Key takeaways When it comes to hiring top talent, bias, intentional or not, plays a role. Even the most well-intentioned hiring teams are susceptible to unconscious bias, which prevents otherwise sound recruitment strategies from delivering top talent. Implicit bias might be negatively influencing your recruiting strategy. Recruiters and hiring teams might hire people similar to […]
The post 7 Tips to Avoid Unconscious Hiring Bias appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways
- Hiring bias holds a company back from finding, attracting, hiring, and retaining talent of various backgrounds and skill sets.
- HR professionals can and should empower employees to confront and reduce bias in the hiring process through education and software tools.
- Dec. 12, 2025: Hanna Sillo updated this article with new data points, clearer structure for easier reading, and expanded action items. She also added a new FAQ section to address common questions.
When it comes to hiring top talent, bias, intentional or not, plays a role. Even the most well-intentioned hiring teams are susceptible to unconscious bias, which prevents otherwise sound recruitment strategies from delivering top talent.
Implicit bias might be negatively influencing your recruiting strategy. Recruiters and hiring teams might hire people similar to them, which leads to a homogenous team where everyone thinks alike and maybe even looks alike. A homogenous workforce hampers business innovation and adaptability because the company won’t be able to identify with and serve the needs of a broad customer base.
7 ways to avoid unconscious bias when hiring
Left unchecked, bias in hiring leads to a homogenous workforce starved of the very skills and ideas that help a company grow to be more successful. But there’s plenty that a company’s recruiters and hiring managers can do.
1. Educate employees about unconscious bias
It’s hard to address a problem that employees might be unaware of in the first place. The Harvard Business School’s Project Implicit is an eye-opening exercise that helps people recognize and measure their biases. This first step gets everyone on the same page with an understanding of what unconscious bias is.
Approaching the topic with humility and empathy can help get the message across that everyone carries prejudices, and they’re normal to have. HR professionals, chief diversity officers, and consultants can then present unconscious bias training as an opportunity to observe and shape one’s own thought patterns.
Training encourages employees to further explore and challenge their assumptions before they start evaluating candidates and making hiring decisions. Everyone benefits from examining their own implicit bias, especially those involved in hiring.
TL;DR: Start by having employees take a quick baseline assessment, such as Project Implicit, to build awareness. Follow it with a short training session on common hiring biases and how they show up in day-to-day decisions. Reinforce learning by giving interviewers a brief checklist to review before evaluating candidates.
2. Diversify hiring teams
Recruiting and hiring are often a team effort, especially for larger organizations. Putting together a panel of contact people at various stages of the applicant’s journey invites different perspectives on the candidate’s ability to succeed in the role.
Those involved in the hiring process should represent an array of skills, experiences, backgrounds, and seniority levels because the team can evaluate each candidate more holistically. A diverse hiring team sheds insight into how a candidate interacts with different people they meet in the organization.
In addition, each member’s perspective fills what the other’s perspective is lacking. For instance, one member of the team might dismiss a candidate because their work experience appears to be unrelated to the role in question. Yet, another team member might then point to the applicant’s transferable skills.
TL;DR: Begin by assembling a hiring panel that reflects a mix of roles, backgrounds, and seniority levels. Ensure each stage of the candidate journey includes at least two different evaluators. To support consistency, give panel members a shared rubric so they can compare notes based on evidence rather than individual perspective.
3. Craft neutral job posts
Being mindful of word choice will help attract more diverse candidates from the get-go. Hiring managers should examine a job description for words that inadvertently bring to mind candidates of a particular gender, age, or ability. Tools like Textio scan job descriptions, flag skewed terms, and suggest more objective phrasing to replace them.
Those in charge of drafting job posts can pull a number of small but powerful levers to arrive at more gender parity in the applicant pool. Making small tweaks to the job title, pronouns, character trait wording, and the requirements list can make a difference.
Before getting to the description itself, gendered job titles can attract or deter certain candidates from applying.
Those drafting the job description should carefully examine the job title first to swap out problematic titles like “salesman” for something more gender-neutral, like “salesperson.”
In the same vein, replacing gendered pronouns like “she” and “he” with the more neutral “they” will help attract applicants of various genders. It also makes for easier reading, as long as it doesn’t muddle the meaning.
Also, certain words and phrases are culturally coded as feminine — like “collaborative” and “empathetic” — or masculine — like “competitive” or “determined.”
As a result, such words actually discourage applicants of some genders or draw a disproportionate number of résumés from candidates of other genders. A more moderate approach that mixes coded words helps strike a gender-neutral balance.
Furthermore, a LinkedIn report reveals that job postings with long lists of requirements will deter women from applying. This is because women tend to apply only to jobs where they meet 100% of the requirements. Men, on the other hand, tend to apply when they meet about 60% of the requirements. Women applicants hold themselves to a higher standard of perfection when browsing job postings.
Also read: Best Practices for Writing the Perfect Job Descriptions
Characteristics like “dynamic” and “energetic” are not only vaguely related to the role itself, but they also signal to applicants that the company is looking for someone of a particular age group and ability. Choose descriptive traits that more directly speak to the job duties and company values.
For example, instead of words like “dynamic” or “energetic,” which connote movement and speed, try the adjective “influential” or a verb like “contribute” or “impact.” Pairing these adjectives with nouns makes it even more concrete for applicants reading the job post.
However, it is not only people in the older group who may be subjected to biases. A 2024 Applied survey of 2,000 employees found that 37% of Millennials and 36% of Gen Z workers believe they have experienced recruitment bias.
Avoid language that can deter individuals with disabilities from applying, especially if such wording is unrelated to the job and if physical aspects of the job can be reasonably accommodated. In fact, employers can proactively mention accommodations in the job description.
The US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Harvard Computer Society Tech for Social Good partnered to create a natural language processing tool that flags job descriptions for ableist language.
For instance, instead of referring to “standing” for long periods of time, the job description could instead read as “remain in a stationary position.” Or, instead of noting that the candidate would need to “walk from station to station,” expressing it instead as “move from station to station” still gets the idea across without implying how it needs to get done.
Another example to consider is whether a data entry role actually requires “typing” data into a spreadsheet, as typing implies hands and fingers. One could also simply “input,” “enter,” or “record” data instead. The Ableist Language Lexicon lists several such terms and alternatives to consider.
Those who write job descriptions should acknowledge that there are various creative ways to get the work done beyond the typical, embodied ways we describe duties.
Hiring managers can revise job descriptions to attract neurotypical and neurodivergent candidates alike. Neurodiversity acknowledges that individuals think, learn, behave, and interact with the world around them in different ways. Neurodivergent individuals contribute out-of-the-box approaches that boost innovation.
To speak to candidates of varying cognitive abilities, use clear, concise language in job postings and avoid sarcasm, metaphors, and idioms. To this end, try to be as specific as possible when putting down “collaborative” or “works well with others” as desired traits. Clearer descriptions of the degree and nature of on-the-job interaction might help ease the social pressure the posting might otherwise imply.
With regards to qualifications, it’s also helpful to clearly segment them into required, preferred, and bonus criteria, so that applicants don’t feel pressured to meet all of them.
Employers can partner with an organization called Neurodiversity in the Workplace to find more tips and engage neurodivergent job seekers.
TL;DR: Start by reviewing job descriptions with an eye for gendered, age-coded, or ability-exclusive terms. Run postings through tools like Textio to flag biased language. Make quick, targeted revisions that focus on neutral, role-specific wording to broaden your applicant pool.
4. Review résumés blindly
Research shows that even someone’s name or address on a résumé raises implicit associations about the job applicant and thus opens the door for bias. In a 2024 study, the University of Washington found that LLMs favored white-male-associated names 85% of the time, while female-associated names were chosen 11% of the time.
To review resumes more objectively, a company can invest in résumé blinding software or recruiting platforms that conceal names and demographic info during résumé reviews to help avoid unconscious bias.
If your current recruiting software or ATS doesn’t assist with reducing hiring bias, it may be time for an upgrade. Fetcher, Greenhouse, Paylocity, Jobvite, Workable, and Workday all have built-in features to support a more equitable hiring process.
Bias doesn’t end with software implementation
New York City’s AI Bias Law is effective as of January 2023, and other jurisdictions may follow suit. The law requires NYC-based companies to routinely audit their AI-powered hiring tools to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws. So, it’s not enough to implement AI in the recruitment and hiring process; hiring teams and HR have to know how it works, how it’s used, and be able to explain it to external auditors.
TL;DR: Begin by enabling résumé blinding in your ATS or adopting software that conceals names and demographic details. Train hiring teams on how to evaluate candidates using only job-relevant criteria. If you use AI-driven screening tools, schedule regular audits to ensure compliance with laws and to understand how the technology makes decisions.
Also read at Datamation: Addressing Bias in Artificial Intelligence
5. Prioritize performance over résumés
Employee referrals, potentially embellished résumés, and name-dropping Ivy League schools increase the chance of recruitment bias and prevent quality talent from rising to the top of the résumé stack.
Not to mention, they’re not indicators of potential job performance. Discovering diverse talent may therefore require sidelining the résumé for a more performance-based approach that includes a small project or test.
Look for blind hiring solutions that allows screen applicants based on “performance over privilege and pedigree.” Applicants complete a challenge that mimics what they’d do on the job, and the employer gets blind results that conceal that applicant’s age, gender, race, ethnicity, and educational background.
TL;DR: Introduce a work-sample test or small project as an early screening step to evaluate real job-related skills. Use platforms that collect results without revealing candidate demographics. Compare submissions using a standardized rubric to ensure fairness and focus on demonstrated performance rather than résumé prestige.
6. Standardize interview questions
Regardless of whether an applicant applied through a job posting site or was personally referred by the CEO, recruiters should ask them all the same questions. Conducting structured interviews gives each candidate the same opportunity to show their qualifications.
Setting up interview and assessment questions beforehand ensures fairness and apples-to-apples comparisons between candidates. Greenhouse lets HR recruiting teams create “scorecards” prior to the interview process.
The team decides on threshold criteria that a candidate has to meet in order to make it to the next phase of the hiring process. A criterion for a managerial role, for instance, might include “demonstrated experience navigating conflict in a team.”
Interview questions should focus solely on the candidate’s work experience and skillset, not on any information that introduces bias, such as questions about family, religion, or any other protected trait.
After the interview, hiring managers should instruct or remind the team to refrain from discussing candidates with one another before a decision is made. Recruiting software, such as Greenhouse and Breezy HR, provides a private space for note-taking when interviewing a candidate.
TL;DR: Create a structured interview guide with standardized questions and scoring criteria for every role. Use your ATS to store scorecards so interviewers evaluate candidates against the same benchmarks. After interviews, collect independent feedback before any group discussion to reduce influence and bias.
7. Determine values fit instead of cultural fit
The criterion of cultural fit as a factor in hiring is highly subjective and therefore introduces bias into the hiring decision.
Assessing for cultural fit runs the risk of affinity bias, which describes the tendency to like people who we perceive to be similar to us.
So, while workplace culture is important for some semblance of cohesion, deciding on a candidate based on cultural fit may reproduce the same patterns that lead to hiring employees with similar backgrounds. This only deprives the organization of the diverse skills and experiences needed to thrive.
In the job posting, highlight company values and the characteristics that support them in order to speak to candidates who align with those values.
In the interview stage, to get a sense of the candidate’s workplace values, try posing “tell me about a time when” questions or ask the candidate to describe their ideal work environment. Interviewers can take note of how the candidate describes themselves, their behavior, and their co-workers when answering these questions.
TL;DR: Clarify your company’s core values and define the behaviors that demonstrate them. Add these values to job postings and build interview questions that prompt candidates to share examples of when they acted in alignment with those values. During evaluations, focus on evidence-based behaviors rather than similarities in personality or background.
Learn how here: How to Select a Diverse Interview Panel and Improve Your Recruitment Strategy
What is unconscious bias in hiring?
Unconscious bias describes the way the human brain makes flash judgments that inform actions and decision-making before one can even stop to think about it.
In candidate evaluation and hiring decisions, hiring team members might make assumptions about a candidate’s ability to perform or the kind of support they may or may not need as an employee. For example, a hiring manager viewing a female candidate’s résumé for an engineering role might unwittingly question her qualifications for the role.
Check out our Recruiting Software Guide to explore software features that help to further reduce hiring bias.
What causes unconscious bias in the hiring process?
A range of factors stemming from early childhood influence the way an individual judges someone else. Personal background, socialization, media exposure, and media consumption are but a few key factors that hold sway over how we perceive others.
Less bias means better hiring
Everyone carries implicit biases that affect their judgment. However, in the context of talent acquisition, failing to recognize and address them means a company misses out on talent that enhances creativity, innovation, and adaptability.
Mitigating bias in the hiring process creates opportunities to engage a diverse range of talent that ultimately benefits the company in terms of employee morale and satisfaction, innovation, and growth. A deliberate, varied combination of mindfulness techniques, training, and software tools can help recruiting teams reduce bias in their hiring process.
HR and recruiting won’t know if any of the above tactics work unless recruiting metrics are in place to track progress on recruiting goals, such as growth vs. attrition rates, application completion rates, and other indicators.
Unconscious bias in hiring FAQs
Some of the most frequent forms include affinity bias (favoring people similar to us), halo/horns effect (letting one trait influence overall judgment), name bias, age bias, gender bias, and confirmation bias. Each can subtly skew the hiring process without intentional discrimination.
Bias can narrow your applicant pool, lead to homogenous teams, and cause strong candidates to be overlooked. Over time, it harms innovation, decision-making, and the company’s ability to serve diverse customers.
Yes, but only when used thoughtfully. Blind résumé review tools, language-optimization platforms, and structured interview scorecards can help reduce bias. However, companies must still audit AI tools regularly to ensure compliance and understand how decisions are made.
Track metrics such as applicant pool diversity, interview pass-through rates, offer acceptance rates, and time-to-hire by demographic group. Look for changes over time and review qualitative feedback from hiring teams.
Check out our Recruiting Software Guide to explore features that help to further reduce hiring bias.
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]]>Discover proven change management tips from real project managers who have led complex transitions, and explore the skills and tools you need to succeed.
The post 12 Proven Change Management Tips & Skills from Real Project Managers appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways:
- A change management process reduces organizational friction by defining decision-makers and setting boundaries for acceptable change levels.
- Effective communication and empathy build trust and engagement, and project managers must explain the reason for change and create space for open conversations to address team concerns.
- Successful change management depends on alignment and capability-building, not just communication. Teams must be equipped to operate differently and supported through the transition.
Handling organizational change often falls under a project manager’s responsibility, guiding teams through transitions such as technology migrations, company restructuring, and process updates. Each situation demands a tailored approach, but some strategies consistently lead to success. In this article, we explore insights on change management in project management from four experienced professionals who have led transformations and coached teams through complex change.
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Expert contributors
 | Alan Zucker, PMP, PMI-ACP Founding Principal at Project Management Essentials Find Alan on LinkedIn |
 | Leslie Ellis Founder & CEO at Meaningful Change Consulting Find Leslie on LinkedIn |
 | Sara Gallagher President at The Persimmon Group Find Sara on LinkedIn |
 | Zhanna Semenets Web Marketing Project Manager at Mobilunity Find Zhanna on LinkedIn |
How do experienced project managers prepare teams for change?
Preparing teams for organizational or project change takes careful planning and steady leadership. It’s about helping people understand what’s shifting and how they can succeed in the new environment.
So, how to manage change as a leader? Below, we compiled tips from real project managers to help you guide your team through transitions.
1. Define a clear change management process
“The first and most important step in managing project change is defining the process that will be followed,” said Alan Zucker. Many projects struggle not because of the change itself, but because the team lacks a clear structure for managing it. Zucker emphasized that having an established process prevents confusion and frustration among stakeholders. He also cautioned that “critical processes, like change management, are not clearly defined, leading to execution problems.”
