Lattice

Lattice is best known for its performance management roots, with a strong reputation for helping companies foster employee development and engagement. It has evolved into a broader HR platform, adding capabilities like HRIS, compensation management, and more recently, payroll. While Lattice remains focused on creating a high-performance culture, its expanded offering is now positioned to support a wider array of HR tasks.

That said, it’s important to note that Lattice HRIS and Payroll are currently only available to customers based in the United States or existing customers in the UK participating in a limited beta. Broader availability is still pending.

This review looks at what Lattice can do well, where it might fall short, and how it compares to other HRIS tools for mid-sized organisations.

Lattice HR is Perfect For:

• Small to Mid-Sized Businesses looking for a user-friendly and reasonably priced platform with enough flexibility to evolve with their needs. 
• Organisations Focused on Employee Growth that prioritise structured performance processes, career development, and goal alignment. 
• Companies Seeking HRIS + Performance Blend where talent management and HR operations need to work seamlessly together in one tool.
  

Key Features and Functionalities: 

• Performance Management and Development: Lattice’s core strength lies in performance management. It helps replace static annual reviews with real-time feedback, goal setting, and structured one-on-ones. The system includes conversation prompts and space for meaningful development discussions between managers and team members. 

• Employee Engagement Tools: With pulse surveys, employee recognition tools, and deeper engagement surveys, Lattice aims to foster a positive culture and capture timely insights into employee sentiment. These features give HR and leadership teams early visibility into morale trends. 

• Core HR Capabilities and Workflow Automation: Lattice’s HRIS includes basic people management, onboarding, custom fields, and a visual workflow builder to automate processes. It supports over 100 default data fields and offers flexibility for more tailored data tracking. 

• Integrations and Reporting: Lattice integrates with tools like Slack, Teams, Gmail, Greenhouse, and ADP. Its analytics and reporting are designed to provide HR teams with pre-built dashboards and easy-to-build custom reports for strategic insights. 

Ease of Use 

Lattice consistently earns praise for its intuitive interface and helpful support centre. HR teams and employees typically find it easy to navigate, which helps adoption. 

The Benefits 

• Clear Focus on Employee Development: Lattice remains one of the strongest performers when it comes to tools for feedback, goal tracking, and continuous performance conversations.
• Streamlined HR Processes: The addition of workflows and people data management makes it easier to automate admin-heavy processes without adding new platforms. 
• Improved Reporting Capabilities: Real-time insights with customisable dashboards help HR teams support leadership with timely data. 
• Payroll Built-In: The new native payroll functionality—alongside time tracking and compensation tools—means fewer data handoffs and more accurate outcomes.  

Why Choose Lattice? 

If you’re an HR team looking to scale up from basic performance tools to a more unified HR and talent platform, Lattice could be a great fit. Its strength in engagement and usability makes it easy to adopt, and the addition of native payroll and workflow tools brings it closer to being a one-stop HR solution. 

That said, it’s not trying to be a Workday or SAP alternative. If your team requires deep customisation, compliance coverage across multiple regions, or complex benefits logic, this may not be the right tool. 

Lattice is a solid choice for HR teams that prioritise user-friendly tools and structured performance development. Its focus on employee engagement, integration ease, and continuous product expansion make it a future-forward platform. For those scaling from spreadsheets or basic systems, it offers a significant upgrade.  

Limitations: 

• Geographic Limitations: Lattice’s HRIS and Payroll are currently limited to US customers and select UK users. This limits its appeal to global organisations. 
• Incomplete HRIS Coverage: While Lattice is moving toward being a full HRIS, it’s not quite there yet. Benefits administration and time & attendance features aren’t as robust as competitors like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors. Companies needing detailed absence policies or complex benefits integration may find Lattice lacking. 
• Not Ideal for Complex Organisations: Lattice is best suited to small to mid-sized businesses. Enterprises with complicated HR structures, multi-country compliance needs, or nuanced compensation schemes may run into limitations. 
• Pricing: While positioned competitively against platforms like HiBob, Lattice may not be considered affordable for very small businesses. It’s priced for growing, mid-sized companies that prioritise performance and engagement. 

Best For

• Growing SMBs focused on employee growth
• Building a high-engagement culture
• Structured performance management tools
• HRIS and performance in one platform
• US teams (or UK beta) needing payroll