Compensation Management Software Evolves with AI and Analytics to Drive Workforce Strategies, ISG Says
Enterprises turn to comprehensive software providers to ensure pay and talent decisions are made with intelligence and optimization, new research says
Total compensation management (TCM) software has become the core of most large enterprise compensation programs, combining multiple functions into one operating model that fulfills both financial and talent requirements, according to new research from global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III).
The ISG Buyers Guide™ for Total Compensation Management, produced by ISG Software Research, provides the rankings and ratings of 23 software providers and their products to support compensation design, planning, administration, analytics and communication. The research finds that the compensation software category has expanded to support increasingly complex enterprise requirements and continues to evolve amid the growing importance of analytics and AI for retaining and managing talent in a workforce. The ISG Buyers Guide for Compensation Emerging Providers, published in conjunction with the TCM report, rates and ranks 11 software providers that capture the innovation frontier of the compensation software market.
"Decisions about compensation have become continuous and cross-functional, requiring collaboration across finance, business and human resources in a shared environment," said Matthew Brown, director of research, Human Capital Management, ISG Software Research. "TCM is an operating system for compensation that helps to make sure pay decisions are equitable, explainable and economically sound."
Analytics is an increasingly important part of TCM software, the research finds. TCM platforms use analytics not just for retrospective reporting but to diagnose issues with compensation practices and prescribe actions to improve performance, especially around pay equity and regulatory compliance. In recent years, TCM has also become a system for both control and employee communication, ISG says. As companies recognize the strategic importance of employee experience for engagement, retention and trust, leading platforms incorporate more features to ensure transparency and help managers communicate effectively.
TCM software providers are beginning to use AI to meet enterprise talent and workforce retention needs. TCM platforms include models that generate recommendations, detect anomalies and simulate outcomes regarding salaries, bonuses and equity. Through 2027, the majority of enterprises evaluating compensation management software will include automated pay equity modeling and anomaly detection as requirements, ISG predicts. While they increasingly embrace AI, organizations also demand the ability to audit and explain its operation so compensation committees and managers can understand the rationale behind suggestions.
Emerging providers of compensation management software often address the same foundational needs as established players but differentiate their offerings with faster iteration, novel data models, embedded intelligence or reimagined user experiences. This evolving set of software providers offers options that can accelerate time to value or introduce capabilities that challenge the status quo and meet specific enterprise needs.
For its 2025 Buyers Guide for Total Compensation Management, ISG evaluated software providers across four platform categories: Total Compensation Management, Compensation Insights, Compensation Operations and Compensation Planning. A total of 23 providers were assessed: 15Five, ADP, Anaplan, BambooHR, beqom, Cornerstone, Darwinbox, Dayforce, HiBob, HRSoft, Infor, isolved, Oracle, Paycom, Paycor, Paylocity, Payscale, PeopleFluent, Salary.com, SAP, UKG, Unit4 and Workday.
ISG Software Research rates software providers in four evaluation categories: Product Experience, incorporating Capability and Platform, and Customer Experience. Providers ranked in the top three for each evaluation category are named as Leaders. Within each platform category, those with the most Leader rankings are named as Overall Leaders.
The Overall Leaders of the 2025 Buyers Guide for Total Compensation Management were the following:
Total Compensation Management: Oracle was the top Overall Leader, followed by ADP and Salary.com. Oracle and ADP were designated as Leaders in four evaluation categories and Salary.com was a Leader in three. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Payscale and SAP. No providers were rated Innovative.
Compensation Insights: Oracle was the top Overall Leader, followed by Salary.com and ADP. Oracle, Salary.com and ADP each were designated Leaders in three evaluation categories. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Payscale. SAP and Workday were rated Innovative.
Compensation Operations: Oracle was the top Overall Leader, followed by ADP and Salary.com. Oracle and ADP each were designated Leaders in five evaluation categories, and Salary.com was a Leader in four. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with beqom, Dayforce, Payscale, SAP, Workday and UKG. Darwinbox, Infor and Unit4 were rated Innovative.
Compensation Planning: Oracle was the top Overall Leader, followed by Salary.com and ADP. Oracle was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, Salary.com in three and ADP in three. All three Overall Leaders were rated Exemplary, along with Anaplan, beqom, Dayforce, Payscale and SAP. UKG and Workday were rated Innovative.
For its 2025 Buyers Guide for Compensation Emerging Providers, ISG evaluated software providers in one platform category: Compensation. A total of 11 providers were assessed: Aeqium, BetterComp, ChartHop, CompLogix, Compport, Decusoft, Lattice, Leapsome, Pave, Quisitive and Zimyo.
The Overall Leaders of the 2025 Buyers Guide for Compensation Emerging Providers were the following:
Compensation: Pave was the top Overall Leader, followed by Lattice and Leapsome. Pave was designated a Leader in four evaluation categories, while Lattice and Leapsome were Leaders in three categories each. Compport, Lattice and Pave were rated Exemplary. Aeqium, ChartHop and Decusoft were rated Innovative.
"As enterprises compete for talent while facing tighter budgets and more refined workforces, they look to compensation management software to help them retain talent and gain the insights and ability to guide operations and planning processes," said Mark Smith, partner and chief software analyst, ISG Software Research. "The unified research report on total compensation provides specific guidance on how software providers and their products meet clients' needs for insights, operations and planning to effectively lead workers."
The ISG Buyers Guides™ for Total Compensation Management and Compensation Emerging Providers are distillations of more than a year of market and product research efforts. The research is not sponsored nor influenced by software providers and is conducted solely to help enterprises optimize their business and IT software investments.
Visit this webpage to learn more about the ISG Buyers Guides™ for Total Compensation Management and Compensation Emerging Providers and read executive summaries of the reports. The complete reports, including provider rankings across seven product and customer experience dimensions and detailed research findings on each provider, are available by contacting ISG Software Research.
About ISG Software Research
ISG Software Research provides authoritative coverage and analysis of the business and IT software industry. It distributes research and insights daily through its user community, and provides a portfolio of consulting, advisory, research and education services for enterprises, software and service providers, and investment firms. Its ISG Buyers Guides™ help enterprises evaluate and select software providers through tailored assessments powered by ISG's proprietary methodology. Visit http://research.isg-one.com/ for more information and to sign up for free community membership.
About ISG
ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world's top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.
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