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Last Reviewed: April 2026 | Fact-checked against ICO, ACAS, and HMRC guidance.
TL;DR: People HR is a UK-built people management platform suited to scaling SMEs with 20-200 employees that need integrated recruitment alongside core HR. Its applicant tracking system and reporting depth stand out at the price point. The interface is dated versus newer entrants and customer support response times draw consistent criticism. G2: 4.2/5 from over 300 verified reviews (G2, 2026).
- 5.5 million small businesses in the UK, 99% of all businesses (ONS, 2024)
- Average unfair dismissal award: £11,316 (Ministry of Justice, 2024)
- UK GDPR Article 30 applies to all employers processing employee data
- Auto-enrolment duties apply from your first eligible hire (TPR, 2025)
How We Assessed People HR
People HR was assessed against 13 criteria: UK data residency, GDPR Article 28 compliance, core HR and absence management quality, ATS and recruitment capability, performance management depth, reporting and analytics, self-service portal usability, mobile app functionality, payroll integration options, customer support quality and response times, ease of implementation, G2/Capterra verified ratings, and value for money against the SME market. People HR is not a paying advertiser on kaeltripton.com.
UK employee absence averages 7.8 days per year per worker, costing employers an estimated £550 per employee annually (CIPD, 2023).
Businesses with structured onboarding processes improve 90-day new hire retention by up to 82% (CIPD, 2024), making HR software with strong onboarding modules a measurable business investment.
Author: Chandraketu Tripathi, reviewed by the kaeltripton.com editorial team.
What Is People HR and Who Is It For?
People HR is a UK-built HR software platform from Access Group, targeting SMEs with 20-200 employees that have outgrown basic holiday trackers and need workforce management tools covering both people operations and active recruitment. Its defining feature is an integrated applicant tracking system included in the standard plan, not sold as a separate module or at a premium tier.
For a business making 15-30 hires per year - common at growth-stage SMEs where headcount is expanding - the integration between recruitment pipeline and HR employee records means a successful candidate flows directly into the HR system without manual re-entry of name, role, salary, and start date. At 20 hires per year, eliminating 15 minutes of manual data entry per hire saves five hours of people ops time annually and eliminates a common source of payroll setup errors.
For the full market context, see our best HR software UK roundup. For a focused SME view, see our HR software for small UK businesses guide.
People HR Pricing 2026
People HR's published starting price is from £5 per employee per month. The effective rate depends on plan tier and which modules are active. Core HR, self-service, and the ATS are included in the standard plan. Advanced reporting, custom workflows, and API access are higher-tier features. As with most mid-market platforms, published pricing is a starting point - actual quotes are negotiated at point of sale based on headcount and contract length.
At 50 employees, an indicative cost of £5-8 per employee per month gives a monthly range of £250-400. This is competitive for a platform that includes recruitment as a standard feature rather than a paid add-on.
People HR Feature Assessment
Applicant Tracking System
People HR's integrated ATS is its most significant differentiator at this price point. Job postings publish to multiple job boards from within the platform. Candidate applications flow into a configurable hiring pipeline. Interview scheduling, candidate notes, and hiring decisions are stored against each application. On acceptance, candidate data populates the new employee record automatically. For businesses in sustained hiring phases, this workflow removes a manual data transfer step that creates errors and duplicates. The ATS does not match the depth of specialist recruitment tools but is sufficient for businesses making up to 50 hires per year without a dedicated talent acquisition team.
Core HR and Absence Management
Holiday entitlement is calculated under Working Time Regulations 1998 including pro-rata for part-time workers. The self-service portal allows employees to request leave, view balances, access documents, and update personal information. Manager approval hierarchies support multiple approval levels - relevant for organisations with department heads and line managers as distinct roles. Bradford Factor scoring is included for sickness absence analysis.
Performance Management
People HR's performance module covers goal setting, review templates, and one-to-one records. This exceeds BreatheHR's basic tools but is less sophisticated than HiBob's continuous performance framework. For organisations running structured annual or bi-annual performance cycles, it is adequate. For OKR-based continuous performance management, evaluate alternatives.