A well-defined process outlines how change requests are submitted and approved. It prevents scope creep and ensures every change is assessed for time, cost, and impact. By setting predefined acceptable change levels and identifying decision-makers, teams reduce friction and maintain control.
2. Understand the change before analyzing impact
Gallagher emphasized the importance of clarity before execution. She said, “The first step in managing change should always be to understand the exact nature of the change, as specifically as possible.”
Many teams rush to estimate costs and timelines without fully grasping what’s changing. By clarifying what’s different from the original plan and why the change is being made, project managers can avoid rework and confusion later in the project.
3. Define how change will be led
Ellis pointed out that before any planning begins, teams must “define how change will be led.” She explained, “Teams often have a project plan, but not a change strategy. Establishing a shared ‘how’ creates clarity, accelerates decision-making, and prevents rework.”
This step ensures everyone understands who leads, who decides, and how success will be measured. A strong change strategy connects the human and operational sides of the project.
4. Explain the story behind the change
According to Semenets, “When we have even slight changes in the project, the very first thing I do is ask myself, ‘Have I told my team the story behind this change?’” Explaining the context helps team members understand why the change is necessary and how it supports the project’s vision.
Semenets emphasized that open communication fosters alignment and prevents confusion. When people understand the “why” behind the change, they become more engaged and committed to the outcome.
5. Help stakeholders visualize trade-offs
Zucker also highlighted the importance of transparency in managing scope changes. Project managers should “draw a line showing what can be achieved within the allotted time and budget.” When new items are added, others may fall below the line, showing stakeholders the trade-offs in real time.
This visualization technique makes it easier for teams to prioritize changes based on value. According to Zucker, using Agile techniques like ordering change requests from most to least valuable promotes accountability and informed decision-making.
Jira Service Management is an Agile-oriented project management platform that includes powerful self-service forms for capturing change requests. In the example above, IT teams can select from different request types, such as pre-approved maintenance tasks or production system upgrades that need additional planning and review.
6. Implement change gradually, not all at once
Semenets warned against pushing change too fast. “The biggest and most common mistake a company might have is to launch a change at full speed.” Instead, she recommended implementing change “in waves and making even a small win visible.”
Gradual implementation allows teams to test processes, fix issues, and build momentum. It also gives leaders a chance to celebrate incremental progress, which motivates the team and strengthens adoption.
7. Start with a pilot before scaling up
To demonstrate this approach, Semenets highlighted a success story: “We had to migrate a major marketing platform across three countries. We started with one pilot team, making sure they had extra support for two weeks, and then rolled the change to other teams.”
This method helped the company identify challenges before expanding the rollout. By treating the pilot as a testing ground, project managers can refine processes and minimize disruption during full implementation.
8. Communicate change requests transparently
Gallagher noted that stakeholder alignment comes from transparency. She recommended that PMs “proactively communicate what the request is, who requested it, why it’s considered a change, and what trade-offs are required to accommodate it.”
This approach builds trust and prevents misunderstandings. Clear and honest communication turns potential resistance into cooperation, which helps teams move forward.
9. Track change progress with shared dashboards
To maintain visibility, Ellis recommended using “simple dashboards that integrate project milestones with change milestones—readiness, adoption, sustainment.” She made clear that “the tool matters less than shared ownership of what’s tracked.”
Dashboards help align cross-functional teams and keep everyone accountable for both technical and behavioral change outcomes.
Smartsheet is a project management platform that offers standardized tools that help organizations plan and execute changes efficiently. Its dashboards work as change management tools to measure the scale of each change, assess your organization’s capacity to manage it, and include customizable forms to collect change events from across teams.
10. Rebuild stakeholder confidence during implementation
Gallagher cautioned against assuming that a request always results in a change. “Stakeholders often quietly feel that the ‘change’ was actually a project team miss.” To address this, she advised PMs to “rebuild stakeholder confidence through active listening, clear updates, and a shared sense of urgency.”
By acknowledging perceptions and communicating progress openly, project managers can strengthen relationships and maintain alignment throughout the change process.
11. Build stakeholder alignment through shared purpose
Ellis emphasized that stakeholder buy-in is earned through alignment, not persuasion. She stated, “Buy-in isn’t a single conversation; it’s earned through alignment. I coach PMs and sponsors to align early on the why, not just the what.”
When leaders communicate a consistent purpose, engagement cascades naturally across the organization. This alignment ensures that all parties support the change both intellectually and emotionally.
12. Embed change leadership early in the project
Ellis highlighted an example where early change planning made a measurable impact: “On a multi-year HR transformation, we reduced rework by 40% in the first year by embedding change leadership upstream of project planning.”
By defining stakeholder readiness before system design began, the team stayed on schedule and improved trust across departments. This shows that early integration of change management leads to stronger results and smoother adoption.
What change management skills do project managers need?
Understanding which change management skills to develop helps project managers lead teams more effectively during transitions and organizational shifts. Below are key skills that real-world project managers identified as essential for managing change with confidence and long-term success.
- Emotional intelligence and empathy: Semenets’ insights point to the value of emotional intelligence in guiding teams through change. She emphasized that “not for everyone changes might be easy,” reminding project managers that individuals react differently to disruptions. Recognizing those emotional dynamics helps managers provide reassurance, adjust communication styles, and maintain morale under shifting priorities.
- Decision-making under pressure: According to Ellis, clarity is the foundation of flexibility. She advised, “Clarity first, flexibility second. The clearer everyone is on intent and success measures, the easier it is to flex without losing integrity.” This skill combines critical thinking and calm decision-making. In complex projects, clear communication about goals and priorities allows the team to adapt without compromising outcomes or project integrity.
- Effective communication: For Semenets, communication is at the heart of effective change management. She shared, “I ask teammates what worries they might have due to the changes in the project.” This empathetic approach turns resistance into collaboration and ensures people feel supported throughout transitions.
- Flexibility and adaptability: Gallagher noted that “Great project managers see themselves as facilitators of change, not protectors of scope. Change is inevitable—especially in longer projects.” This perspective reflects adaptability that balances control with openness to adjustment. Being flexible allows project managers to reframe change as a strategic opportunity, not a disruption.
- Capability building and coaching: Ellis highlighted that strong project managers focus on building capability, not just delivering communication or training. She emphasized, “Projects fail when stakeholders are informed but not equipped to operate differently. Build readiness into the work, not after it.” This skill means integrating learning and development into every stage of the project. A skilled project manager doesn’t just explain change, but they also prepare people to sustain it long-term.
Bottom line: A consistent change management process creates predictability
Trevor Greenberg, PMP, explained that “a consistent change management process creates predictability in how the changes are implemented and also makes sure everyone understands that the process is not changing as the project evolves.” This consistency gives teams a reliable path to follow and removes uncertainty about how decisions are handled. It also strengthens trust because stakeholders know the approach will remain steady throughout the project.
FAQs
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]]>How can fun and games help you engage your employees? Learn how the right tools and techniques can lead to better productivity and outcomes for your business.
The post Gamification in the Workplace: Examples to Increase Engagement appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways
- Gamification in the workplace is the use of game techniques in a non-game context.
- Many companies use gamification techniques in sales competitions, learning management strategies, and employee wellness programs.
- When implemented well, gamification software and strategies can increase employee productivity and motivation, attract younger workers, and foster healthy competition.
- Dec. 11, 2025: Hanna Sillo added examples of how gamification improves work and the common pitfalls to avoid when designing gamified programs. She also restructured the benefits section for clarity, and included a new FAQ section.
- Aug. 27, 2024: Kara Sherrer rewrote this article for accuracy, clarity, and freshness. She added clear real-world examples of gamification in the workplace and outlined steps for implementing a successful gamification program. The previous version of this article was written by Tamara Scott in September 2021.
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What is gamification in the workplace?
Gamification in the workplace is the use of game mechanics, like points, badges, and challenges to improve employee engagement, motivation, and performance. Companies use it in sales, onboarding, training, and wellness because it increases participation, improves knowledge retention, and supports a more motivated, feedback-driven culture.
Gamification is particularly effective for remote and hybrid companies because it creates shared experiences and friendly competition, even when employees are spread across different locations. With the right tools, it can strengthen learning outcomes, boost productivity, and help teams stay connected day-to-day.
Some gamification techniques you can use in your workplace include:
- Creating a leaderboard to encourage healthy competition
- Awarding digital badges for hitting milestones
- Sending weekly or monthly “report cards” or check-ins that summarize employees’ standings
- Transforming training courses into quests or challenges
- Offering a lottery or sweepstakes prize for completing certain objectives
- Providing points or credits that can be redeemed for tangible rewards
How does gamification show up in the workplace?
While gamification is no longer a new thing to anyone in the business world, it’s still difficult to manage it effectively without technology. Fortunately, there are many tools that you can implement to leverage gamification to support your sales team, training curriculum, or wellness program.
Sales competitions
Salespeople are already driven by metrics, and the idea of a performance-based contest is appealing since competition forms the foundation of sales.
Companies often use gamification in sales to:
- Achieve higher outbound activity
- Increase pipeline volume with real-time visibility
- Improve team morale and cross-team recognition
- Speed up ramp time for new SDRs
Salespeople compete against their company’s bottom line and must bring in enough revenue to justify their position or secure a bonus. They must also compete against rejection, which is significantly more common than closing a deal.
That’s why gamification is a logical partner for sales competitions: applying game elements using software like Ambition encourages selling behavior and motivates the team to close more deals. Sales teams can set up leaderboards for various goals to balance collaboration and individual progress.
What to watch out for when gamifying sales
Sales competitions can fall flat if they lean too heavily on winner-take-all rankings, measure only closed deals instead of daily activities, or rely on the same rewards every cycle. Keep the goals balanced and incentives fresh to help the program stay motivating.
Learning management paths
Onboarding and training programs are necessary parts of doing business. However, many traditional training courses are tedious, and few employees are motivated to complete them in a timely manner. Even if they do finish the course on time, few employees retain all the important information.
Gamified learning programs are often structured around quest- or challenge-based courses. For example, Centrical lets you choose from different game narrative options like a car race or a game of hide-and-seek.
Gamification in workplace learning often lead to:
- Higher training completion rates
- Better knowledge retention due to spaced reinforcement
- Increased on-time compliance certification
- Greater sense of progress for new hires during onboarding
Whether you need to train a new hire about the company’s processes, conduct annual compliance certifications, or teach a whole department how to use a new software platform, this gamified structure helps improve knowledge retention and on-time completion rates.
Pitfalls to avoid when gamifying learning
Long or overly complex learning paths can drag down completion rates, and passive content makes it harder for employees to retain information. Repeating the same challenge format can also cause engagement to drop. Mixing formats and keeping lessons focused, however, helps training stay effective.
Health and wellness programs
Effective wellness programs give employees the knowledge and tools they need to improve their lives at work and at home, often leading to higher productivity and lower health insurance costs for both employees and employers.
However, wellness programs are often underutilized because employees either lack awareness or don’t have a clear incentive to participate. Using gamification for these programs can bring:
- Higher participation in step challenges and mindfulness programs
- Better long-term engagement due to ongoing point systems
- Reduced absenteeism and improved morale
- Potential lower healthcare costs for organizations over time
Gamification applies the same principles of friendly competition and milestone accomplishments to motivate employees wherever they are in their wellness journeys.
Depending on the structure of your wellness program, this could take many different forms like step count leaderboards or mindfulness challenges that change from week to week. Many of these programs require self-reporting, but some platforms like Wellable allow employees to sync data from wearable devices such as Fitbits or Apple Watches.
Wellable integrates with the devices your employees already use to track their health metrics and earn points that can be redeemed for rewards.
Where gamifying wellness programs might hit a snag
Wellness programs can lose momentum when participation feels like extra work or when challenges stay the same week after week. Engagement also drops quickly if tracking relies too heavily on manual reporting. Keeping activities varied and making tracking effortless (e.g., synced devices or simple check-ins) helps employees stay involved for a long time.
How to implement gamification in the workplace
1. Determine what to gamify
If your company is new to gamification, then we recommend choosing one area to start with implementation. The examples we listed above—sales competitions, help desks, onboarding, learning management, and health and wellness—are a great place to start.
Pick one to focus your gamification efforts on, and then you can expand into other areas later once you get a feel for what techniques work at your company.
2. Identify gamification goals
Then, decide what big-picture goals you want to reach in that area. Some possibilities include faster completion rates for help desk tickets, increased training participation rates, or higher win rates for sales opportunities.
Identifying the specific goals that you hope to achieve will help you select the most effective gamification techniques.
3. Pick a gamification technique
The specific gamification techniques you implement should be closely tied to your overall goals.
For instance, a leaderboard is an effective tactic to encourage some friendly competition amongst the sales team, but it’s not the best choice if you want to encourage the whole company to complete a training course about new software implementation.
Being selective about which gamification techniques you use will increase your chances of achieving your goals.
4. Select rewards or incentives
Many companies use prizes, gift cards, and other rewards as incentives in their gamification programs. Since employees aren’t motivated to keep winning the same prizes over and over again, some companies rotate reward types quarterly or yearly to keep them fresh. I
f you don’t have a good sense of what rewards your employees will find most motivating, use employee engagement software to survey them about what rewards would be most effective.
5. Configure analytics reports
No gamification program is perfect out of the gate, which is why you should set your key performance indicators (KPIs) before launch.
Many gamified software platforms provide reports and dashboards to track employee activity, success rates, and other metrics so you can see what’s working and what isn’t. Leverage these analytics to make improvements to your gamification program and increase results over time.
6. Gather employee feedback
In addition to tracking quantitative KPIs, gathering qualitative employee feedback will help you measure the effectiveness of the gamification program.
Your employees will likely have recommendations on how the program can be improved, so listen to what they have to say and take their suggestions into account.
Benefits of gamification
Gamification captures employees’ attention through elements like points, progress bars, and challenges. It makes routine tasks feel more interactive, which increases day-to-day motivation and overall participation.
Millennial and Gen Z employees—who grew up with mobile and digital games—tend to respond well to game mechanics. Gamified tools feel intuitive to them, making participation more natural and consistent.
By surfacing real-time progress, gamification creates more frequent feedback loops. Employees can see where they stand, understand what’s improving, and identify where to adjust, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Depending on the design, gamification can encourage friendly competition (through leaderboards) or reinforce teamwork (through shared challenges). This flexibility helps companies tailor the experience to their culture
In learning and onboarding, gamification turns long modules into smaller, more digestible milestones. This structure helps employees complete courses more quickly and retain information more effectively.
When engagement, training outcomes, and performance all improve, the cumulative effect is higher productivity across teams. Although gamification tools require an upfront investment, many companies see the programs pay for themselves through increased output and improved results.
Gamification FAQs
Sales, onboarding, customer support, and learning and development see the strongest impact because these functions rely heavily on activity-based metrics and repeatable processes that gamification enhances.
The most effective rewards are those that employees actually prefer, such as gift cards, PTO hours, spot bonuses, wellness perks, or team experiences. If you can provide them the option to pick, even better. Programs perform best when reward options are refreshed regularly.
It can, but usually only when poorly designed. Overly competitive structures, unclear scoring rules, or repetitive rewards can reduce motivation. Balanced goals, transparent scoring, and varied incentives help prevent this.
Not necessarily. While platforms like Ambition, Centrical, and Wellable offer robust features, companies can start small with simple point systems, progress trackers, or weekly challenges run through their existing tools.
The post Gamification in the Workplace: Examples to Increase Engagement appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Discover the top Square alternatives and competitors for 2025. Compare pricing, features, and POS tools to find the best option for your retail, restaurant, or online business.
