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Charlie HR is a specialized HR software for small businesses and startups, specifically designed for the UK market. It centralizes key HR functions such as onboarding, time off, leave tracking, performance reviews, employee data management, engagement surveys, perks and benefits, and reporting. It emphasizes ease of use, streamlining HR admin tasks, and offering guidance and compliance assistance for businesses without big HR teams. While it delivers strong core HRIS functionality and workflows, some advanced features - global payroll, EOR, large scale international compliance are less mature or rely on integrations rather than being native.
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Strengths
Modular, scalable HRIS that balances configuration with usability.
Strong UK payroll and local market expertise for European customers.
Robust compliance features attractive to regulated industries.
Responsive customer support and structured onboarding.
High uptime and transparent infrastructure (AWS, UK/EU hosting) which supports trust in security.
Limitations
Not a turnkey global payroll or EOR solution, requires partner integrations for true multi-country employment.
Some advanced reporting and very complex time rules may need supplemental tools or bespoke configuration.
Pricing is bespoke and requires quoting; buyers seeking immediate list pricing may find transparency limited.
Initial configuration and advanced workflows present a learning curve for HR teams without technical support.
Cezanne’s Mission and Market Position
Cezanne HR aims to consolidate HR processes into a single, secure system of record that reduces administrative overhead and improves compliance. Its market position is firmly in the mid-market organisations that need more structure and security than consumer-grade HR apps but without the complexity and cost of full enterprise suites. The platform’s UK heritage, managed payroll availability, and compliance certifications make it a compelling choice for companies with significant UK/European operations. Cezanne has invested in certifications and compliance posture (ISO/IEC 27001 and GDPR readiness), reinforcing its enterprise readiness for regulated markets.
Cezanne’s Features and Functions:
Below features highlight real-world capabilities and considerations when evaluating the product:
People Management & Core HR
This module is the secure, GDPR-compliant foundation of the system. It acts as a single source of truth for all employee data, including profiles, career history, legal information, and compensation (salary, bonuses, etc.) in any currency. It also automates routine tasks using a robust form builder and customizable workflows for approvals and notifications.
Cezanne’s People Management
Absence and Time Tracking
This smart, integrated, and configurable module simplifies managing all types of leave, from holidays to sickness, with automated entitlement calculations. It also offers a simple solution for recording time through online timesheets and digital clock-in/clock-out features, perfect for remote or mobile employees.
Cezanne’s Time Tracking module
Cezanne’s Time Tracking Module
Recruitment and Onboarding
The platform includes an integrated Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that streamlines the entire hiring process, from posting job openings and communicating with candidates to managing job offers. The onboarding functionality is designed to engage new hires before their first day, saving administrative time and improving the new hire experience.
Cezanne’s Onboarding
Cezanne’s Recruitment
Performance and Development
The Performance & Development module supports both traditional performance appraisals and a continuous assessment model. It helps with goal setting, tracks development activities, and records career aspirations, enabling structured and timely feedback.
Cezanne’s Recruitment
Cezanne’s Review module
Insights & Reporting
Beyond standard reports, the Insights & Reporting module offers sophisticated, graphical reports that highlight key trends and predictions, such as employee turnover or sickness levels. This dedicated tool builds on a foundation of pre-configured reports and dashboards to provide deeper, statistical analysis.
Cezanne’s Reporting module
Cezanne’s Reporting module
Integrated Payroll
For UK-based companies, the platform provides a native HR and payroll experience within a single system. You can choose from either an in-house payroll solution or a "Smart Managed Payroll" service.Non-UK payrolls require integrations or third-party payroll/EOR partners.
Cezanne’s Payroll Module
Cezanne’s Payroll Module
AI Features
Document Builder: Generate professional HR documents faster than ever with intelligent automation that eliminates manual formatting and ensures consistency across all company policies, Feature includes:
Automated policy form creation
Personalized document distribution
Template customization options
Streamlined document workflows
Integrated platform delivery system
Writing Assistance: Perfect your HR tone with intelligent writing assistance that helps create compelling, error-free content for employee communications, policies, and professional profiles.Feature includes:
Grammar and spelling correction
Language enhancement suggestions
Engaging content creation support
Professional bio optimization
Tone and style improvement
Knowledge Search: HR query management with intelligent search capabilities. Feature includes:
Instant answers from company HR documents
Automated response to routine inquiries
Smart document search functionality
Reduced administrative workload
Modularity and Licensing
Platform’s Modularity reduces upfront cost and simplifies onboarding. Choose only the modules you need (People, Absence, Timesheets, Recruitment, Performance, Learning, Payroll) and add more as requirements evolve. Licensing is headcount-based and module-aware, customers typically scope an initial set of modules for a phased deployment.
Implementation & Support
Phased onboarding approach with discovery, configuration, pilot, training and go-live. Vendor offers professional services and partner networks for complex integrations or migrations.
Training resources, documentation, and responsive support are commonly cited strengths.
Cezanne’s Implementation Considerations
Deployment Timeline:
Cezanne typically requires 4-8 weeks for full implementation, with the bureau service option allowing faster go-live (2-3 weeks) since much of the processing is handled externally. The software-only implementation requires more extensive data migration and staff training.
Training Requirements:
While the administrative interface is praised for its intuitiveness, the platform lacks live training sessions, unlike competitors such as OneAdvanced. Organizations must rely on documentation, recorded sessions, and potentially third-party training resources. The learning curve is generally moderate for payroll administrators but steeper for complex HR functionality.
Conclusion & Recommendations
Cezanne HR is an all-in-one HRIS suite that consistently delivers on core HR, absence, performance and managed UK payroll needs for mid-market organisations. Its modular approach enables phased adoption and cost control, while its compliance credentials and support reputation reduce implementation risk. The main caveat for buyers is the need to plan for non-UK payroll or EOR requirements through integrations or third-party vendors.
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