Best HR software for heads of people at midsize manufacturing companies

Boost HR efficiency and visibility across all your locations
Create a data-driven people strategy for workforce planning and keeping talent
Help managers with development and retention of skilled people

1811 reviews on G2 | 4.5/5

1811 reviews on Capterra | 4.5/5

Modern, fast-growing, global businesses love Bob

What makes heads of people at midsize manufacturing companies choose HiBob?

Reduce manual HR processes and have a single source of truth for data

Across 11 countries, ZeroNorth doubled their workforce in just one year, and HR managed to scale smoothly—without hiring additional HR staff—using automated workflows, onboarding, and reporting.

Use data to anticipate hiring gaps before they impact production

While growing their workforce by 30%, Zappi reduced employee and manager time costs by £120,000 per year, powered by precise workforce analytics and instant reporting.

Strengthen leadership capability across all factory sites

Montu gave managers instant dashboards showing headcount and turnover, enabling swifter, data-backed workforce decisions and leadership accountability.

HiBob is recognized as one of the best HR platforms

HiBob’s best features for heads of people

Automated workflows and centralised employee records

Reduce manual admin through automated onboarding, offboarding, and approval processes
Store employee information and documents accurately in a single secure, compliant system
Implement local compliance rules automatically for each location and keep audit-ready records

Scenario modelling and headcount forecasting

Model workforce requirements and hiring scenarios to predict capacity gaps before production suffers
Match labour needs with budgets by aligning headcount plans with Finance
Identify skill gaps before they emerge using data-driven scenario planning

Manager dashboards and real-time performance insights

Provide managers instant dashboards showing headcount, turnover, and performance metrics
Spot at-risk teams early to take swift action on retention and engagement
Track goals, feedback, and development plans consistently across every site

Why heads of people in manufacturing love HiBob

$54K

Annual savings when using HR automation for time management

+18%

More productivity when employee engagement improves

+23%

Higher profitability when employees are more engaged with the company

How the VP of People Operations at ZeroNorth transformed their global HR operations

The Challenge

ZeroNorth doubled in size and expanded to 11 countries in one year. Their previous European HCM couldn’t provide the flexibility and localization needed, making it impossible to support off-time tracking or align a distributed, fast-growing team.

The Solution

For its flexibility, simple UX, and speedy implementation through HiBob partner VENZO, ZeroNorth picked Bob. They tested each workflow using Bob’s Sandbox before launch, and set up localized, automated processes to handle a global team.

The Results

HR gained control and employees felt supported as ZeroNorth created a unified employee experience during rapid growth while staying lean—teams across Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands and beyond stayed connected and compliant.

Using our previous HR system, we couldn’t capture compensation or any bonus payouts as we didn’t have the data in a centralized place. With Bob, it’s extremely easy, and we can even project future costs, which is a huge advantage for our financial planning and analysis team. Now, when we have to prepare payouts for our bonus schemes, it’s super fast. It takes only a few hours, whereas, in the past, this could take us maybe two weeks.

Amalie Lange, VP of People Operations, ZeroNorth

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FAQs about HiBob for heads of people in manufacturing

How can HiBob speed up HR processes across multiple factory locations?

HiBob centralizes all your HR operations in one platform, so you don’t have to juggle spreadsheets or different systems for each site. Automated workflows handle repetitive tasks like onboarding and approvals, while self-service features let employees update their own information. With everything in one place and automated, you’ll cut down admin time by hours each week and get real-time visibility into what’s happening at every location.

What workforce analytics does HiBob provide for manufacturing companies?

HiBob delivers comprehensive analytics on headcount, skills distribution, turnover patterns, and performance metrics across all your sites. You can run scenario models to predict future workforce needs, track overtime trends, and identify departments with high attrition risk. These insights help you make proactive decisions about hiring, training, and retention before issues affect your production schedules.

How does HiBob help heads of people manage distributed manufacturing teams?

HiBob gives you a unified view of all your sites while allowing for local variations in policies and compliance requirements. Managers at each location get their own dashboards to track their teams, while you maintain oversight of the entire organization. The platform’s mobile access means factory floor supervisors can manage their teams on the go, and automated compliance features ensure each site follows the right regulations without manual tracking.