The post 8 Best Square Alternatives & Competitors for 2025 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>I evaluated more than POS systems and payment processors as of December 2025, and found Stripe to be the best Square alternative for businesses that need custom payment flows and developer tools. Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Clover, Toast, SpotOn, Helcim, and IT Retail also beat Square in specific use cases such as advanced inventory, ecommerce, restaurants, and multi-location retail.
Top Square alternatives for 2025
Square alternative
Best for
Monthly starting price*
Square is one of the most popular point-of-sale systems for small businesses because it combines free POS software, simple flat-rate payment processing, and affordable hardware. But as your sales volume grows or your operations become more complex, you may run into Square’s limits around pricing flexibility, inventory depth, or industry-specific tools.
I did my research and analyzed leading Square competitors, including Stripe, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Clover, Toast, SpotOn, Helcim, and IT Retail. I scored each provider on pricing, contract terms, POS features, hardware options, scalability, and overall user experience. The options below stood out as the best Square alternatives if you need lower long-term costs, better inventory controls, stronger ecommerce, or a platform your team can customize.
- Real-time inventory tracking helps keep stock levels accurate automatically.
- Integrated reporting offers insights into sales trends and profit margins.
- Cloud-based platform ensures secure access and easy management from anywhere, anytime.
Square vs top Square alternatives: A comparison table
Provider
Our expert score (out of 5)
Payment processing options
Free POS plan
Hardware cost
Ecommerce integration
Square
4.06
Exclusive
✓
$0-$799
Native
Stripe
4.13
Exclusive
✓
From $59
Third party
Lightspeed
4.06
Exclusive or third party
X
Not disclosed
Native + third party
Shopify
4.06
Exclusive or third party
✓
$39-$399*
Native
Clover**
4.05
Exclusive or third party
X
From $199
Native + third party
Toast
4.05
Exclusive
✓
From $0
Native + third party
SpotOn
4.05
Exclusive
✓
From $50***
Native
Helcim
4.03
Exclusive
✓
From $99
Native + third party
IT Retail
4.0
Exclusive
X
Included in monthly plan
Third party
Stripe: Best Square alternative for platform customizations
Overall Score
4.13/5
Pricing
4.06/5
Hardware
4.5/5
Software Features
4.25/5
Support & Reliability
5/5
User Experience
2.5/5
Average User Review Scores
4.47/5
Pros
- Free merchant account
- Advanced payment platform customizations
- Proprietary payment and POS app
Cons
- Requires some coding skills to set up
- Add-on fees for invoicing and recurring billing
- Limited in-person payments for native mobile app
Why I chose Stripe
Stripe started in 2011 as a developer-friendly way to take online payments and plug directly into ecommerce platforms and mobile apps. It has since grown into a full payments stack, with tools for fraud prevention, embedded finance, and accounting automation. Its platform now powers payments for brands like Nord Security, Xero, Amazon, Shopify, and Lightspeed, which says a lot about how scalable it is.
- My expert take: I like Stripe for businesses that are ready to outgrow simple plug-and-play POS apps. In my experience, its well-documented APIs, SDKs, and integrations make it easier to build the exact payment flows you want instead of working around preset POS templates.
- Square vs Stripe: For very small sellers, Square is still quicker to set up for in-person payments. And for years, Stripe has been behind Square due to its lack of plug-and-play payment and POS apps. But with Stripe Dashboard and Stripe Terminal, Stripe now holds its own for basic in-person checkout while offering far more flexibility for online, subscription, and international payments.
- Best for: Online-first businesses, SaaS companies, marketplaces, and growing brands that want a tailored payment stack rather than an off-the-shelf POS system.
Read more:
- Monthly POS fee: Depends on provider (payment app is free)
- Transaction fees:
- Card-present (in-person): 2.7% + 5 cents for card-present or custom interchange-plus rate
- Card-not-present (online): 2.9% + 30 cents or custom interchange-plus rate
- Paid upgrade options: $10/month for Stripe Checkout with custom domain
- Hardware cost: $59 to $349
- Early/cancellation fee: $0
International payment services
With Stripe, users can accept payments in 135 currencies, plus a variety of local payment methods in 47 countries. Its customization tools allow the platform to detect the customer’s location and then provide the relevant local payment method and currency on a checkout page translated into the local language.
Advanced customization and integrations
Stripe boasts 660 third-party integrations and 450 extensions that seamlessly integrate with its payment platform. Integrations and extensions include ecommerce, CRM, marketing, productivity, and more. Most offer plug-and-play setups, while some require APIs to maximize the available features.
Security and fraud management
Stripe offers a solid list of fraud management tools. Every merchant account comes with machine-learning security and a customizable risk management dashboard for fine-tuning rules to prevent accidentally flagging genuine transactions. Additionally, built-in chargeback management tools help merchants efficiently handle chargeback claims.
Lightspeed: Best Square alternative for inventory management
Overall Score
4.06/5
Pricing
3.44/5
Hardware
4.25/5
Software Features
4.5/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.07/5
Pros
- Advanced management tools for complex inventory
- Highly customizable reporting and analytics
- Works with third-party payment processors
Cons
- High price points
- Limited shipping integrations
- No free plans
Why I chose Lightspeed
Lightspeed has built strong industry-specific POS software in recent years, but its advanced inventory features are what really set it apart. It can handle ingredient-level tracking, customizable product matrices, serial number tracking, and omnichannel ordering, which makes it a better fit than most generic POS systems for complex retail operations. That depth allows Lightspeed to support niche businesses like jewelry stores, sporting goods and bike shops, vape retailers, golf courses, and other specialty merchants.
- My expert take: I reach for Lightspeed when a business tells me inventory is their biggest pain point and their priority feature. In my testing and demos, its inventory workflows feel more structured and powerful than Square’s, especially once you move into variants, assemblies, or serialized items. It keeps stock control from turning into a spreadsheet project.
- Square vs Lightspeed: Both providers offer all-in-one, industry-specific POS solutions with built-in payments, ecommerce tools, and omnichannel features. Square is easier to start with and has a lower upfront cost, but Lightspeed is the clear winner for inventory management and multi-location complexity. If you like Square’s interface but have outgrown its stock tools, Lightspeed is the more scalable next step.
- Best fit for: Retailers with complex or high-value inventory, including jewelry, bike and sporting goods shops, vape stores, golf courses, and any business that needs more structure and detail in its inventory system and can justify a starting price of $89 per month with no free plan.
- Monthly POS account fees:
- $109 to $339 ($89 to $289 paid annually) for retail
- $189 to $399 for restaurants
- Transaction fees:
- Card-present: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Card-not-present: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Paid upgrade options: Upgrade to higher subscription plans
- Hardware cost: Undisclosed
- Early/cancellation fee: None, unless purchasing hardware on installment
Detailed inventory management
Lightspeed’s customizable inventory management feature can handle complex product matrices, from raw materials and ingredients to spare parts and special crafts. It also comes equipped with thousands of vendor catalogs, work order management, and serial number/SKU tracking functionalities.
Third-party payment processing option
In addition to Lightspeed’s built-in payments feature, the system can also work with third-party payment processors PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, Cayan, and Authorize.net.
Read more: Square vs PayPal
Customizable reporting and high-level analytics
Every plan includes Lightspeed’s reporting function, which includes 50+ built-in customizable reports, multi-location sales and inventory tracking, and employee performance monitoring. Lightspeed also offers analytics in its upgraded plans, where businesses can set performance goals and perform A/B testing.
Shopify: Best Square alternative for ecommerce
Overall Score
4.06/5
Pricing
3.44/5
Hardware
4/5
Software Features
4.25/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.57/5
Pros
- Free POS software available
- Native ecommerce platform
- Can run on desktops and iPads
Cons
- Limited features in the free POS plan
- Requires a Shopify ecommerce plan
- Charges commission on third-party payment processing
Why I chose Shopify
Shopify is a strong Square alternative for ecommerce-led businesses because it combines a powerful online store platform with a growing in-person POS system. It handles inventory across multiple channels, supports payments in different currencies and languages, and connects to a wide range of third-party business apps. Compared with Square’s online tools, Shopify gives merchants more control over their storefront, catalog, and international selling.
- My expert take: When a business tells me most of its revenue is online or that it plans to scale through ecommerce first, I usually look at Shopify before anything else. Its online store, checkout options, and sales channel integrations are simply more mature than Square’s, and Shopify POS ties that together for in-person selling instead of feeling like an add-on. I have been evaluating ecommerce platforms for almost a decade, and Shopify has been a consistent top pick for best ecommerce platform.
- Square vs Shopify: Square is easier to start with for simple in-person selling, but Shopify is far ahead for online sales, international expansion, and multichannel selling on social platforms and marketplaces. Both Shopify and Lightspeed offer strong inventory tools, but Shopify’s edge over Square and Lightspeed is how naturally those tools sync with the online store and POS. The tradeoff is cost: Shopify POS has a free tier, but brick-and-mortar shops with steady sales will need a paid Shopify plan to unlock the full setup.
- Best fit for: Businesses that primarily sell online and want to add or expand in-person sales, brands planning to sell internationally, and retailers that want one platform to manage ecommerce, social channels, and POS together.
Read more: Square vs Shopify
- Monthly POS account fee:
- Starter: $5 (without e-commerce)
- Retail: $39-$399 (with e-commerce plan)
- Basic (included for free in e-commerce plan): $0
- Pro (for paid plans): $89 per location
- Transaction fees:
- Card-present: 2.6% + 10 cents, or 5%
- Card-not-present: 2.4% + 30 cents to 2.9% + 30 cents
- Paid upgrade options: Included in software plan upgrades
- Hardware cost: $49-$399
- Early/cancellation fee: $0
Omnichannel selling
Shopify’s POS software comes with omnichannel selling features that allow businesses to manage multichannel inventory and sales from a single platform. This seamless integration provides businesses real-time data on stock levels, sales, and employee performance.
Third-party payment services
Switching to Shopify is easy for businesses with a preferred payment service. In addition to its built-in payment processing feature, Shopify works with several third-party payment processors, such as Adyen, PayPal, WorldPay, and more.
Social channel integrations
As a leading online selling platform, Shopify integrates with popular social media channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Businesses can also advertise and collect payments through various messaging apps.
Clover: Best Square alternative for flexible payment processor
Overall Score
4.05/5
Pricing
3.44/5
Hardware
4.5/5
Software Features
3.75/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
4.38/5
Average User Review Scores
3.87/5
Pros
- Compatible with other payment processors
- Sleek and easy-to-use hardware
- Industry-specific POS software
Cons
- Terms and pricing depend on payment processor
- Hardware can be expensive
- Complex hardware and software bundle pricing
Why I chose Clover
Clover is a widely used POS platform with solutions for retail, restaurants, and service businesses. It offers a broad mix of hardware, including mobile readers, terminals, and full countertop registers, so you can match your setup to how you sell. Like Square, Clover has a full ecosystem of devices and apps that can scale as your business grows.
- My expert take: I recommend Clover for merchants that want more flexibility in how they handle payment processing. In my experience, being able to bring your own processor or negotiate rates on the Fiserv network can be a real cost advantage if you are willing to compare offers and read the fine print.
- Square vs Clover: Square bundles POS and processing together, which keeps setup simple but locks you into its rates. Clover, on the other hand, lets you work with many different merchant service providers on the Fiserv network, so you can keep a preferred processor or shop around for lower fees. The tradeoff is that contracts and pricing vary a lot, and Clover has limited control over how each reseller structures fees, so you need to monitor terms carefully.
- Best fit for: Established retailers, restaurants, and service businesses that want a flexible POS system, prefer specific processors, or want the option to negotiate more aggressive rates than Square or Shopify typically allow.
Businesses can purchase pre-programmed Clover hardware and software from their preferred payment processor, and Fiserv has little oversight over pricing. The fees below are based on Fiserv terms and rates.
- Monthly POS account fee: $0; Starts at $16 for retail if bundled with hardware
- Transaction fees:
- Card-present: 2.3%-2.6% + 10 cents
- Card-not-present: 3.5% + 10 cents
- Paid upgrade options: Upgrades tied to higher software subscription plans
- Hardware cost: From $199
- Early/cancellation fee: Not specified but depends on hardware purchased on installment (2-year contract)
Ease of use
While there are mixed user reviews for Clover, real-life users agree that Clover’s hardware and software are easy to use. The hardware is pre-programmed with Clover software, so it is ready out of the box with a step-by-step guide to set up your account. Larger setup requirements can request Clover’s on-site technical support.
Flexible payment processor
Clover partners with a number of popular payment processors. For this reason, most real-life users switch to Clover’s hardware and software without leaving their preferred payment processor.
Hardware variety
Clover is also a great alternative to Square in terms of hardware variety. It offers everything from contactless mobile card readers to full-service dining POS systems complete with a kitchen display system (KDS) software and hardware solution. Clover’s hardware is also available for purchase on installment for businesses on a budget.
Toast: Best Square alternative for fast-growing restaurants
Overall Score
4.05/5
Pricing
3.75/5
Hardware
4.25/5
Software Features
4/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.2/5
Pros
- Free basic restaurant POS software
- Free hardware with pay-as-you-go plan
- Easy-to-use platform
Cons
- Very limited basic POS software
- Expensive add-on features
- 2-year long-term contract
Why I chose Toast
Toast is an all-in-one restaurant platform, which makes it the strongest Square alternative for food and beverage businesses. It combines restaurant-focused POS tools, native add-on programs, and industry-grade hardware that can handle heat, grease, and heavy use in a busy kitchen or bar.
- My expert take: Out of all the restaurant POS systems I evaluated, Toast is the one I would move to once a food business outgrows Square. Its ingredient-level controls, kitchen and delivery management tools, and menu workflows are built for restaurants first, not adapted from a retail POS. That difference shows up fast once ticket volume and menu complexity increase.
- Square vs Toast: Square for Restaurants works well for newer or lower-volume concepts, but Toast’s restaurant features are more efficient for growing operations. Toast handles ingredient management, delivery integration, and menu changes more cleanly, and its marketplace includes restaurant-specific integrations like Zero-in for menus and ExpandShare for staff training. The tradeoff is cost and commitment: Toast’s starter kit can come with higher payment processing fees and typically requires at least a two-year contract, while Square stays month-to-month.
- Best fit for: Established, full-service restaurants and growing food and beverage businesses that need serious kitchen, menu, and delivery tools and are ready to trade Square’s flexibility for deeper restaurant functionality, even if that means higher processing costs and a longer contract.
Read more:Best Restaurant POS Systems
Toast software pricing plans start at $0, with options to upgrade to paid plans based on your restaurant’s size. The starter kit program offers free hardware, allowing you to own (not rent) a complete set of basic POS hardware in exchange for higher transaction fees.
- Monthly POS account fee:
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: $0
- Traditional pricing: Countertop and handheld
- Basics: $69/month
- Core: $219/month
- Growth: $579/month
- Traditional pricing: Self-service kiosk
- Basics: $99/month
- Core: $249/month
- Growth: $609/month
- Build Your Own: Custom pricing (suggested for multilocation restaurants wanting high customizability)
- Transaction fees:
- Pay-as-you-go
- Basics: 3.09% + 15 cents
- Core: 3.39% + 15 cents
- Growth: 3.69% + 15 cents
- Traditional pricing: Countertop, handheld, self-service kiosk
- Card-present: 2.49% + 15 cents
- Card-not-present: 3.50% + 15 cents (Visa, Discover, and Mastercard)
- American Express: 3.50% + 15 cents
- Build Your Own: Custom-quoted
- Pay-as-you-go
- Paid upgrade options: Add-on business tools from $50 per month
- Hardware cost: From $0-$1,234
- Early/cancellation fee: $0
Note that while there are no cancellation fees for long-term contracts, Toast users will be expected to pay the remaining balance of their monthly fees should they decide to cancel early.
