helped us keep an 80% win rate for our claims!
  • User conference- Engage is an awesome way to learn more about the products Ascentis has available as well and meet up with the staff you work with every day!
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  • I think that it's just really user friendly on both sides, the employer and the employee side. I think from the employer side, once you get a niche of it and how it works, it's really easy to troubleshoot on your own. At least from my experience, you rarely have to call your contact because it's just so easy to try to figure out on your own. And on the employee side, I feel like the fact that we get to see what employees see, but before we put anything out really helps us help them if they are running into any issues. But typically when we do send something out, we just did our performance reviews, no issues whatsoever. It kind of takes you step by step. I feel like it just does a really good job of seamlessly taking people step by step in every process throughout whatever they're doing in Paycom.
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Cons
  • Updating the system so it is one platform and not two.
  • Create changes to the benefit enrollment process and upgrade the system so hire dates do not need to be changed to trigger benefits for status changes.
  • Focus updates on HR Admin, mobile application, ATS and transitioning to one platform. Larger areas of focus have been on the payroll portion of the system with a few updates to other areas.
  • When something is broken, quicker turn time on fixing the issue.
  • System needs updates to support AAP reporting.
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  • We wish that Paycom would offer more hands-on help. A lot of our specialist is great in helping us to resolve whatever issues that we have. However, it's just a list of steps to get there. It's not necessarily like, "hey, here you go, here's the resolution to your problem." So if we don't already understand how to do something, providing steps doesn't necessarily clear that understanding up or provide any clarification.
  • Additionally, I find that for our organization in particular, we have specific niches within it that Paycom doesn't really address or has any solution on how to address it. It just remains unresolved to this day and we continue to have errors in that area.
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Likelihood to Renew
If I were given the opportunity to select a new system, Ascentis would definitely be a strong contender. It links together the functions much more seamlessly than other systems I have used. By far the best part though is the customer support after implementation, this is where many companies fail. It was very appreciated that even after every module went live the service level was still high.
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Because it has everything that we need and as we grow, we are learning how robust Paycom can actually be but we need to be willing to spend the money. It's not expensive but we, as a company, are not used to spending that much on a system for HR and payroll.
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Usability
Employees and Management all love this product, as the ease of use is great! The app makes it very user friendly, as things can be done from cell phones anywhere at any time! Our Field Service Technicians love that they can clock in and out, etc., from any location, and that their time can be approved accordingly.
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The interface is very intuitive, you can navigate it pretty well. Everything's pretty much spelled out and the features just flow really well. They make it easy for you to go back and forth with the UX/UI type of interface. So I think it was built pretty well.
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Reliability and Availability
They normally give you notice when an update will affect the use of the system. Otherwise, when we have an error , we send a message to the support team. Sometimes someone will get right back with you and sometimes it takes a while.
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They are very dependable and I have never experience any outages
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Performance
Yes, this pages do load pretty good but there are times when things are slow and I believe that's because they are sometimes trying to do updates.
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Yes, Paycom's performance is excellent, no issues.
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Support Rating
Support is attentive and quick to answer the call and get the answer for you. If they for any reason cannot answer right then, they are back to you within a day and always seem to have a sense of urgency. You truly get the impression that they are aiming to make you happy.
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Our TSR has been wonderful to work with. Every step of the
way he was quick to respond and answer any questions we had. I knew I could
reach him at any time (day or night) and he would be available to assist.
Implementing a new HRIS system is obviously a huge task and I contribute all
our success to our rep Kurt! Of course, with any implementation, there were
bumps along the way and issues. But I always knew we would work as a team to
get those issues figured out. Working in the Paycom system has been smooth and
easy to learn and I enjoy the employee self-service interface. Our managers
have had positive things to say and are all excited about the changes we have
been able to make to our organization due to Paycom being implemented.
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In-Person Training