Reporting and Analytics
Reporting is a consistent strength in G2 reviews. Standard reports cover absence patterns, headcount trends, turnover rates, and custom filters by department, location, and contract type. For HR generalists presenting data to senior management, this reporting depth is a genuine differentiator from simpler platforms. It does not extend to predictive analytics or real-time engagement scoring.
Customer Support
Customer support response times are the most common criticism across People HR's G2 and Capterra reviews. Multiple verified reviewers report waiting longer than expected for ticket resolution on non-urgent queries. Phone support availability varies by plan tier. For businesses expecting responsive support during implementation, weight this against the platform's feature strengths and request specific SLA commitments in writing before signing.
People HR Platform Comparison
| Platform | Starting Price | UK Payroll Native | UK Data Residency | G2 Rating | ATS Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BambooHR | Custom est. £6-10/employee/mo | No | US + SCC | 4.4/5 | Add-on |
| BreatheHR | £18/mo flat | No | UK | 4.4/5 | No |
| Employment Hero | From £7/employee/mo | Yes | UK/EEA | 4.3/5 | Add-on |
| HiBob | Custom est. £8-12/employee/mo | No | EEA | 4.5/5 | Add-on |
| People HR | From £5/employee/mo | No | UK | 4.2/5 | Yes - standard |
People HR UK GDPR Compliance
People HR is UK-built and stores data in UK data centres. A Data Processing Agreement compliant with Article 28 is available. Role-based access controls and audit logging are included. Candidate data collected through the ATS is personal data under UK GDPR - the ICO recommends retaining unsuccessful candidate data for no longer than six months after a recruitment process concludes (ICO, 2024). Configure automated retention policies for candidate records during implementation.
Who Should Use People HR and Who Should Look Elsewhere
People HR suits: UK SMEs with 20-200 employees in sustained hiring phases where ATS integration with HR records saves material time. HR generalists who need meaningful standard reports without custom configuration. Businesses that want more than BreatheHR or BrightHR deliver without moving to enterprise pricing.
Look elsewhere if: You need native UK payroll; your priority is modern UX and high employee adoption rates; you need responsive support during a complex implementation; your headcount is under 20 where simpler platforms provide better value.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does People HR cost in the UK?
People HR starts from £5 per employee per month, with effective pricing depending on the plan tier and headcount. At 50 employees, expect £250-400/month depending on modules selected and contract length negotiated. The ATS is included in the standard plan rather than charged as a separate module, which improves the value calculation for hiring-heavy businesses.
Does People HR include payroll?
People HR does not include native UK payroll. Integration with payroll tools including Sage Payroll is available. The integration method - API or export - should be confirmed for your specific payroll tool during evaluation. For businesses needing native HMRC RTI payroll, Employment Hero is a stronger option.
Is People HR good for recruitment?
Yes, People HR's integrated ATS is its strongest differentiator at this price point. Job postings publish to multiple boards from within the platform, candidate pipelines are configurable, and successful hires flow directly into the employee record without manual re-entry. It does not match specialist recruitment tools but is sufficient for SMEs making up to 50 hires per year without a dedicated talent acquisition team.
What is People HR's G2 rating?
People HR holds a G2 rating of 4.2/5 from over 300 verified reviews as of April 2026. This is lower than BrightHR (4.5/5) and BreatheHR (4.4/5). The most common criticisms in verified reviews are slower customer support response times and a dated user interface compared to newer entrants like SenseHR or HiBob.
Who owns People HR?
People HR is owned by Access Group, a UK-based enterprise software company. Access Group also owns a range of other business software products across HR, finance, and operations. The People HR product continues to operate under its own brand within the Access portfolio. Being part of a larger software group provides financial stability but some reviewers note that development pace and support responsiveness have been affected by the acquisition.
For further reading, see our guides on HRIS systems UK guide and HR platforms UK 2026.
For informational purposes only. Not legal or financial advice. Accurate April 2026. Independent editorial site - no external links to any platform. Rankings based on independent assessment only.
Sources
- G2 People HR Reviews: https://www.g2.com/products/people-hr/reviews
- ICO Recruitment Data Retention Guidance: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/employment/
- ACAS Hiring Staff Guidance: https://www.acas.org.uk/hiring-staff
- TUPE Regulations 2006: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/246/contents
- Working Time Regulations 1998: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/1833/contents