Software plans to match your business size
Toast’s software plans are designed to match restaurants of all sizes, from startups to restaurants that need multiple registers, or even locations, to keep up with diner demand. Toast offers everything from a free starter plan to custom plans.
Free POS hardware
Toasts offers a starter kit program that allows businesses to own a set of POS hardware for free. The starter kit includes a Wi-Fi router and a desktop or handheld POS terminal.
Learn more about: Best POS Hardware for Business
Online ordering and delivery
Toast expands your restaurant’s reach to online customers with its ordering and delivery management features. You can design an online menu and ordering platform while also managing delivery with either Toast’s native delivery management tool or third-party delivery app integrations.
SpotOn: Best Square alternative for free retail POS
Overall Score
4.05/5
Pricing
3.75/5
Hardware
4.25/5
Software Features
3.75/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.4/5
Pros
- Free and affordable paid subscription plans
- Loyalty and marketing tools are included
- Built-in payments and ecommerce features
Cons
- Transaction fees for retail plans are not disclosed
- Basic product catalogs in free plan
- Limited reporting functionality
Why I chose SpotOn
SpotOn is one of the closest options to Square on affordability for retail businesses. It offers a forever-free plan similar to Square, and its paid plan is priced at around 25 dollars per month. That entry plan already includes payment processing, inventory tools, ecommerce, omnichannel features, and built-in marketing and loyalty, which Square often treats as paid add-ons.
- My expert take: I like SpotOn for budget-conscious startups and small retailers that want an all-in-one system without stacking multiple subscriptions. In my view, the combination of a free option plus a low-cost paid plan with marketing and loyalty included makes SpotOn very competitive for early-stage businesses that would quickly outgrow Square’s free tier alone.
- Square vs SpotOn: Both platforms target small businesses with simple, affordable POS setups, but SpotOn’s paid plan packs in more tools at a lower software price, while Square can get more expensive once you start adding advanced features. The main drawback is that SpotOn does not clearly publish its payment processing rates, and smaller merchants often pay more under flat-rate pricing, so you need to compare SpotOn’s quoted rates carefully against Square’s before you commit.
- Best fit for: Startups and small retail businesses that want an all-in-one POS with inventory, ecommerce, marketing, and loyalty included, and that are focused on keeping monthly software costs as low as possible while still getting more built-in tools than Square’s free plan provides.
- Monthly POS account fee: $0-$55 per month (custom plans available)
- Payment processing fees: 1.99%-2.89% + 25 cents; custom rates available
- Paid upgrade options: Upgrade to a paid software subscription
- Hardware cost: Undisclosed
- Early/cancellation fee: $0
Note that, like Toast, SpotOn users who signed up for a hardware financing plan will be required to pay off the remaining balance of the hardware cost should they decide to stop using SpotOn.
Customer engagement
SpotOn’s free POS plan includes loyalty and marketing management tools and an online reputation management dashboard. This is a standout feature, as most POS providers, including Square, charge extra for these features.
Native website builder
SpotOn also includes free access to its website builder, which integrates directly with other SpotOn POS tools. The website builder is easy to use, with a step-by-step guide and a drag-and-drop function for creating website menus and designing pages.
Omnichannel selling
Similar to Square, SpotOn also supports omnichannel sales. The inventory settings include options for customizing, which channels each product is available. Stock levels are tracked in real time, and alerts can be set for reorder points.
Helcim: Best Square alternative for healthcare services
Overall Score
4.03/5
Pricing
4.38/5
Hardware
3.75/5
Software Features
3.75/5
Support & Reliability
4.38/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.2/5
Pros
- Zero monthly and add-on fees
- Interchange plus pricing w/ automated discounts
- Surcharging and level 2 and 3 data optimization
Cons
- Requires merchant account approval
- Expensive card readers
- Poorly rated POS app
Why I chose Helcim
Helcim is a traditional merchant services provider with automated volume discounts and free POS and payment tools. In the past few years, it has launched its own POS app and handheld terminals, so it now works as a full mobile POS solution instead of just a processor behind the scenes.
- My expert take: I like Helcim as a Square alternative for healthcare and professional services because it is willing to sign business associate agreements and support more regulated environments. In my view, the combination of automated volume discounts, clear interchange-plus pricing, and cost optimization tools like surcharging at no extra software cost makes it one of the few processors on this list that actively helps you bring your effective rates down as you grow.
- Square vs Helcim: Square is easier to get started with because it uses an aggregate merchant account and has instant signup, which is ideal for newer or very small businesses. Helcim, as a traditional merchant account, is more stable for established practices and larger volume but requires an application, underwriting, and approval process that some new or higher-risk businesses may not pass. If you can qualify, Helcim usually offers better long-term pricing and more appropriate protections for healthcare and professional services than Square.
- Best fit for: Healthcare providers and professional services, including dentists, veterinarians, optometrists, and clinics that need BAAs, lower long-term processing costs, and more stable merchant accounts, and that are prepared to go through a full application and risk review with a Helcim account manager.
Read more: Best Healthcare Payment Processors
- Monthly POS account fee: $0
- Transaction fees:
- Card-present: Interchange plus 0.15% + 6 cents to 0.4% + 8 cents
- Card-not-present: Interchange plus 0.15% + 15 cents to 0.50% + 25 cents
- Paid upgrade options: No paid upgrades, free access to all services
- Hardware cost: From $99 to $329
- Early/cancellation fee: $0
Free payment processing services
Helcim does not charge monthly account fees or impose additional monthly costs for accessing any of its payment processing services. For example, Helcim’s invoicing and billing management tools are free to use, while Square requires a paid upgrade. Other Helcim payment services include a virtual terminal, online checkout, payment pages, and a secure card vault.
Cost optimization tools
Helcim’s automated volume discount program allows users to get the lowest rates based on their current transaction volume. This automation removes the need to apply for transaction rate discounts and the risk of a monthly minimum fee for not meeting a required sales volume. The system also supports level 2 and 3 data optimization, so every qualified transaction will be assured of B2B discounted rates. Helcim also makes surcharging and convenience fees available to all its businesses.
POS software
While not as popular as other POS providers on our list, Helcim does provide a proprietary POS app with inventory management and CRM. You can also connect barcode scanners, thermal receipt printers, and a cash drawer. Helcim’s payment service is already built into the POS.
IT Retail: Best Square alternative for high-volume retailers
Overall Score
4/5
Pricing
3.13/5
Hardware
4/5
Software Features
4/5
Support & Reliability
3.75/5
User Experience
4.38/5
Average User Review Scores
4.77/5
Pros
- Advanced inventory management
- Native tools for managing age-restricted products
- Built-in payment processing
Cons
- Pricey software/hardware plans
- Does not allow for third-party payment integrations
- Complicated setup
Why I chose IT Retail
IT Retail is built specifically for grocery and convenience stores that move a lot of SKUs at high volume. Its inventory tools can track products by location, FIFO or LIFO, and shelf life, and it includes built-in controls for age-restricted items. IT Retail also offers an all-in-one package where subscription plans cover POS software, payment processing, and hardware in one monthly payment.
- My expert take: I look at IT Retail when a “mom-and-pop” shop has turned into a busy grocery or convenience store and Square can’t keep up. In my experience, IT Retail’s inventory workflows, custom loyalty tools, and grocery-specific features are a better match for complex stock control and repeat customer programs than general-purpose POS systems.
- Square vs IT Retail: Square works well for startups and small retail shops, but its inventory tools struggle once you are managing thousands of items, tight margins, and compliance needs for age-restricted products. IT Retail is the stronger choice at that stage because it is built around high-volume grocery operations, more granular inventory tracking, and tailored loyalty programs. The tradeoff is that IT Retail is more expensive, more complex to roll out, and usually takes longer to implement, so it makes the most sense for stores that have clearly outgrown Square.
- Best fit for: Growing neighborhood groceries, convenience stores, and specialty food markets that now handle large product catalogs, fast-moving stock, and age-restricted items and are ready to invest in a more complex but more capable POS than Square.
- Monthly POS account fee: $99-$1,999
- Transaction fees: Custom quote
- Paid upgrade options: Included in subscription plan upgrade
- Hardware cost: Included in monthly subscription
- Early/cancellation fee: Depends on subscription plan
Advanced inventory management
All of IT Retail’s plans include its advanced inventory management features. The system allows businesses to customize how they prefer to track inventory and set automations for alerts and reporting. IT Retail also comes with built-in purchase order tools and a free mobile app for inventory counts.
Customizable rewards program
IT Retail provides a personalized checkout experience by creating custom rewards based on a customer’s buying habits. The system comes with automation tools for maintaining customer profiles and setting alerts at checkout when customers are qualified for rewards.
Built-in payment processing
IT Retail provides its own payment processing service. In addition to credit card and digital wallet payments, IT Retail also accepts debit, EBT Food, EBT Cash, gift cards, and checks.
Advantages of using Square: Why it’s so popular
Simply put, Square is an all-in-one POS system that offers easy and affordable setup, making it popular with startups and businesses operating on a tight budget. In fact, Square powers over four million merchants. Its pricing scheme allows businesses to start selling with zero initial investment and transaction fees as the only ongoing monthly cost.
Businesses that sign up for Square’s free plan get:
- Instant merchant account approval
- Basic industry-specific POS software
- Standard inventory features
- Mobile POS app
- Basic ecommerce platform
- Standard invoicing tools
- Virtual terminal
- Omnichannel sales
- Shipping and delivery management
- Starter team management plan
- First magstripe mobile card reader
- Waived chargeback fees of up to $250/month
Also read:
Affordable upgrades
Upgrades for Square are also affordable. Advanced software plans start at $49 per location monthly. Hardware costs start at $10 for an additional magstripe reader and $49 for a contactless mobile card reader, while more expensive POS hardware is available in installments.
Top-rated payment processing
Square’s payment processing service is also among the most versatile in the industry. Users can accept most payment types and process payments for specific industries such as healthcare (Square is fully HIPAA-compliant) and CBD (Square offers a CBD program). Square also comes with the native buy now, pay later (BNPL) service Afterpay and peer-to-peer payment service Cash App.
Easy to use
Square is also popular for its ease of setup and use. Square hardware is ready to use out of the box, and all users need to do is log on to their account and create their store with Square’s step-by-step guided prompt. The software itself is intuitive and requires very little training to learn how to use.
Highly mobile
Finally, most businesses also like Square for its mobility. Users can access their product catalog and ring up sales from the mobile POS app downloaded on a smartphone or iPad. It can even accept payments offline.
Also read:
Square disadvantages
Square does fall short in some areas, including:
Flat-rate pricing does not offer the most competitive rates
For one, Square’s flat-rate transaction fees are not the most affordable. As businesses grow, flat-rate fees can quickly eat up funds when transaction volumes are high.
For example, a supermarket with an average sales volume of $200,000 a year can have the choice between IT Retail’s custom quoted interchange-plus rate of 2.06% + 15 cents/transaction plus $99/month for POS software, and Square’s discounted 2.5% + 10 cents/transaction plus $49/month for POS software.
However, Square does offer custom discounted rates for transaction volumes above $250,000 a year. If you need a cheaper processing alternative with similar apps like Square, consider Helcim.
Limited inventory management capabilities
Another key drawback of using Square is its inventory management limitations. Most of our recommended Square competitors, such as Lightspeed and Toast, have better inventory management features, handling complex product matrices, tracking the movement of large volumes of products, and having custom catalogs for vendor orders.
Aggregated merchant services can lead to account holds
Lastly, there are a number of complaints from Square users about frozen funds and accounts. While this happens more to businesses that end up, in one way or another, violating Square’s terms of service, it’s important to note that Square’s subscribers share a single merchant account (divided into sub-merchant accounts).
This means that after a while, a Square user’s merchant standing can be affected by issues committed by other sub-merchants, making them susceptible to card network sanctions like merchant accounts (and, of course, funds) being frozen.
How to choose the best Square alternative for your business
Finding the right Square alternative comes down to understanding how your business operates, where Square falls short, and what tools will support your next stage of growth. Use the steps below to narrow your options.
Identify your business needs
Most businesses that move away from Square fall into two groups: those that need features Square doesn’t offer, and those that have outgrown what Square can support. Start by listing the gaps you’re running into. For some merchants, it’s inventory depth; for others, it’s restaurant-specific workflows, custom payment logic, or the ability to negotiate better processing rates.
Choosing a Square alternative becomes easier once you match your business needs with the system built to support them. The table below shows which providers fit the most common use cases, from advanced inventory to ecommerce and restaurant operations.
| Use case / priority | Best Square alternative(s) | Why |
| Retailers with complex or high-value inventory | Lightspeed IT Retail | Advanced inventory tools, matrix SKUs, serialized tracking, FIFO/LIFO, and multi-location workflows |
| Ecommerce-led brands expanding to in-person sales | Shopify POS | Strong ecommerce engine, multi-channel syncing, and a more flexible online checkout experience than Square |
| Businesses needing custom payment flows or global checkout | Stripe | Developer-first APIs, subscription billing, automation tools, and international payment support |
| Established restaurants | Toast | Ingredient-level controls, kitchen display tools, delivery management, and restaurant-grade hardware |
| Budget-conscious retail startups | SpotOn | Has a free plan and a low-cost paid plan with built-in marketing and loyalty |
| Healthcare and professional services | Helcim | BAA support, stable merchant accounts, and interchange-plus pricing with automated volume discounts |
| Merchants wanting to choose or negotiate their processor | Clover | Works on the Fiserv network, allowing processor choice and rate negotiation |
| Growing groceries and convenience stores | IT Retail | Shelf-life tracking, FIFO/LIFO, age-restricted product controls, and grocery-specific workflows |
Learn more: What Are the Different Types of POS Systems?
Compare long-term costs by factoring fees, hardware, and subscription plans.
Once you understand your needs, look at software and processing costs together. The cheapest system isn’t always the most cost-effective, especially if you plan to grow, add staff, or expand locations. Some Square competitors offer lower processing rates for higher volume, while others bundle advanced features that Square charges extra for. Focus on long-term value, not just the monthly fee.
| Provider | Base plan | Advanced plan | Card-present transaction fee | Minimum hardware cost |
| Square | $0 | $49-$149/month | 2.6% + 15 cents | $59; iPhone card reader |
| Stripe | No monthly fee (Stripe Terminal) | Custom pricing for advanced workflows | From 2.7% + 5 cents | $59 |
| Lightspeed | $89/month | $149-$269/month (Retail) | From 2.6% + 10 cents | Varies |
| Shopify POS | $5/month | $89/month per location | 2.4%–2.6% + 10 cents | $49; iPhone card reader |
| Clover | $0 | $16-$240/month for retail | 2.3% + 10 cents | $199 (Clover Go) |
| Toast | $0 | $69-$609; custom | 2.49%–3.69% + 15 cents | $0 with contract; otherwise varies |
| SpotOn | Free plan | $55/month; custom | 1.99%–2.89% + 25 cents | Undisclosed |
| Helcim | Free POS | No advanced software fee; pricing is processing-based | Interchange + margin; automated volume discounts | $99 (Helcim Reader) |
| IT Retail | ~$99/month | Up to ~$1,999/month depending on grocery needs | Custom | Hardware included in some plans |
Understand your customers and sales channels
Think about how your customers shop and pay. Do they expect online orders, local delivery, or multi-location pickup? Are you missing loyalty tools or marketing automation that could reduce churn? When you align POS features with customer behavior, it becomes easier to choose a system that supports growth rather than just replacing Square’s basic tools.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The post 8 Best Square Alternatives & Competitors for 2025 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>To increase employee engagement with your LMS, focus on usability, motivation, personalization, social learning, and mobile access. Companies that optimize these five areas often higher course completion rates, stronger learning retention, and better training outcomes. Key takeaways What is an LMS? A learning management system (LMS) is a software-based program for the creating, administrating, and […]
The post 8 Ways to Increase Employee Engagement With Your LMS appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>To increase employee engagement with your LMS, focus on usability, motivation, personalization, social learning, and mobile access. Companies that optimize these five areas often higher course completion rates, stronger learning retention, and better training outcomes.
