People First: for your today and your tomorrow
In an SME, running HR or payroll can make you feel like you’re the team stopping everything from collapsing. You’re buried under spreadsheets; your systems don’t talk to each other.
People First takes the strain off, so you stop having to spin quite so many plates. Start growing, as a person, as a team, as an organisation.
For just £7 per employee per month, get AI-boosted HR, Talent, Engagement and Payroll under one roof.
One platform. One support team. All yours in just a few clicks.
Admin reduced by 60%, for just £7 per employee, per month

One platform for every stage
There’s no need to wrangle siloed data, connect spreadsheets or juggle passwords to different systems. People First handles every part of the employee life cycle from onboarding to retirement, all while managing your HR, payroll and even learning under one roof. Plus, unleash effective AI solutions where they’ll have the most impact, while retaining a human touch.
- Start with HR as the foundation, then add additional modules as the need arises, whenever it suits you
- Open APIs ensure you can keep using other systems you love, without needing to compromise on the interconnectedness of People First
- Our cloud-based, AI-enabled technology means that scaling up as you do is easy; there’s no need to migrate to a new system as your goals change
- Unleash effective AI solutions where they'll have the most impact, while retaining a human touch
One platform for compliance
All your people records, policies, and communications tracked in one central location. The days of wrangling disconnected spreadsheets are over. It’s time to get real value out of your data, without compromising on security or certainty.
- Stop sending endless emails chasing up key info, People First handles it all in one place where users have ownership over their own data
- Connect your people, operations and pay data in one platform, creating a clearer view of how things are going
- Use People First Learning to set key compliance training, and track who’s completed it, all without leaving the platform


One platform for flexible working
Our HR software for small businesses keeps everyone in the loop, with a clear social media-inspired interface that anyone can pick up and play.
- Build a culture that goes beyond location, so everyone can stay connected whether they’re remote, in-office or hybrid
- Share the latest company news and updates to a central space that everyone will be accessing every day
- Recognise and reward your star players, thanks to an easy-to-use recognition system that can be customised to your key values
Your HR and payroll admin problems can be over today
HR software for small businesses FAQs
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From construction firms to care providers, we partner with small businesses in all sectors. Over 1,400 of them, in fact. In short, if you want to save time and please your people by automating HR processes, our software is for you.
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People First is hosted on Microsoft Azure to provide security, resilience and stability – using Single-Sign On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) technology, helping you secure personal data.
State-of-the-art data centres are at your defence for peace of mind and compliance. We are fully certified against SOC2, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 standards. Plus, our payroll software is recognised by BACS, HMRC, the Payroll Quality Partnership and the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals.
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We use the Stripe payment gateway – Stripe accepts a wide variety of payment methods, including major credit and debit cards.
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You can purchase People First for under 100 employees on a 12-month contract, providing you with the flexibility your growing business needs.
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You can upgrade your package at any time, whether you want to add an optional module or increase the number of users, simply contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your options with you.
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Yes – at the end of your 12-month term, you have the flexibility to amend your package, whether this is optional modules or the number of users.
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Yes. People First can be accessed wherever you are, on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone – with apps you can download via Google’s Play Store or Apple’s App Store.
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Customising People First is easy. You can upload your company logo and choose from preset colour themes to ensure the platform remains accessible for all users.
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Inventive. Accredited. Experienced. We've been helping businesses unlock the power of their people for over 40 years.
We do this through market-leading HR management systems for small businesses and beyond. Our People First platform flexes around your needs, making it a great choice for growth. We're always innovating too, investing 24% of our turnover into research and development every year.
Discover more about us, and download a brochure to learn how we can help you transform your business.
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Our team are happy to help. Please send your query to peoplefirstonboardingsupport@mhrglobal.com