Onboarding Gap Analysis: ADP & Paylocity

The Non-Standard Onboarding Gap

Welcome to the analysis of how legacy HCM architectures like ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity handle the modern, flexible workforce. While 40% of the global workforce is now contingent, these systems remain optimized for W-2 employees, creating significant manual overhead. This dashboard explores the data behind these technical gaps.

42%

Manual Reliance

Companies relying on spreadsheets/email to onboard contractors due to system rigidity.

2.1/5

User Satisfaction

Average G2 score for "Customization for Contractors" features across both platforms.

3x

Admin Burden

Increase in administrative hours to process an international hire vs. a domestic W-2.

Sentiment Snapshot

"We have to create 'dummy' SSNs just to get contractors into ADP so they can be paid. It messes up our reporting every quarter."

— HRIS Manager, Manufacturing

"Paylocity's onboarding wizard is great for US employees, but it completely breaks if an address doesn't match US zip code formats."

— People Ops Director, Tech

The Process Fracture

Toggle between the "Standard Path" (W-2) and the "Contractor Path" to see where the architecture breaks down. The rigidity of mandatory fields creates "Hard Stops" that force users out of the system.

Step 1: Invite Sent

↓

Step 2: Employee Self-Service

Enters SSN, Bank Info, Tax Forms

↓

Step 3: Auto-Validation

System checks format against US standards

↓

🎉 Success: Synced to Payroll

Capabilities Head-to-Head

Comparing ADP Workforce Now and Paylocity on five critical "Flexibility Dimensions" required for non-standard hiring. Data normalized from user review sentiment analysis.

Flexibility Score (1-5)

ADP

Paylocity

ADP Weakness

Custom Fields: Highly rigid. Users report that even if custom fields are created for contractors, they often fail to sync with the core payroll module, creating data silos.

Paylocity Weakness

Global Address Logic: While UI is rated higher, the underlying validation logic strictly enforces US/Canadian postal formats, blocking international contractor entry.

Shared Pain Point

"All or Nothing" Workflows: Neither platform effectively allows a "Light" onboarding track. Contractors often see confusing screens regarding 401k or Health Benefits which don't apply to them.

Time Impact Calculator

How much time is your team losing to manual workarounds? Adjust the hiring volume slider to see the cumulative impact of non-standard onboarding inefficiencies compared to automated W-2 processes.

Annual Non-Standard Hires

50

Contractors / Seasonals

Projected Wasted Hours 340 hrs/yr

*Calculation based on average 6.8 hour differential between automated W-2 (1.2hr) and manual Contractor (8.0hr) processes including email loops and data entry.

Cumulative Time Cost Analysis

Technical Blockers Log

Drill down into the specific system errors that cause the workflow breaks. Click on a bar to see the technical detail.

Click bars for details

👈

Select an Error Type

Click on the chart bars to view specific technical limitations and user complaints regarding that error category.