Key takeaways
- Short, high-quality microlearning modules (5–15 minutes) dramatically increase completion rates and make training easier to fit into everyday workflows.
- Engagement rises when employees feel motivated and supported. Use gamification, personalization options, and social learning features to create a more interactive experience.
- Ease of access matters as much as content. An intuitive, mobile-friendly LMS with clear progress tracking encourages consistent, repeatable usage across your workforce.
- Dec. 10, 2025: Hanna Sillo improved the overall structure for easier reading and added more guidance, examples, recent stats and practical tips. She also expanded the piece with new FAQs, and included mentions of relevant LMS providers to help readers explore solutions.
What is an LMS?
A learning management system (LMS) is a software-based program for the creating, administrating, and distributing educational content. And while LMS tools are widely used for onboarding, compliance, and professional development, many employers still struggle to get employees to consistently engage with their training.
8 ways to engage your employees with LMS
If your LMS participation is lower than expected, here are eight proven strategies to boost engagement and help your workforce get more value from your learning programs.
1. Remove barriers to participation
The first step to getting employees engaged with an LMS is making sure they understand how to navigate the system. Not all employees will have worked with an LMS before, and even if they have, this LMS will probably be different, and not everything they know will translate to the new system.
Be sure to offer them whatever resources they need, whether that is a video tutorial, an instructive webinar, or even an in-person demonstration. Basically, you want to make using the LMS itself as painless as possible.
To increase participation, consider:
- Offer a quick-start video tutorial or webinar
- Provide an in-person or virtual walkthrough
- Create a “How to use the LMS” reference guide
2. Employ gamification strategies
Playing games increases participation and information retention, making gamification an essential strategy for increasing employee engagement. Take advantage of whatever gamification options are offered by your LMS, which will probably include leaderboards, achievement badges, group games, and similar functions.
For the best engagement, offer rewards that translate into something tangible, such as digital points that users can trade in for company swag.
Consdier gamification strategies like:
- Leaderboards and point systems
- Achievement badges
- Team challenges or group games
- Tangible rewards (e.g., points redeemable for swag)
Platforms like TalentLMS allows you engage employees using gamification. See how it works here:
3. Make it easy to track progress
People love to feel like they are accomplishing something, and tracking their progress is a huge part of this feeling of accomplishment. Show them how many modules they have completed, how many they have left to go, and what their estimated date of completion is.
You should also see if the LMS offers the options to present these analytics visually, either in the dashboard or in a separately generated report. You might also want to send each user a “report card” of their progress either weekly or monthly to further nudge them to engage with the LMS.
Look for an LMS platform that comes features like:
- Completion bars and module trackers
- Estimated completion times
- Weekly or monthly “report card” emails
- Visual dashboards or analytics widgets
4. Incorporate varied media content
Doing the same type of lesson over and over will get old fast. When designing LMS courses, make sure you break things up by incorporating a bunch of different media, including text, images, audio, video, and games. This will help hold users’ attention and keep them from getting burned out on a single type of content.
For an improved engagement, here are a few examples of how to blend media content:
- Text and images: A step-by-step onboarding module that pairs short paragraphs with annotated screenshots showing how to complete a task.
- Short videos: A 2–3 minute “how this process works” explainer with animations or a quick demo from a subject-matter expert.
- Audio snippets: A 60-second audio clip of a manager describing a real customer scenario learners must respond to in the next lesson.
- Interactive elements: Drag-and-drop exercises, clickable hotspots, or scenario branching where employees choose how to handle a workplace situation.
- Quizzes or mini-games: A badge-earning, timed quiz or a memory-style matching game that reinforces compliance rules or product features.
5. Break it down into smaller lessons
Not only is an hour-long lesson daunting, it’s also unrealistic to expect employees to carve out so much uninterrupted time to devote to an LMS. Instead, break your modules down into smaller lessons that will only take five to 15 minutes to complete.
Employees are far more likely to have shorter breaks than longer ones, and keeping the lessons short will incentivize them to hop into the LMS and use that downtime to complete a lesson instead of putting it off until they have a longer break.
More and more companies are adopting microlearning methods. Data from a 2025 ATD Research shows use of microlearning for organizational development has increased by 28% since 2017.
By breaking training into short, focused lessons, you make it far easier for employees to stay consistent and far more likely that your LMS content will actually get completed.
Design learning to match the flow of work
Employees are more likely to engage with LMS content when training fits naturally into their day: during short breaks, quick task transitions, or within the tools they already use (like Slack, Teams, or mobile apps). Designing micro-lessons that workers can complete without disrupting their workflow increases both completion rates and long-term retention.
6. Offer options for personalization
Not everyone learns the same way or wants to process content in the same order. Instead of forcing every employee to go through the exact same LMS modules in the exact same order, offer a level of choice in terms of which lessons they complete and when.
This will make them feel more in control and encourage them to actively engage right from the beginning rather than just passively accepting whatever the next lesson is. The more choice you give, the more invested and engaged they will be.
Consider the following examples of personalization:
- Selectable learning tracks: Give employees the choice between a “Customer Communication Track,” a “Technical Skills Track,” or a “Leadership Foundations Track,” depending on their role or interests.
- Optional elective modules: Let learners choose electives like “How to Run Better Meetings” or “Intro to Data Literacy” to personalize their development beyond mandatory training.
- Flexible sequencing rather than rigid order requirements: Instead of locking content in a strict A → B → C order, allow learners to complete short modules in the order that fits their project needs, such as taking the “Handling Difficult Conversations” lesson before a scheduled performance review.
Read More: LMS and Blended Learning: How Should Your Company Use Them?
7. Harness the power of social learning
Social learning can take many forms, including asking questions, participating in a forum discussion, and playing an educational game with coworkers. Social learning adds variety to the LMS and also contributes to employee engagement and accountability.
To maximize social learning, look for LMS that allows the following learning opportunities:
- Discussion forums
- Peer Q&A
- Group-based assignments or games
- Collaborative challenges
If your LMS courses don’t currently include a social learning component, check the software’s capabilities to see if you can add that in to boost employee engagement.
8. Go mobile first
Employees are constantly on the go, and they may not spend all day sitting in front of a desktop computer. Thus, it is crucial that your LMS offers options for both smartphones and tablets, so employees can access it from anywhere with a cell signal or internet connection.
If your employees use devices with different operating systems, make sure the app is available for iOS, Android, and whatever other systems they use, so no one is left out.
Here’s why mobile features matter:
- iOS and Android compatibility: Your workforce likely uses a mix of devices, both company-issued and personal. Supporting both major operating systems ensures every employee can access training without downloading workarounds or switching devices, which removes a major barrier to engagement.
- Responsive layouts: Content that automatically adjusts to smaller screens makes training easier to read, navigate, and complete on the go. A responsive LMS prevents frustration from pinching and zooming and increases the likelihood that employees finish a lesson during short windows of time.
- Offline or low-bandwidth access: Field workers, traveling employees, and hybrid teams may not always have stable Wi-Fi. Allowing learners to download modules or access lightweight versions ensures they can continue training anywhere, keeping momentum high even in connectivity-limited environments.
Platforms like 360Learning offer strong mobile apps that allow learners to complete short modules, join discussions, and track progress directly from their phones, which makes training easier to fit into the flow of work.
Read more on Small Business Computing: Employee Development Plans
If you only do one thing…
If you only change one thing about your LMS strategy, shorten your lessons to microlearning format. Shifting to 5–15 minute modules is the single biggest predictor of higher engagement because it fits learning into the natural rhythm of the workday. This way, you make it easier for employees to start, stick with, and complete your training.
LMS engagement FAQs
Most organizations aim for 5–15 minute modules, which align with how employees naturally work during the day. These shorter lessons reduce cognitive load and make it easier for busy employees to complete training during breaks or between tasks.
A mix of short videos, images, audio snippets, quizzes, mini-games, and interactive scenarios keeps learning fresh and prevents fatigue. Variety helps employees retain information and reduces the drop-off associated with repetitive lesson formats.
Many legacy systems lack engagement-focused features. Consider upgrading to an LMS that offers mobile compatibility, personalization options, analytics, and built-in gamification tools. Engagement is often limited not by the content, but by the platform.
Find the Right LMS
Not sure if you have chosen the right LMS, or are you still looking for the right system for your company? Learn more about what LMS features to look for, or contact us today to schedule a free personal consultation with one of tech experts. We can help you find the perfect LMS to fit your business’s needs and increase employee engagement.
Top Human Resources Software Recommendations
Featured partners
The post 8 Ways to Increase Employee Engagement With Your LMS appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Struggling to come up with a project plan? Check out these examples to learn how to craft a powerful plan that will help your project succeed.
The post Project Plan Examples: How to Write One That Actually Works + Template appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways
Project planning gives teams a practical framework to organize tasks and align on deliverables. To streamline this process, project plan examples lend a proven structure to build from while leaving room for customization. These resources streamline documentation and ensure critical details don’t slip through the cracks.
While project management software continues to grow in popularity, 14% are still planning using Microsoft Excel, which often limits collaboration and efficiency. In this article, we’ll explore the value of project planning and provide templates you can adapt for your projects.
Featured partners
- Adapt to any project, team size, or industry
- Use pre-built templates to kick off projects faster
- Plan, assign, and track every task in a single, visual platform
What is project planning and why does it matter?
Project planning is the process of building a shared vision for how work will get done, creating the stage for collaboration and measurable success. It reduces uncertainty and provides a clear direction for everyone involved.
Effective planning also strengthens decision-making. Stakeholders gain visibility into priorities, resources, and progress, which makes it easier to stay aligned. The process helps teams anticipate challenges before they happen and ensures proper resource allocation.
Still, planning isn’t always done well. According to a Wellington report, in 2025, 46% of project practitioners say they’re somewhat or very dissatisfied with their organization’s project management maturity. This underscores why thoughtful, consistent planning remains one of the most important practices in project management.
With a solid project plan in place, you give your team structure that keeps everyone moving together through the phases of project management. That’s why planning isn’t just paperwork; it’s the foundation of successful project delivery.
What are the key components of a project plan?
Reviewing a sample project plan helps you understand how they look in practice. While the format may change depending on industry, these core elements remain consistent across most plans.
Element
Purpose
Scope
This defines what’s included and excluded from your project. Notably, 53% of organizations mostly or always create a scoping document as part of planning, which shows how critical it is for avoiding misunderstandings.
Objectives and goals
Defining measurable outcomes ensures all parties understand what success looks like. Objectives provide focus, while goals break down into actionable targets that can be tracked over time.
Milestones
These are the major checkpoints that tell you how far you’ve come. They break a large project into smaller, more manageable wins that keep motivation high.
Deliverables
This section outlines the actual outputs your team is expected to produce. Whether it’s a new software feature or a campaign, these are the tangible results your stakeholders want to see.
Timelines
This is where you map out when tasks should start and how long they’ll take.
Resources
They cover everything from your team members’ time to the budget, tools, and any equipment or purchases that need to be made.
Risk management
Identifying possible setbacks early allows for contingency strategies. In fact, 65% of project practitioners say they mostly or always engage in risk mitigation strategies, showing how essential this step is for keeping projects on track.
How to create a project plan: A step-by-step guide
Building a project plan might sound overwhelming at first, but breaking it down into smaller steps makes the process much easier to handle. Here’s a simple guide to follow to ensure nothing gets missed along the way.
1. Define the project goals
Start by clarifying why the project matters and what success looks like. Clear goals give your team a shared sense of direction and make it easier to measure progress later on. Looking at a project plan example from similar projects can help confirm that your goals are specific and measurable.
2. Identify the scope
Scope outlines what’s included in the project and what’s out of bounds. This step eliminates misunderstandings and helps manage expectations with stakeholders. A well-structured project plan sample that sets scope boundaries in place is often useful for preventing confusion.
3. List out deliverables
Deliverables are the tangible results your project is expected to complete by the end of the project lifecycle. Getting these down in writing helps your team understand exactly what needs to be done. It also supports tracking and helps confirm when something is truly finished.
4. Create a timeline
Map out the major tasks and decide when they need to be done. A timeline helps you identify dependencies and provides your team with a realistic view of deadlines. This way, everyone knows what’s coming up next and how their work fits into the bigger picture.
5. Assign roles and responsibilities
Projects run more smoothly when everyone knows who’s responsible for what. Assigning tasks based on skills and availability helps prevent work from being duplicated or missed. It also fosters accountability, which boosts productivity.
6. Plan for risks.
Consider what could go wrong and how you would respond. Risk planning may seem like over-preparation, but it saves you time when issues arise. Having backup options in place also helps your team stay confident and focused in the face of challenges.
7. Review and finalize the plan
Before kicking things off, take time to review your plan with the team and stakeholders. This step ensures everyone is aligned on the goals, scope, and timeline, reducing the risk of costly rework later.
How can project planning tools help?
Using the right software can make project planning faster, more streamlined, and more effective for your entire team. In fact, 82% of companies use project management software to drive organizational efficiencies, according to a recent report by monday.com. With so many businesses already relying on these tools, it’s clear they play a big role in turning plans into action.
Best for
Starting price
Key features
Cross-functional teams needing visual workflows
Free plan; $12 per user/mo
- Custom project plan templates
- Automation rules
- Grid-style project boards
Detailed task tracking
Free plan; $7 per user/mo
- Gantt charts
- Time tracking
- Sprint planning
Custom reports and interactive dashboards
$19 per user/mo
- Spreadsheet-style planning
- Advanced reporting
- Resource management
Large projects or portfolios
Free plan; $10 per user/mo
- Risk management
- Approvals and file proofing
- AI subtask creation
Small, creative teams
Free plan; $10 per user/mo
- Built-in dynamic calendar
- Custom databases
- Thousands of custom templates
Modern project management platforms often come with AI and automation tools, such as auto-scheduling task dependencies or flagging potential risks. These features provide you with proactive insights, allowing you to address problems before they escalate. A Capterra survey revealed that the desire to add AI functionality is the top trigger for new project management software purchases among 55% of businesses. This trend highlights how teams are prioritizing smarter tools that improve decision-making and efficiency.
Free project plan template download
If you want a quick way to jumpstart your planning, download this free project plan template and tailor it to your needs.
What are the common issues in project planning?
Even with the best intentions, project plans can run into problems that slow things down or throw a project off course. The good news is that reviewing common pitfalls in project plan samples can help you recognize where projects often falter. Here are common challenges in project planning you should be aware of.
Unclear goals
When goals aren’t clearly defined, teams waste time on tasks that don’t move the project forward. This often leads to frustration and misalignment across stakeholders.
How to avoid it: Spend time upfront defining specific, measurable goals and confirm that everyone agrees on what success looks like. Document these goals so they serve as a reference point for your team throughout the project.
Scope creep
Projects often grow beyond their original scope when new requests are added without proper review. This can quickly drain resources and delay delivery.
How to avoid it: Create a clear scope statement during planning and set up a process for evaluating changes. That way, you can protect your timeline while still handling high-priority adjustments.
Poor communication
When communication breaks down, teams miss updates or overlook risks. Small misunderstandings can snowball into bigger problems.
How to avoid it: Use project management tools and regular check-ins to keep everyone on the same page. Ensure communication channels are clear and easy for the whole team to use. Tools like ClickUp come with built-in chat, allowing you to collaborate with teammates directly from your project board.
