HRMS Features Checklist India 2026: Must-Have vs Nice-to-Have
Complete HRMS features checklist: must-have (payroll, attendance) vs nice-to-have (performance, recruitment). Jan 2026.
HRMS Features Checklist
Must-Have (Tier 1)
✅ Payroll: Auto-calc salary, PF, ESI, PT, TDS
✅ Attendance: Biometric/geofencing/manual
✅ Leave management: Apply, approve, balance
✅ Employee self-service: Download payslip, apply leave
✅ PF/ESI auto-filing: 1-click filing
✅ Compliance updates: Auto (same-day)
✅ Mobile app: Android/iOS
✅ Reports: Payroll, attendance, compliance
All major HRMS (PeopleVio, Keka, GreytHR, Zoho) have all Tier 1.
Nice-to-Have (Tier 2)
⚠️ Performance management: OKRs, reviews (Keka ✅, PeopleVio ⚠️ basic)
⚠️ Recruitment/ATS: Job posting, candidate tracking (Keka ⚠️ basic, Workable ✅ advanced)
⚠️ Onboarding: Digital offer letter, doc collection (Keka ✅, PeopleVio ⚠️ basic)
⚠️ Learning management: Training courses (Darwinbox ✅, others ❌)
⚠️ Employee engagement: Surveys, pulse checks (Darwinbox ✅, others ❌)
Rarely Needed (Tier 3)
❌ Succession planning: (Darwinbox ✅, others ❌)
❌ Multi-country payroll: (Darwinbox ✅, others India-only)
❌ ESOPs management: (Darwinbox ✅, others ❌)
Feature Priority by Company Size
<50 emp: Tier 1 sufficient (PeopleVio ₹36K/year)
50-200 emp: Tier 1 + some Tier 2 (Keka ₹60K/year or PeopleVio ₹36K)
200+ emp: Tier 1 + Tier 2 + some Tier 3 (Darwinbox ₹1.44L/year)
Checklist Summary
Before buying HRMS, check:
- All Tier 1 features present
- Mobile app (>4.0★ rating)
- FREE biometric integration (or budget +₹2K/mo)
- 14+ day trial
- India servers (data residency)
- Same-day compliance updates
Best all-around: PeopleVio (all Tier 1, ₹36K/year)
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