When you ask five vendors what their HR software does, you get five long feature lists. Many of the words sound the same. This guide cuts through that. We list the real modules, explain what each one should do for a Bangladeshi company, and tell you what to test in the demo.
If you are new to the topic, first read what is HR software. Otherwise, let us start.
Core modules every company needs
1. Employee database
This is the base of everything. A good employee profile holds personal details, NID, bank or mobile wallet, job title, grade, department, branch, joining date, documents, and a full history of promotions and transfers.
Test in demo: Can you upload many documents? Can you set an alert for an expiring contract or probation end date? Can you search by NID or phone?
2. Attendance and shift management
The system should take data from biometric devices, face machines, mobile GPS check-in or a web login. It should handle fixed shifts, rotating shifts, night shifts and grace time.
For factories, check how it handles late rules, half-day rules and holiday duty. Read more in our guide to attendance and payroll software.
Test in demo: Ask them to build your real shift rule. If it needs a custom job, ask for the time and cost.
3. Leave management
It needs leave types, yearly balance, carry forward, approval flow and a holiday calendar. Employees should apply from a phone. Managers should approve in a tap.
Our page on HRM ERP, HR and leave management shows a typical flow.
Test in demo: Maternity leave, unpaid leave, half-day leave and leave that crosses a month end.
4. Payroll
This is the module that decides if the software is good or not. It should calculate basic salary, house rent, medical, conveyance, overtime, attendance deductions, advance, loan instalments, bonus and tax.
It should also print payslips, make a bank transfer sheet and post to accounts.
We cover this in depth in HR and payroll software in Bangladesh.
Test in demo: Give them your real salary sheet for ten employees, including one tricky case. Ask them to match your numbers.
5. Overtime management
Overtime needs its own care. The software should allow approval of overtime hours, different rates for normal days and holidays, and a cap on hours. In Bangladesh, the Labour Act sets the basic rule for overtime pay, so your system must follow your policy and the law.
Bangladesh-specific modules
These are the ones global tools often miss.
Provident fund and gratuity. The system tracks employee and company contributions, interest and final payment when someone leaves.
Festival bonus. Set rules by service length, basic salary or gross, and pay in the right month.
Workers’ Profit Participation Fund (WPPF). If your company falls under the rule, you need a clean way to calculate and report it.
Income tax (TDS). The system should calculate monthly tax deduction by slab and print a tax statement for each employee.
Salary payment channels. Look for bank payment files and support for mobile banking payouts.
Final settlement. When someone resigns, the system should calculate notice pay, leave encashment, dues and gratuity in one sheet.
Hiring and growth modules
Recruitment. Job posts, CV storage, interview stages, scorecards and offer letters. When you hire, one click moves the person into the employee database.
Onboarding and offboarding. Checklists for ID card, laptop, email, and exit clearance.
Performance review. Goals, ratings, review cycles and feedback. Keep it simple at first.
Training. Plan training, record attendance and track skills. Useful for factories where skill grade matters.
Employee and manager self-service
A good self-service app lets people:
- See payslips and tax statements
- Apply for leave and overtime
- Check attendance and fix missed punches
- Update contact details
- Read company notices
This cuts a lot of daily questions to HR. See also our guide on cloud HR software for mobile access.
Reports and dashboards
Ask for these ready reports:
- Daily attendance and late list
- Monthly payroll summary by department and branch
- Overtime cost report
- Leave balance report
- Headcount and turnover
- Bank advice and payslip batch
- Audit trail: who changed what and when
Security and control
HR data is private. Check for role-based access (a branch manager should not see head office salary), audit logs, two-step login, backups and data location.
Integration: where ERP makes a big difference
HR does not live alone. When HR sits inside an ERP, then:
- Payroll posts to accounts automatically
- Site or factory labour cost shows in the project or production cost
- Hiring needs link to the budget
See how this works for real estate and construction and construction payroll. For factories, the HR module connects to production, which you can see on our manufacturing ERP software hub.
Must-have vs nice-to-have
| Company type | Must have | Nice to have |
|---|---|---|
| Small office (under 50) | Employee DB, leave, payroll, self-service | Recruitment, performance |
| Factory | Shift attendance, overtime, PF, bonus, final settlement | Training, skill matrix |
| Multi-branch retail | Branch roster, access control, payroll by branch | Performance, incentives |
| Construction | Site attendance, daily wage, contractor staff | Mobile GPS check-in |
Features that sound good but need a second look
- AI features. Ask what exactly it does and show it live.
- Unlimited customization. Ask what it costs and how long it takes.
- Fancy dashboards. Pretty charts matter less than a payroll that matches your sheet.
How to use this checklist
- Mark each module as must-have, nice-to-have or not needed.
- Share the list with two or three vendors.
- Run a demo with your own data.
- Compare prices using our HR software cost in Bangladesh guide.
- Score vendors with how to choose HR software in Bangladesh.
Frequently asked questions
Which HR module should I buy first? Start with the one that hurts most. For most companies it is attendance plus payroll.
Can I add modules later? Usually yes. Ask if adding a module changes the price per user.
Do I need a separate payroll software? Not if your HR system has a strong payroll module. Separate tools often create double entry.
Is mobile app access important? Yes, especially for field teams and managers who approve on the go.
Final word
A long feature list does not make a good HR system. A system that matches your salary rules, your shifts and your reports does. Use this page as your checklist, then see it live on our HRM software Bangladesh page.