Inaccurate time estimates
Underestimating the time required for tasks is a common pitfall that can put projects behind schedule. Rushed work often lowers quality and adds stress to the team.
How to avoid it: Build a project timeline plan based on past data or input from experienced team members. Add buffers for unexpected delays to keep deadlines realistic.
What are the best practices for project planning?
Good project plans rely not only on templates but also on discipline and foresight. Applying best practices helps teams avoid mistakes and improve outcomes.
- Keep objectives measurable and realistic: Vague goals make it difficult to determine whether a project has succeeded. Setting quantifiable objectives creates a clear roadmap to guide decisions throughout the project. This clarity also promotes accountability across the team.
- Build in flexibility for changing priorities: No plan survives without adjustments. Allowing room for iteration reduces stress when external factors shift. Flexibility ensures the plan remains practical rather than rigid.
- Use project plan templates but tailor them to your context: Project planning templates save time, but they shouldn’t be applied blindly. Adjust them to match your team’s workflow, culture, and industry, and consider pairing them with visually driven project management software to make adoption easier.
- Review the plan frequently and update as needed: A project plan is a living document, not a one-time exercise. Revisiting it ensures progress reflects current priorities.
- Make the plan accessible to all stakeholders: Hidden documents create silos and confusion. By making the plan visible, you foster collaboration and shared responsibility. Transparency builds trust across the team.
Looking at examples of a project plan shows how structure and foresight help teams deliver projects on time and within budget. By customizing pre-built templates, you give your team the best chance of success. Pair this with project management software and you’ll gain real-time visibility and AI-driven insights that keep projects on track while reducing the manual effort of coordination.
FAQs
Featured partnersFeatured project management partners
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]]>Key takeaways A great job description includes a clear title, a concise role summary, core responsibilities, required qualifications, and salary details. Job descriptions are often the first chance a company has to make a good impression on a potential applicant. It’s therefore imperative that hiring managers write effective job descriptions to attract qualified job candidates […]
The post How to Write an Effective Job Description in appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways
- Job descriptions shape a candidate’s first impression of your company and strongly influence whether they choose to apply.
- Clear, specific, and well-structured job descriptions help companies attract qualified candidates more quickly and reduce time-to-hire.
- Including transparent details—such as salary ranges, work location, and essential responsibilities—builds trust and helps candidates self-assess fit.
- Dec. 5, 2025: Hanna Sillo updated the article to refine the structure and examples throughout, refresh images and visual elements, add new data points , and expand the FAQ section.
A great job description includes a clear title, a concise role summary, core responsibilities, required qualifications, and salary details.
Job descriptions are often the first chance a company has to make a good impression on a potential applicant. It’s therefore imperative that hiring managers write effective job descriptions to attract qualified job candidates and reduce the time it takes to fill vacancies.
In this guide, we break down each component, share formatting best practices, and explain why structured, bias-free language attracts stronger applicant pools.
What are the components of a good job description?
A good job description includes a clear job title, information about the employer, a summary of the job, core job responsibilities, and minimum qualifications.
Job title
Choosing the right job title is one of the simplest ways to improve the visibility and quality of your applicant pool. Candidates rely on standard, searchable titles to understand a role quickly, and job boards use those same keywords to surface relevant postings. Here are examples of what works and what doesn’t.
Good job titles
- Marketing Manager: Uses standard terminology that aligns with how candidates search. Easy for job boards and LLMs to categorize.
- Senior Content Strategist: It’s a combination of clear level and clear function. This helps candidates quickly self-assess fit and improves search discoverability.
- Customer Support Specialist: Accurately describes the job family and reduces misaligned applicants and improving keyword matching.
Bad job titles
- Marketing Rockstar: Too vague and gimmicky. It also won’t appear in search results for “marketing manager” or “marketing specialist.” Plus, it might also deters candidates who associate “rockstar” with burnout culture.
- Content Wizard II: Job seekers won’t search for “wizard,” and Roman numerals obscure the role’s level. This fails basic keyword-matching on job boards.
- Customer Guru: While the “customer” gives you an idea of the department, it is unclear whether this is customer support, customer success, sales, or onboarding. Candidates can’t self-identify the role from the title.
Company information
The company description helps candidates quickly understand who you are and why they might want to work for you. A clear, concise summary of your business, industry, and culture gives applicants context and can spark interest from the right people.
To be effective, briefly explain what your company does and the industry you’re in. Including something unique about your company or its culture helps grab candidates’ attention.
Good company description
“BrightPath Analytics is a healthcare data platform used by hospitals to forecast patient demand and improve care delivery. Our team of 120 employees is fully remote across the U.S., and we’re known for a collaborative culture, monthly learning stipends, and transparent leadership practices.”
Why it’s effective: It names the industry, the product, the scale of the company, and a few cultural attributes that help candidates quickly decide if the organization is a match.
Bad company description
“We’re a fast-growing company looking for passionate people to join our dynamic team.”
Why it’s ineffective: Too generic. It doesn’t say what the company actually does, what industry it operates in, or what makes it different from any other employer.
Summary
Without repeating specific responsibilities, give a high-level description of this job, who the candidate will work with and report to, and how the role fits within broader organizational goals. Giving candidates a sense of how the role contributes to the bigger picture appeals to candidates who desire purpose in their work.
For transparency, the summary is a good place to state the salary range and specify the role as remote, on site, or in person. If the role is hybrid, state how often the person needs to be on site.
Good summary
“The Marketing Operations Manager will oversee campaign reporting, marketing automation workflows, and funnel analytics to support our revenue team. This role reports to the Director of Demand Generation and collaborates closely with Sales and Product Marketing. The position is hybrid (2 days onsite in Austin), with a salary range of $95,000–$115,000.”
Why it’s effective: The summary provides a clear overview of responsibilities without duplication, identifies who the role works with, states reporting structure, clarifies hybrid expectations, and includes a transparent salary range.
Bad summary
“We’re looking for someone to join our team and help with various projects as needed. The role is hybrid and offers competitive pay.”
Why it’s ineffective: Vague, doesn’t explain the role’s purpose, doesn’t identify reporting relationships or team context, and “competitive pay” lacks transparency.
Responsibilities
List the essential job duties only, so as not to overwhelm interested candidates. The list of responsibilities helps candidates envision themselves as a potential employee and what a typical day looks like in the role. The responsibilities section is another place where hiring managers can integrate information about the role’s supervisor and peers.
For this, list concrete and essential duties, shows daily tasks, and name key collaborators and reporting relationships. Providing these information upfront helps candidates assess fit and expectations.
For example:
Qualifications
As with the responsibilities, include minimum required skills and experience for the role. Otherwise, candidates might think they have to meet all qualifications and won’t apply. A LinkedIn report reveals women are 16% less likely than men to apply for a job after viewing it because they feel pressured to meet 100% of the requirements.
As a best practice, list only the minimum required qualifications that candidates must have to succeed in the role, and separate them clearly from any preferred qualifications that are optional. This ensures you set realistic expectations, avoid unintentionally discouraging qualified applicants, and support a more inclusive applicant pool.
Example:
Compensation and benefits
In some states, like California, Colorado, New York, and Washington, employers are required to list a salary range. However, even if an employer isn’t located in one of those states, adding a salary range helps attract applicants because salary is one of the most important aspects of the job ad to job candidates.
Recruiting isn’t a one-way process. Candidates evaluate companies just as much as companies evaluate candidates. It’s therefore important to state in the job description how the company helps employees do their best work by means of perks and benefits. Benefits convey company culture, so if a company’s benefits are one of its many strategies to retain employees, it may be worthwhile to list them all in the job description.
Don’t leave your description at just “We offer competitive pay and great benefits.” It’s vague, lacks transparency, doesn’t provide a salary range, and offers no insight into what benefits actually exist or how they support employees.
Instead, create something that provides a specific salary range, clearly outlines the benefits offered, and highlights cultural signals (flexibility, wellness support, financial benefits) that help candidates evaluate whether the company aligns with their needs.
For example:
Salary transparency improves application quality
A Seek study found that job descriptions that include salary receive around 36% more applications versus those without it. Including a salary range helps you build trust and reduce guesswork, especially since many candidates skip postings without clear compensation information. Transparent pay practices attract more qualified applicants and help filter out candidates whose expectations don’t align with the role.
Company culture
Job descriptions are a chance to showcase the company’s culture and unique brand. A company may share its vision, purpose, list of values, or some combination of these. This is also a good place to brag about any awards the company has received, such as the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For award.
TechnologyAdvice’s career page, for instance, highlights the company’s values, mission, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Summarizing company culture in a job description emphasizes the most important ways the business differentiates itself from other employers.
Work authorization
Whether or not a company hires employees who are from other countries, candidates in or from other countries might see the job opening and be interested in applying. Employers should state the job’s location in the description to make it clear where the employee needs to be located. In addition, the company needs to be clear about whether it provides work visa sponsorship to candidates from other countries who reside in the U.S. The question of needing sponsorship now or in the future usually appears in the application process.
As for employment eligibility in the U.S., employers are required to ask all job candidates if they are legally authorized to work in the United States.
Example:
Sample job description
Putting the above example elements together, an effective job description will look something like this:
Best practices for job description format and style
Length
Various sources suggest a range of wordcount for job descriptions, but the sweet spot is around 700 words. The description shouldn’t be too short, or it may appear vague. Short job descriptions might not show up in a job seeker’s searches for certain keywords.
Conversely, lengthy job descriptions might scare off a potential candidate or give the impression that the company is disorganized.
Formatting
Nobody wants to read large blocks of text. Text-heavy job descriptions that don’t make good use of paragraph spacing and bullet point lists may pose an accessibility issue for vision-impaired candidates. Separating certain sections like core job duties and qualifications into bulleted lists to make them stand out more easily to job seekers and facilitate overall readability.
Language
- Elevate the action words: Describe how the ideal candidate will perform one of the key job duties. For example, expand the phrase “partner with a team of on-staff writers, freelancers, and SEO,” to include the purpose of that partnership: “…to ensure your content topic is covered appropriately on our sites.”
- Avoid jargon: The job description should be easy for candidates to understand. If special terminology is necessary, reserve it for the qualifications section.
- Avoid idioms, humor, and metaphors: These stylistic devices can confuse or, worse, turn away non-native speakers of the language as well as neurodivergent job seekers.
- Neutralize the language: Per the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), companies cannot solicit information about a candidate’s age, gender, religion, marital status, and other protected statuses in the hiring process. However, an employer can take further steps to neutralize subtle bias that creeps into the job description language. To arrive at more gender parity in the applicant pool, for instance, use gender neutral nouns and pronouns.
Planning to post your job vacancy on job boards? Check out our guide on how to create a job post on LinkedIn.
Why is it important to have a well-structured job description?
A job description is often the first impression job candidates receive from a company. What kind of impression is your job description giving job seekers? Candidates should be able to get a clear vision of what the role is, whether they might be a good fit, and what the company is like.
A good job description includes a clear job title, a summary of core job responsibilities, minimum qualifications, and company information. A great job description features a salary range, benefits, and a description of the company culture. And it’ll be approximately 700 words, separated into shorter paragraphs and bullet point lists to aid readability, and include neutral language that’s free of jargon.
Crafting a well-structured job description avoids wasting the company and candidates’ time and cuts through the noise of a competitive job market.
FAQs on writing job descriptions
A strong job description includes a clear job title, a concise role summary, essential responsibilities, minimum qualifications, and transparent details like salary range and work location. Adding benefits and a brief company overview also helps candidates assess culture and fit.
The ideal job description is around 600–750 words, long enough to provide clarity but not so long that it overwhelms candidates. Using short paragraphs and bullet points improves readability and makes key details easier to scan.
Review job descriptions at least once per year or whenever the role changes. Regular updates ensure accuracy and prevent misleading candidates about outdated duties or expectations.
The job summary provides a high-level overview of the role’s purpose, reporting structure, and organizational impact. Responsibilities describe the specific tasks and expectations the employee will handle
Featured partnersFeatured ATS partners
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]]>Key takeaways How to start your LinkedIn job post 1. Access your company’s admin dashboard Once you’re logged into LinkedIn, navigate to the Admin tools menu in the upper right corner of your business’s LinkedIn Admin page. If you don’t see this option, double-check that you have administrator permissions for your company’s page. From this […]
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]]>Key takeaways
- LinkedIn is one of the most active hubs for professional networking and sourcing qualified candidates.
- Posting an open role on LinkedIn Jobs is a relatively straightforward process.
- Before posting a job opening, be sure your job description follows best practices.
- For an additional fee, you can promote your job post on LinkedIn to reach a wider pool of applicants and accelerate the hiring process.
- Dec. 4, 2025: Hanna Sillo updated this guide with a clearer structure, new screenshots and steps that reflect LinkedIn’s current workflow, an expanded job posting costs section, revised best practices, and a new FAQ section.
- Jul. 6, 2023: We revised the copy for clarity and added dynamic design elements to improve the visual flow of information.
- Sept. 27, 2022: We added step-by-step instructions for posting a job on LinkedIn and best practices for optimization.
How to start your LinkedIn job post
1. Access your company’s admin dashboard
Once you’re logged into LinkedIn, navigate to the Admin tools menu in the upper right corner of your business’s LinkedIn Admin page. If you don’t see this option, double-check that you have administrator permissions for your company’s page.
From this menu, choose Post A Free Job. It’s worth noting that you are only allowed one free job posting at a time — additional job postings require a fee.
Before drafting, check that:
- You’re logged into the correct company page
- You have admin access
- You can see Post a Free Job option
Since LinkedIn only allows one active free job post at a time, you need to post multiple roles, plan which one gets the free slot.
2. Add the job details
On the LinkedIn Talent Solutions page, start entering the job information. Depending on the type of role you’re hiring for, you may want to choose from one of the job description templates LinkedIn provides.
After filling out the role, LinkedIn uses AI to generate a company description, role description, and qualifications that you can use, modify, or replace altogether.
The drafts are tailored to specific industries and roles, so they can be a great place to start thinking about the qualities you’re looking for in the ideal candidate.
Before you proceed, ensure that:
- Title accurately reflects the role
- Location is correct (remote or hybrid included if applicable)
- Template is appropriate for your industry and seniority
Use LinkedIn’s template as a starting point, not the final version. Tailor the description to reflect your company, must-have skills, and day-to-day responsibilities.
3. Add workflow parameters and preview the post
The last step is to select options for how you would like to receive applications and the screening questions that will narrow down the list of qualified candidates. You can then preview the job listing before publishing it.
Before publishing you can also edit the following:
- Rejection settings to automatically filter out non-qualified applicants
- How you plan to manage applicants (on LinkedIn or an external website)
- The option to add a “#Hiring” frame to your profile for visibility
Before your job post goes live, check if:
- Formatting reads well on mobile and desktop
- Tone is friendly but professional
- Screening questions appear correctly
- There are no missing or duplicated fields
What to include in a LinkedIn job post
At a minimum, the job posting should include the following components:
- Job title
- Brief description of duties and responsibilities
- Required and preferred qualifications
Many job applicants also find it helpful if the post includes optional details such as compensation, benefits, and skills assessment information. Information like this can give your job opening a boost in the LinkedIn Jobs algorithm, increasing the number of people who will see it.
Also read: How to Write an Effective Job Description
LinkedIn job posting costs
To expand your reach, you may opt to pay an extra fee to promote your posting on the platform. LinkedIn puts paid job ads in front of the most qualified LinkedIn members via push notification. These ads also appear at or near the top of candidates’ search results.
LinkedIn uses a pay-per-click (PPC) pricing model for promoted job posts, with one free job posting available at a time. There is no standard cost as this varies widely based on competition, job title, and location, but employers typically spend anywhere from $10–$30 per day or $150–$500 total for a promoted listing.
