Cornerstone Performance vs IBM Kenexa comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Cornerstone OnDemand and IBM are both solutions in the Talent Management category. Cornerstone OnDemand is ranked #11 with an average rating of 8.0, while IBM is ranked #17. Cornerstone OnDemand holds a 1.2% mindshare in TM, compared to IBM’s 1.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Cornerstone OnDemand users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of IBM users who would recommend it.

Cornerstone Performance

Read 1 Cornerstone Performance review

1,485 Views
1,351 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IBM Kenexa

Read 30 IBM Kenexa reviews

4,260 Views
2,684 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

Cornerstone Performance

IBM Kenexa

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cornerstone Performance and IBM Kenexa based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Workday, Oracle and others in Talent Management.

To learn more, read our detailed Talent Management Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Talent Management

September 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cornerstone Performance

Ranking in Talent Management

11th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

IBM Kenexa

Ranking in Talent Management

17th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Benefits Administration (12th), Applicant Tracking and Recruiting Software (6th)

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2026, in the Talent Management category, the mindshare of Cornerstone Performance is 1.2%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM Kenexa is 1.6%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Talent Management Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cornerstone Performance	1.2%
IBM Kenexa	1.6%
Other	97.2%

Talent Management

Featured Reviews

Sarra Bannouri

Consultant at a sports company with 501-1,000 employees

Enhanced performance reviews with flexible goal setting and valuable employee feedback

I primarily use Cornerstone Performance for performance appraisals, year-end reviews, check-ins, and competency assessments. It's about managers and direct reports, employees meeting and discussing their progress on milestones, etc The tasks themselves, such as the performance reviews and…

Read full review

Karan Grover

Senior Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees

Suitable for larger-scale companies aiming to streamline and automate their processes digitally

The deployment of the solution took between six to eight months. When we introduced BrassRing at my company, we encountered several challenges. First, moving data from our old system to BrassRing was tough because it needed reformatting. Second, connecting BrassRing with our HR data was tricky due to manual processes for roles and departments. Third, setting up the workflow in BrassRing was complex. Fourth, configuring user access and approval levels was a detailed task. We also had to manage the change process, including running both old and new systems in parallel, communicating changes, and training users. Lastly, monitoring and reporting were needed to ensure data accuracy and proper system usage once everything was in place. We had a team of six to eight people managing the project from our side during the BrassRing deployment. I'm not sure about the size of the BrassRing team, and we also had our own technical team, which had three to four members. The solution required maintenance, particularly from my side as the administrator. Maintenance responsibilities were divided into two parts: some tasks we, as end-users, could control, while others were the responsibility of the BrassRing team. Payment-related tasks were a regular part of our responsibilities. I wasn't the only person maintaining the solution. There were three power users from Infosys, each responsible for a specific geography. My counterpart managed it in the US, and I, along with my colleague in India, managed it for other geographies.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I would definitely recommend Cornerstone Performance."

"As I said, IBM are doing a great job with us at the moment, but we're always looking and speaking and open to having conversations with other people because the market's changing and IBM are aware of that."

"IBM Kenexa is fairly stable, and we don't have any downtime."

"Without this solution, we would have more administrative functions and would need to hire more HR employees."

"I just think it's a good tool, with great flexibility."

"I like how we can copy a req as we have many duplicates, which saved a lot of time when opening reqs."

"We felt like Kenexa was robust enough and dynamic enough that it met our needs, so it didn't make sense for us to disrupt 700 locations and reteach them something."

"For us in particular, I love how configurable the system is; I can use the same technology for different parts of my business."

"Of all the current talent analytics offerings on the market today, IBM Kenexa Talent Insights is the most comprehensive end-to-end, data-agnostic analytics tool."

More IBM Kenexa pros

Cons

"The competency assessment is not as flexible as the rest of the solution features. I would like more options for customization."

"Improved integrations: There are all kinds of issues with integrations, hires failing."

"We're really looking forward to some of their enhancements to their onboarding portal, specifically for recruiters and hiring managers."

"I would like to have a better and more user-friendly interface."

"I get a real sense of frustration when you see the kind of customer insight teams and what they can do and then you look at the colleague insights teams, which I'm leading on as well, and seeing there's a gap and we need to close that gap."

"My rating is not higher because of the support, honestly; the global service center model."

"Being in a silo of my own world, my wish would be that everything that's available in their legacy views would be moved into their new Talent Suite products, so we could move over to that."

"I would not recommend IBM Kenexa to others."

"Technical support was not always great. They tend to push you towards workbench admins or paid support."