First, to clarify our "in-person" training was done mainly through Web-X meetings and conference calls. It was the closest thing we got to as far as an "in-person" training for this software. However, for the large majority of it, this type of training worked out well. We were able to share our screens and the trainer was able to share his/her screen. We could follow along with what we were doing in our database in real time and see how different functions worked and how manipulating our information could produce different results. It was also nice in that it provided for real-time results if something hadn't been coded correctly or we were having issues as to why something wasn't working the way we thought it should be. However, it did have some downsides in that we often had to rely on a conference phone and that made it difficult to hear people on both sides. Also, sometimes the trainers had internet difficulties when working from home and that caused issues with the WebX meetings.
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They were a sales person and not really a good trainer.
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Online Training
Ascentis HR has a number of online training videos to watch on a number of different topics. I gave it a lower rating because there is not much interactivity with the videos and it seems to cater to really only one or two learning styles. Plus, one has to be pretty motivated to go to a separate area to access the videos and then pull up a specific one to watch it and then learn. From my experience, people know that they are there, many just don't take the time and effort to go find them and actually watch them - especially since the username and password are different from their normal username and password.
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It was good, but hard to know what questions you need to ask until you actually get in there and start working with a live product. But Paycom is also very helpful every time I call and can't figure something out. Nathan has been very friendly and helpful no matter what I call him about. He is always eager to help out.
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Implementation Rating
It was very easy to implement, but the customization pieces should really be fleshed out in order to determine the full need of an organization at the time of implementation. I believe if a little more time was spent on the requirements, the recruiting module would not have to be customized again at a cost at a later date.
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Not at all satisfied it was a nightmare we spent over 8 months with the implementation team having issues after issues all related to the Puerto Rico regulations (half my employees are in Puerto Rico) and at the end we were moved over from the implementation team to the production team without all the issues being resolved
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Alternatives Considered
Ascentis has far better customer service and the implementation experience was also better. The ability to do a lot of customization is also easier with Ascentis as it's smaller organization. The payroll has positive and negatives compared to ADP but the accuracy is the same in both. Ascentis just started their community site which doesn't have a lot of traffic but hopefully can become more like ADP's community site, which was extremely helpful to me as an administrator.
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We really only had Paychecks and that was our biggest problem is that with several different companies, it was very hard If you had a salary employee and didn't terminate them in the prior company, they get paid twice, so this has really been definitely a big help for us.
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Scalability
Large acquisition would be very complicated, seems more appropriate for companies under 100
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Paycom is very user friendly
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Return on Investment
  • It has been great to have all of our employee information in one central location, easy access and that the modules communicate/link together. If I change something here, it gets "pushed" to all other modules.
  • I do not maximize ESS, particularly posting information on the home page because it is so TEDIOUS.
  • LOVE the app, would love for it to be easier for employees to reset their password to whatever they want vs. the system generated password.
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  • I would think the most time would come from applicant tracking and I don't think that's a Paycom issue necessarily. I think it was a training issue during implementation. I would say that that has improved now that we had onsite training. But initially the applicant tracking piece can be difficult when you're used to just using an ATS. That's specifically for talent acquisition because there's a lot of nuances that goes into the system that Paycom bills.
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ScreenShots

Ascentis (discontinued) Screenshots

Screenshot of Access all of your details including, paychecks, personal file, timeclock, etc via our mobile app.Screenshot of Punch-in and punch-out on the go.Screenshot of Centralized location for everything related to a user or admin.Screenshot of Every employee has access to their personal information in one location.Screenshot of Pre-built reporting along with Ad Hoc reporting gives you the ability to understand your business as a whole.Screenshot of Benefit enrollment made easy for your employees.

Paycom Screenshots

Screenshot of a new study that reveals that for a composite organization representative of interviewed clients, unifying HR and payroll in a single-database software with automation and streamlined workflows achieved a three-year 362% ROI and resulted in: $1.4M net present value*; over 45% total time saved by HR; 80% time saved on compliance work.Screenshot of IWant, which is a command-driven AI engine in a single database, for instant access to employee data.Screenshot of Direct Data Exchange®, which takes a detailed pulse of how employees interact with Paycom. It automatically assigns a dollar value of savings based on Ernst & Young research.