Daily budget
If you choose to promote the post, LinkedIn allows you to set a daily budget in its pay-per-click model, which offers more control over the cost and duration of the job post promotion. This works well if your company knows how much it is willing to spend each day and how long it wants the ad to run.
Total budget
Alternatively, if your company knows how much it wants to spend but doesn’t necessarily care how long the LinkedIn ad is posted, setting a total budget may be the better option. LinkedIn will pause the post when it has reached your budgeted amount, whether it takes 10 days or 30 days.
A good rule of thumb to follow, however, is to keep the post live for at least five days. This will ensure you receive applications from enough qualified applicants.
What drives LinkedIn promotion costs?
LinkedIn uses a bidding model for job promotions, which means pricing changes throughout the day based on candidate activity and employer demand. These are the most common factors that influence whether your job post becomes more or less expensive to run.
In general here are the factors that impact how much you’ll pay:
Costs increase when:
- The role is hard to fill (engineering, sales, technical roles)
- You’re hiring in highly competitive metros
- Your audience is niche or highly specialized
- Your bid is below market norms (slowing delivery + lowering impressions)
Costs decrease when:
- You target broader candidate pools
- You cap your daily budget
- Market competition is lower
- You run the ad during periods of lower hiring activity
Other LinkedIn promotional services
Know that paying for promoted job posting is separate from other paid hiring services LinkedIn offers, including:
- LinkedIn Recruiter
- LinkedIn Recruiter Lite
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator
- LinkedIn Premium
- Sponsored InMail
When NOT to promote a job on LinkedIn
Some roles don’t benefit from promotion, such as high-volume entry-level roles where you’ll already receive many applicants, or roles with highly specific qualifications where a referral or targeted outreach performs better.
LinkedIn job post best practices
LinkedIn has conducted research on how job seekers interact with job posts on its platform and distilled the findings into best practices for crafting job postings that will attract qualified applicants.
Concise job descriptions tend to get more applicants. LinkedIn theorizes that this is because many people are now job searching and applying from their phones, and more text will overwhelm the smaller screen.
Aim for friendly, approachable language. Not overly formal, not overly casual. LinkedIn reports that candidates are 2–4x less likely to apply when tone skews too informal.
Avoid gendered or biased words like “rockstar,” “assertive,” or “strong,” which can unintentionally signal a preference for certain demographics. Choose neutral terms like “collaborative,” “effective,” or “proactive” to broaden your talent pool.
Move away from degree-based requirements unless a credential is legally or truly essential. Skills-first hiring increases your candidate pool, supports DEI goals, and aligns with modern hiring trends.
Include a clear salary range when possible. Salary transparency improves applicant trust, increases conversion rates, and boosts performance in LinkedIn’s job post algorithm because job seekers prioritize roles with compensation information.
Job seekers are most interested in what the day-to-day responsibilities will look like, what the qualifications are, and how much they’ll be paid for their work. So, prioritize these three components and save information about the company for its website. If candidates want to learn more before they apply, that’s the first place they will look.
A potential applicant wants to know what exactly is expected of them if they are chosen, so describe what success looks like for the role with as many specifics as possible. If there’s room in your job ad, consider adding a description of measurable performance metrics that the successful candidate should expect to target within a set timeframe.
To ensure more applicants see your job ad, post it early in the week, ideally on Monday. Most job seekers are browsing job sites earlier in the week rather than later.
LinkedIn is one of the best ways to reach candidates, but you might be limiting your opportunities if you aren’t posting to other job boards. Browse our Applicant Tracking System (ATS) Software Guide to find a solution that can help you keep track of all your job posts in one place.
Other ways to souce candidates
Before posting your vacancies publicly, try internal routes first.
Employee referrals
First, ask current employees to share on their personal LinkedIn pages to promote the posting among their connections. You should also share the job posting on other company social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Company communications
If you have an email newsletter on a weekly or monthly, it’s worth including a job opening in it in case any of your subscribers are passive candidates. You should also link to the LinkedIn job posting from your company’s website. Some people might not be logging into LinkedIn regularly, but they may be checking your company website for new openings.
Use an ATS to manage LinkedIn applications
When job seekers start submitting applications, LinkedIn will collect them all in one place to help you stay organized in the hiring process. You can sort and filter the applications and even rate applicants as a “good fit.” The rating feature will help LinkedIn learn more about what kind of candidates you’re looking for and will start recommending your job to similar job seekers.
LinkedIn also integrates with most applicant tracking or recruiting software applications, so you can continue to track the hiring process directly from the software your talent team uses every day.
If you are adding the job to other job boards besides LinkedIn, which is recommended for the greatest visibility, applicant tracking systems (ATS) are a must for consolidating your applications in one place. ATS applications streamline the recruiting process, from posting a job to giving an offer, and help recruiters act quickly on qualified candidates before another company can snatch them up.
LinkedIn job posting FAQs
You can still publish one free job post at a time, and it will appear in LinkedIn search results and job alerts. However, unpaid posts get significantly less visibility because they don’t receive priority placement, push notifications, or targeted distribution. Free posts work well for entry-level or high-supply roles, but competitive positions typically perform better with promotion.
Keep postings live for at least 5 days to gather meaningful applicant volume. Competitive or hard-to-fill roles may require 2–3 weeks of visibility or promotion.
Yes. You can close and repost a job to restart visibility, but LinkedIn’s algorithm may still detect it as a re-post. For larger visibility jumps, a small promotion budget performs better than manual re-posting.
Yes. LinkedIn integrates with most applicant tracking systems so you can sync applications, track candidates, and manage hiring directly through your ATS.
Browse our ATS Software Guide to get started on your search for the right solution.
Featured partnersFeatured recruiting software partners
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]]>Discover the top VoIP features, including AI tools, security, and collaboration capabilities, to help your business improve communication and productivity.
The post 2026 VoIP Features Guide: Must-Have Tools for Business Communications appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>Key takeaways
- Modern VoIP systems combine core telephony, artificial intelligence (AI), collaboration, and analytics to support today’s hybrid and distributed teams.
- AI-powered tools such as call transcription, summaries, and intelligent routing significantly improve productivity and the customer experience.
- Security features (e.g., encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and compliance support) are essential for protecting sensitive communications.
- Collaboration capabilities, including messaging, video, and unified apps, help streamline workflows and reduce app switching.
- Choosing the right VoIP provider requires assessing reliability, AI features, integrations, and scalability based on your team’s needs.
Featured partners
1. Core telephony features
Core telephony features remain the backbone of every VoIP system, ensuring reliable, high-quality communication across teams and customers. As foundational components, they determine how smoothly organizations manage inbound and outbound communication at scale.
Call routing and call management
Call routing ensures callers reach the right department or agent based on preset rules (e.g., business hours, agent availability, or caller input). Thus, reducing missed calls and improving service times. Teams can create advanced routing logic without coding, making configuration easier for non-tech-savvy staff. This feature is essential for organizations managing high call volumes or operating across multiple locations.
Auto-attendant or interactive voice response (IVR)
Auto attendants guide callers through menu options to reach the appropriate destination without manual intervention. This feature reduces the workload on front-office teams and ensures a consistent experience for all callers.
Advanced IVRs even support speech recognition and AI-driven intent detection to speed resolution. Businesses rely on IVRs to improve efficiency and minimize customer frustration during peak times.
Related read: Best Auto Attendant Phone System
Call forwarding, transfer, and hold
Call forwarding lets users automatically route calls to another device or colleague when they’re unavailable. Transfers and hold controls help maintain professionalism and continuity during customer interactions.
These features keep teams responsive whether they’re working from the office, at home, or on the road. By enabling flexible workflows, forwarding and transfers ensure that customers always reach someone who can assist them.
Voicemail and voicemail-to-email
VoIP systems include digital voicemail that employees can access from any device. Voicemail-to-email sends audio recordings and transcripts directly to inboxes for quicker follow-ups. This reduces the chances of missed messages and helps teams respond more efficiently. It also supports remote and hybrid work by centralizing message retrieval.
Call recording
Call recording captures conversations for training, quality assurance, and compliance. Systems may allow automatic, selective, or on-demand recording depending on the use case. Many platforms now pair recordings with AI-generated summaries to streamline analysis. This feature is particularly valuable for support centers and sales teams that rely on continuous performance improvement.
Call queues and ring groups
Call queues distribute incoming calls to available agents in a structured manner, reducing wait times and improving caller satisfaction. Ring groups notify multiple team members simultaneously, increasing the likelihood that someone will answer.
These tools are essential for call centers, sales departments, and field service teams. Queues ensure fairness and efficiency, while ring groups provide added flexibility and responsiveness.
Number porting and global numbers
VoIP allows businesses to keep existing phone numbers when switching providers, reducing migration challenges. Companies can also purchase virtual, toll-free, or international numbers to expand their presence. This supports organizations serving global customers or remote teams across multiple regions. Combined with flexible routing, global numbers help build a professional image regardless of company size.
2. AI-powered VoIP features
AI-powered features represent the biggest leap forward in modern VoIP systems, transforming how teams manage calls, analyze conversations, and automate tasks. These tools go beyond simple efficiencies, offering real-time insights and intelligent support that enhance both customer and employee experience.
As AI becomes standard in communication platforms, businesses gain a strategic advantage through automation, accuracy, and actionable analytics.
AI transcription and live captioning
AI transcription converts conversations into real-time text messages, making meetings and calls easier to reference later. Live captioning assists teams in noisy environments or accessibility-related needs.
Having accurate, searchable transcripts improves documentation and streamlines follow-up tasks. This feature is now a core expectation for support, sales, and internal communications.
RingCentral offers an all-in-one AI business communications platform. It provides automated transcription for calls, meetings, and events. It also enables users to streamline workflows by generating smart notes and summaries from AI transcripts. Get started by scheduling a demo.
AI call summaries and action items
AI-generated summaries automatically extract tasks, key points, and deadlines after each call. This eliminates the need for manual note-taking and helps teams focus on the conversation instead of documenting it.
Action items can be synced into CRM tools or project management apps, reducing administrative workload. Companies benefit from faster follow-ups and clearer accountability across teams.
AI coaching and conversation intelligence
AI analyzes tone, keywords, objection handling, and talk-to-listen ratios to provide data-driven coaching. Real-time guidance can help agents adjust their approach during live calls.
Post-call analytics provide managers with detailed insights into performance trends and areas for improvement. These tools significantly enhance training programs and customer service quality.
AI routing
AI routing predicts the nature of a call and directs it to the most qualified agent or department. This minimizes transfers and improves first-call resolution rates. By learning from historical conversations, AI improves its predictions over time. Businesses gain more efficient workflows and better customer outcomes.
Related read: What is an AI Call Center? A Complete Guide
AI fraud and spam call detection
AI tools detect suspicious activity and block spam or fraudulent calls before they reach employees. This keeps teams focused on legitimate interactions and reduces security risks. Machine learning models continuously improve detection accuracy. Thus, businesses benefit from fewer interruptions and stronger communication safeguards.
3. Collaboration and productivity features
Collaboration and productivity features transform VoIP systems into unified communication (UC) hubs that support modern, fast-moving teams. By combining calling, messaging, video, and file sharing into a single platform, employees can work together more efficiently without switching between apps.
These tools help streamline workflows, improve alignment, and keep projects moving — no matter where team members are located.
Video conferencing
Integrated video conferencing lets teams host virtual meetings directly within the VoIP platform. Features often include HD video, recording, virtual backgrounds, and screen sharing. Having calls and meetings in one app reduces fragmentation and increases productivity. This integration is especially valuable for hybrid teams collaborating across locations.
Team messaging
Team messaging centralizes communication with channels, direct messages, and file sharing. Having messaging built into the VoIP system reduces the need for separate tools like Slack or Teams. Persistent chat threads keep conversations organized and easy to reference later. This improves transparency and cross-department collaboration.
Unified app experience
A unified app consolidates calling, messaging, video, and SMS into one interface across desktop and mobile. This simplifies daily workflows by eliminating the need to switch between different applications. Consistency in design helps new employees onboard faster. A single app also helps IT teams manage updates and permissions more easily.
Integrations with business apps
VoIP systems integrate with customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, help desks, email suites, and collaboration tools. Popular integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, and Zendesk.
These connections bring contextual call data directly into employee workflows. As a result, teams spend less time searching for information and more time engaging with customers.
4. Security and compliance features
According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Break Report, 97% of organizations reported an AI-related security incident. Thus, security and compliance have become non-negotiable priorities in modern VoIP systems, especially as businesses handle more sensitive data across distributed teams.
Today’s platforms must protect communications from threats while meeting stringent regulatory standards. Robust security features ensure organizations can scale their communications without exposing customers or employees to unnecessary risk.
End-to-end encryption
Encryption protects voice, video, and messaging data as it travels between devices. This is essential for preventing eavesdropping or unauthorized access to sensitive conversations. End-to-end protection enhances trust and supports compliance requirements.
Modern VoIP systems use strong protocols like Secure RTP (SRTP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) to secure communication streams. SRTP and TLS protect call signaling and voice packets during transmission.
These protocols safeguard communications from interception and spoofing. VoIP providers that use these standards offer stronger defenses against cyber threats. This is especially important for organizations handling regulated or confidential data.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
MFA requires users to verify their identity with multiple factors, such as passwords and one-time codes sent to their mobile devices. This significantly reduces the risk of account compromise. Businesses can enforce MFA across all devices for added protection. It is now considered a baseline security requirement for most IT environments.
Audit logs and admin permissions
Audit logs track user activity, system changes, and login attempts for full accountability. Admin permission controls let organizations assign roles and restrict access to sensitive features.
These controls simplify security management and help businesses meet regulatory obligations. They also provide valuable visibility for IT and compliance teams.
Compliance support
Many VoIP providers support certifications such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), SOC 2, and ISO/IEC 27001. These frameworks ensure providers follow industry-recognized security and privacy standards.
Compliance-ready solutions reduce the burden on organizations with strict regulatory requirements. This is particularly important for healthcare, finance, and government agencies.
5. Management, analytics, and administration
Effective management and analytics tools give organizations the visibility and control needed to optimize their communication environment. Top VoIP platforms offer centralized dashboards, detailed reporting, and streamlined administration designed for businesses and organizations of all sizes.
These capabilities help companies make data-driven decisions, maintain performance, and manage users and devices with ease.
Real-time dashboards
Real-time dashboards show live metrics (e.g., call volume, queue activity, and agent availability). These insights help supervisors monitor performance and make strategic decisions quickly. Visual monitoring reduces bottlenecks and increases operational efficiency. This feature is particularly valuable for service and support teams.
Historical reporting
Historical reports provide long-term insights into call center operational trends (e.g., customer behavior, agent performance, and call outcomes). Businesses can use these analytics to optimize staffing, refine workflows, and improve service quality.
Trends also reveal opportunities for automation or process improvements. Robust reporting is essential for data-driven decision-making.
Device management
Device management tools enable teams to remotely configure, update, and provision phones. This reduces the need for on-site technical support and speeds up deployment.
Administrators can apply firmware updates, adjust settings, or troubleshoot issues from a central dashboard. This improves overall system reliability and user experience.
Quality of Service (QoS) tools
QoS tools help diagnose and resolve call quality issues by analyzing jitter, latency, and bandwidth usage. These insights enable teams to prioritize VoIP traffic and ensure optimal performance. Proactive monitoring helps businesses avoid service disruptions and maintain high communication standards.
Benefits of VoIP for businesses
By combining advanced telephony, AI automation, and unified collaboration tools, VoIP platforms give teams the flexibility and scalability they need to stay productive. These advantages make VoIP a strategic investment for organizations looking to future-proof their communication systems.
Top VoIP providers with strong feature sets
VoIP providers
Best for
Standout features
Businesses needing a full unified communications suite with robust AI
- AI transcription & summaries
- Conversation intelligence
- Extensive CRM integrations
- 99.999% uptime
Teams already using Zoom for video meetings
- Integrated Zoom Meetings
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Flexible global calling options
Support-heavy teams focused on customer experience
- CRM-lite features
- Sentiment tracking
- Call pop
Global enterprises and multi-region teams
- Unlimited international calling zones
- Contact center tools
Companies prioritizing AI automation
- AI-powered summaries
- Voice intelligence
- Automated follow-ups
Expert Tip
Choosing the right VoIP provider comes down to evaluating core telephony reliability, AI capabilities, and security standards. Look for platforms with strong uptime, advanced automation tools, and integrations that fit your workflow. Pricing and scalability should also align with your long-term communication needs.
Related read: 7 Best VoIP Systems I Trust to Cut Small Business Costs
Bottom line
VoIP systems blend core telephony, AI-powered intelligence, collaboration tools, analytics, and enterprise-grade security. These features work together to streamline workflows, improve customer interactions, and support the mobility needs of modern hybrid and remote teams.
By leveraging capabilities like smart call routing, real-time transcription, unified messaging, and detailed reporting, businesses can operate more efficiently and make smarter decisions. Choosing a provider with strong reliability, AI innovation, and robust security ensures your organization stays productive, protected, and prepared for future growth.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
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]]>Is your business ready for PCI DSS 4.0? Discover new requirements, timelines, and a practical guide to staying compliant and protecting payment data.
The post PCI DSS 4.0.1: Guide for Businesses in 2025 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
]]>The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard has undergone major modernization in recent years. PCI DSS 4.0 introduced a more flexible, risk-driven framework designed for cloud-native systems, distributed architectures, and modern ecommerce environments. But as organizations began applying the new requirements, several areas of PCI DSS 4.0 were interpreted inconsistently.
To address these issues, the PCI Security Standards Council released PCI DSS 4.0.1, a maintenance update that clarifies the standard and removes ambiguity. While “PCI DSS 4.0” remains the widely searched term, PCI DSS 4.0.1 is now the active version organizations must use for all assessments in 2025.
PCI DSS 4.0.1 does not introduce new requirements. Instead, it refines how PCI DSS 4.0 controls should be interpreted, documented, and validated, especially in complex enterprise environments where multiple teams, vendors, and payment systems intersect.
If you’re new to PCI or need a refresher, see:
Why PCI DSS 4.0.1 matters for 2025 assessments
Before diving into the updates, it’s important to understand how PCI DSS 4.0 and 4.0.1 relate:
- PCI DSS 4.0 introduced the major changes, such as stronger authentication rules, ecommerce script governance, risk-based flexibility, updated testing procedures, and expanded third-party oversight.
- PCI DSS 4.0.1 clarifies those requirements, resolves inconsistencies, and improves guidance where 4.0 created confusion.
For mid-market and enterprise organizations, these clarifications significantly reduce assessment risk. PCI DSS 4.0.1 makes it easier to understand what evidence auditors expect, how to document controls, and how to align internal teams around a shared interpretation.
Who must comply with PCI DSS 4.0.1?
Any organization that stores, processes, or transmits cardholder data or supports those activities (e.g., hosting, gateways, MSPs) must now comply with PCI DSS 4.0.1.
This includes:
- Retailers and ecommerce companies
- SaaS platforms with embedded payments
- Hospitality and travel providers
- Financial institutions
- Service providers handling payment infrastructure
If you accept card payments in any form, PCI DSS 4.0.1 applies to you.
A quick refresher: What PCI DSS 4.0 introduced
Understanding 4.0 remains important because PCI DSS 4.0 is the baseline standard. PCI DSS 4.0.1 does not replace these changes; it clarifies them.
Modern authentication and access control
PCI DSS 4.0 strengthened identity protections with explicit definitions of administrative access, stricter MFA rules, and options for phishing-resistant authentication like WebAuthn.
Expanded ecommerce and client-side security
For the first time, PCI DSS required organizations to inventory, approve, and monitor client-side scripts on checkout pages to combat eSkimming attacks.
Risk-based flexibility
The standard introduced the Targeted Risk Analysis (TRA) and the Customized Approach, offering more flexibility for mature, cloud-native environments.
Stronger third-party governance
PCI DSS 4.0 expanded vendor responsibilities, including AOCs, responsibility matrices, and clearer incident reporting expectations.
These foundational elements remain unchanged in version 4.0.1; the maintenance release simply clarifies several of them for more consistent application.
What’s New in PCI DSS 4.0.1
PCI DSS 4.0.1 focuses on resolving real-world implementation challenges. While the requirements remain unchanged, the clarified guidance helps organizations prepare for assessments with fewer surprises and greater consistency.
Refined patching expectations
Requirement 6.3.3’s “30-day patch rule” led to confusion in PCI DSS 4.0. Version 4.0.1 makes the scope clear: the 30-day window applies to critical vulnerabilities only. Organizations can follow their standard processes for lower-severity updates, as long as vulnerability classifications and remediation timelines are documented.
Clearer rules for client-side script management
PCI DSS 4.0 introduced new expectations for monitoring scripts on pages that handle or support payments. PCI DSS 4.0.1 clarifies what must be inventoried, what counts as an “approval,” and how monitoring should be applied, even for organizations using hosted payment pages. This is particularly important for ecommerce businesses and companies relying on tag managers or third-party integrations.
Updated MFA and authentication guidance
PCI DSS 4.0.1 defines acceptable MFA methods more precisely:
- Non-administrative users: May use WebAuthn or FIDO2 as their MFA method.
- Administrative users: Must use MFA with two independent factors — WebAuthn alone is not enough.
These definitions help organizations categorize users and align their IAM processes accordingly.
Sharper definitions for keyed hashing and PAN protection
Organizations using tokenization or hashing, especially those outsourcing PAN storage to payment providers, benefit from clearer expectations about what qualifies as strong keyed hashing and what documentation is required to demonstrate compliance.
More explicit third-party responsibility assignments
PCI DSS 4.0.1 enhances Requirement 12.8 by clarifying what “evidence expectations” mean for service providers, when they should communicate incidents, and how merchants should document responsibility boundaries. This reduces friction in assessments involving multiple vendors or complex service chains.
Glossary and appendix updates
Terms such as “significant change,” “script management,” “keyed hash,” and “phishing-resistant MFA” are now more precisely defined, making internal documentation and assessor validation more predictable.
How PCI DSS 4.0.1 impacts your compliance strategy
Although PCI DSS 4.0.1 introduces no new controls, it can influence several operational areas:
- Documentation: Policies and procedures must reflect the clarified definitions and expectations.
- Audit readiness: Evidence such as vulnerability logs, script inventories, and responsibility matrices must align with the updated language.
- Change management: System updates may require revised classification processes.
- Access control governance: IAM teams must ensure privilege levels and MFA methods follow the clarified guidance.
- Vendor management: Contract updates may be necessary to reflect PCI DSS 4.0.1 expectations.
For organizations with large digital footprints, the update simplifies assessment preparation, provided internal teams adjust quickly.
Steps to achieve PCI DSS compliance under 4.0.1
Most organizations preparing for a 2025 assessment will follow a structured approach built around both 4.0.1 clarifications and the original PCI DSS 4.0 requirements. The following framework reflects how mid-market and enterprise teams typically operationalize compliance.
1. Conduct a PCI DSS 4.0.1 gap assessment
Start by reviewing how your environment aligns with the clarified expectations. Pay particular attention to:
- Patching workflows
- MFA enrollment and access types
- Script governance in ecommerce environments
- Vendor management documentation
- Keyed hashing and tokenization responsibilities
This step helps prioritize remediation and establish realistic timelines.
2. Update internal policies and documentation
PCI DSS 4.0.1 updates several definitions and contextual requirements. Policies, particularly around change management, access control, and vulnerability management, should be rewritten to reflect the new language. Aligning documentation early reduces rework during assessments.
3. Validate payment data flows
Modern payment environments often include gateways, hosted forms, embedded scripts, cloud platforms, and managed service providers. Mapping how cardholder data is processed, transmitted, or tokenized remains one of the most effective ways to identify scope gaps.
4. Review MFA and privileged access
Under PCI DSS 4.0.1, privileged and non-privileged access types have distinct MFA expectations. IAM teams should verify:
- Who has administrative access
- Which authentication methods apply to each group
- How MFA is provisioned, monitored, and revoked
- Whether WebAuthn/FIDO2 methods fit the environment
This is often a high-impact area for corrections in large organizations.
5. Strengthen script management processes
Client-side script governance is one of the most operationally intensive changes in PCI DSS 4.0. Businesses should implement repeatable processes for:
- Identifying scripts on checkout or payment-related pages
- Validating their purpose
- Monitoring for unauthorized modifications
- Documenting approvals and owners
Large ecommerce teams may need centralized oversight across business units.
6. Formalize targeted risk analysis (TRA)
When using risk-based frequencies allowed by PCI DSS 4.0, organizations must maintain formal, evidence-backed TRAs. PCI DSS 4.0.1 clarifies several terms used in these analyses, making consistent documentation essential.
7. Tighten third-party oversight
Because PCI DSS 4.0.1 enhances vendor-related guidance, organizations should review:
- Current AOCs and responsibility matrices
- Contract language assigning PCI responsibilities
- Incident reporting expectations
- How vendors provide evidence during assessments
This is especially important for businesses that depend on gateways, cloud environments, or managed security providers.
Common challenges when adopting PCI DSS 4.0.1
Organizations transitioning to PCI DSS 4.0.1 often encounter a similar set of operational challenges. Most stem from clarifying ownership, aligning documentation, and applying the updated definitions consistently across teams.
1. Privileged access classification
Many teams interpret “administrative access” differently, leading to uneven MFA enforcement across systems.
What to do:
- Define a single, organization-wide privilege model.
- Hold a cross-functional review with IAM, infrastructure, and app owners.
- Reconfirm which MFA methods apply to each access tier.
2. Client-side script governance
Marketing, analytics, and ecommerce teams often deploy scripts independently, resulting in unclear ownership and incomplete inventories.
What to do:
- Create a centralized script inventory for all payment-related pages.
- Assign script owners and document purpose/approval.
- Establish a lightweight monitoring and review workflow.
3. Vendor responsibility alignment
Multiple service providers, such as gateways, hosting platforms, POS vendors, security tools, may have inconsistent or outdated PCI documentation.
What to do:
- Standardize PCI DSS language in contracts and SLAs.
- Collect updated AOCs and responsibility matrices annually.
- Confirm incident reporting processes and evidence expectations.
PCI DSS 4.0.1 readiness checklist
Preparing for a PCI DSS 4.0.1 assessment requires more than confirming that controls are functioning. It entails ensuring that your documentation, evidence, and cross-team processes align with the clarified expectations.
The following checklist highlights the core elements most organizations should validate before entering an assessment cycle. It’s not meant to replace your ROC or SAQ, but to help internal teams quickly confirm whether foundational pieces are in place.
Readiness checklist
☐ Updated data flow diagrams reflecting current payment architecture
☐ Script inventory and monitoring program documented and assigned
☐ MFA configurations validated for both administrative and non-administrative roles
☐ Targeted Risk Analyses (TRAs) formalized and retained for auditor review
☐ Responsibility matrices and current AOCs collected from relevant service providers
☐ Policies updated using PCI DSS 4.0.1 definitions and clarifications
☐ Change management and vulnerability remediation logs aligned with clarified requirements
☐ Evidence organized for the 4.0.1 version of the SAQ or ROC
PCI DSS 4.0.1 rewards organizations that maintain ongoing governance rather than scrambling at the end of an audit window. Treating the checklist as a recurring internal review rather than a once-a-year task helps teams stay aligned with the standard, manage documentation gaps proactively, and ensure that assessments in 2025 and beyond proceed more smoothly.
4. Documentation gaps
Policies, logs, and diagrams often reference outdated PCI terminology or lack sufficient detail for 4.0.1 assessments.
What to do:
- Update policies with 4.0.1 definitions (e.g., privileged access, script management).
- Refresh vulnerability logs, change records, and data flow diagrams.
- Establish a documentation calendar for regular updates.
Addressing these challenges early will help organizations streamline their PCI DSS 4.0.1 transition and reduce friction during assessments.
Beyond 4.0.1: How to future-proof your PCI compliance program
PCI DSS 4.0.1 marks a stabilizing point for the current standard, but it also signals the PCI Council’s move toward more frequent, incremental updates. Organizations that treat PCI DSS as an evolving program, not a once-a-year audit, will be better positioned for future changes. The following areas outline what businesses should anticipate and how to build long-term resilience into their compliance strategy.
Key areas to watch
Upcoming PCI updates will likely strengthen existing themes from 4.0 and 4.0.1 while addressing emerging risks in cloud, ecommerce, and identity ecosystems. Keeping an eye on these areas helps organizations plan proactively rather than reactively.
- Cloud-native security guidance: Expect deeper direction on shared responsibility models, containerized workloads, serverless payment flows, and multi-cloud environments.
- Continuous monitoring and evidence collection: PCI is moving toward continuous validation rather than annual snapshots, emphasizing automated logging, real-time alerting, and centralized evidence management.
- Advanced identity and access controls: Future updates may expand expectations around privilege lifecycle management, identity governance, session validation, and phishing-resistant MFA.
- Strengthened ecommerce and API security: As eSkimming and API-related threats grow, PCI will likely introduce more prescriptive requirements around client-side script integrity, API authentication, and runtime protection.
- Expanded vendor assurance requirements: Third-party service providers may see more standardized reporting, more detailed responsibility matrices, and tighter incident notification SLAs.
- Alignment with broader security frameworks: PCI continues adopting terminology and concepts from NIST, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, signaling more integrated compliance pathways ahead.
Understanding these trends helps organizations anticipate the direction of future PCI updates and adjust their security programs accordingly.
How to prepare for the next phase of PCI evolution
Future-ready PCI programs prioritize agility, documentation quality, and automation. The following actions help organizations stay ahead of evolving requirements and reduce friction in future assessments.
- Strengthen documentation lifecycles: Move from annual policy updates to scheduled quarterly or semiannual reviews of evidence, diagrams, and logs. This avoids documentation drift and reduces audit pressure.
- Invest in IAM maturity: Enhance privilege governance, automate deprovisioning, adopt phishing-resistant MFA, and unify administrative access definitions across systems.
- Modernize ecommerce and application security: Adopt CSP/SRI, embed script monitoring tools, validate third-party integrations, and expand runtime checks for client-side and API interactions.
- Enhance vendor management: Standardize PCI-related contract language, maintain up-to-date AOCs, and implement annual vendor performance and responsibility reviews.
- Adopt continuous monitoring practices: Introduce SIEM, CSPM, and log-centralization tools that help create year-round evidence streams and support future PCI expectations for continuous validation.
The practices outlined above will help organizations not only stay aligned with PCI DSS 4.0.1 but also build the foundation needed to adapt confidently to future versions of the standard.
PCI DSS 4.0.1 Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Does PCI DSS 4.0.1 add new requirements?
No. It clarifies how existing PCI DSS 4.0 requirements should be interpreted and validated.
Is PCI DSS 4.0 still required?
Yes, but the active version for all assessments is PCI DSS 4.0.1.
Do I need to change my MFA setup?
Possibly. PCI DSS 4.0.1 clarifies which authentication methods apply to administrative and non-administrative users.
What changes most for ecommerce sites?
Client-side script inventory, approval, and monitoring requirements are now more precisely defined.
When is PCI DSS 4.0 required?
PCI DSS 4.0 has been required since March 2024, and assessments now use PCI DSS 4.0.1.
The post PCI DSS 4.0.1: Guide for Businesses in 2025 appeared first on TechnologyAdvice.
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