More IBM Kenexa cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Kenexa was fairly priced. However, in 2019, before I left my previous organization, they significantly increased their pricing. It can be affordable, but their pricing is going up. It is not just licensing; it is how many applicants you have in your system on the database side."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

14%

Outsourcing Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

15%

Construction Company

14%

Manufacturing Company

14%

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	28

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Cornerstone Performance?

The competency assessment is not as flexible as the rest of the solution features. I would like more options for customization.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cornerstone Performance?

See all answers

What advice do you have for others considering Cornerstone Performance?

I would definitely recommend Cornerstone Performance. The solution should work on making features more customizable.

See all answers

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Comparisons

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Compared 15% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

Cornerstone Learn vs Cornerstone Performance

Compared 9% of the time

vExecution vs Cornerstone Performance

Compared 8% of the time

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UKG vs IBM Kenexa

Compared 9% of the time

SAP SuccessFactors vs IBM Kenexa

Compared 6% of the time

SAP SuccessFactors Performance & Goals vs IBM Kenexa

Compared 5% of the time

Saviom Enterprise Workforce Planning vs IBM Kenexa

Compared 4% of the time

Oracle Taleo vs IBM Kenexa

Compared 4% of the time

More IBM Kenexa Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Talent Management

September 2026

Download Cornerstone Performance product report

Buyer's Guide

IBM Kenexa

September 2026

Download IBM Kenexa product report

Also Known As

Cornerstone Performance Suite, Sonar6

IBM Smarter Workforce, Outstart

Overview

Cornerstone Performance provides organizations with a robust suite of performance management tools, enhancing workforce management and productivity.

Cornerstone Performance offers a reliable technology stack that facilitates effective employee performance tracking and evaluation. It provides tailored solutions to fit unique organizational structures and needs. This platform supports managers in aligning individual goals with business objectives, ensuring that workforce strategies are clear and measurable.

What are the key features of Cornerstone Performance?

Goal Alignment: Enables setting clear, measurable goals for teams and individuals.
Performance Reviews: Streamlines review processes with customizable templates.
Feedback Tools: Facilitates real-time feedback among colleagues.
Analytics: Provides data-driven insights for performance improvement.

What benefits should users evaluate in Cornerstone Performance reviews?

Increased Productivity: Enhances overall employee output through effective monitoring.
Improved Engagement: Boosts employee morale with comprehensive feedback.
Data Analysis: Offers insightful analytics to drive performance strategies.

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and tech benefit from Cornerstone Performance by implementing goal alignment and feedback systems tailored to their sector's demands. Specialized dashboards and analytics tools offer clear insights, helping to meet specific industry standards and regulations.

Cornerstone OnDemand

IBM Kenexa offers comprehensive talent management solutions designed for businesses to streamline and enhance hiring processes.

It is a robust platform facilitating talent acquisition and workforce management. With powerful analytics and recruitment tools, IBM Kenexa aids organizations in matching skilled professionals to job roles efficiently, optimizing recruitment strategies, and improving employee engagement.

What are the prominent features of IBM Kenexa?

Recruitment: Simplifies the hiring process with customized workflows and efficient applicant tracking.
Talent Management: Enhances workforce performance through strategic talent development programs.
Analytics: Provides in-depth data insights for better decision-making in hiring and employee management.
Onboarding: Streamlines new hire integration with comprehensive orientation and training tools.

What benefits and ROI can IBM Kenexa users expect?

Improved Hiring Efficiency: Reduces time-to-fill by automating and redefining recruitment workflows.
Enhanced Employee Engagement: Increases retention rates through targeted engagement initiatives.
Data-Driven Decisions: Empowers companies with actionable insights for strategic planning.
Cost Savings: Minimizes hiring costs by optimizing human resources functions.

IBM Kenexa finds applications in healthcare, finance, retail, and tech industries where effective recruitment and engagement are crucial for success. Businesses gain a competitive advantage by leveraging its comprehensive tools for attracting and retaining top talent in these sectors.

IBM

Sample Customers

New Belgium, Virgin Media, Hershey, University of Southern California, Hyatt, Walgreens, Turner, Commonwealth Bank

Sweet Spot International (SSI), Leo Burnett Worldwide (LBW), Sika AG, Legacy Health, Apollo Group Inc., Regeneron, Transurban Group, National Health Service, New Zealand Police, Overland Footwear, Yealands, Johnson Controls, Allscripts, Kerry Foods, Masterpet, AMD, Balfour Beatty

Find out what your peers are saying about SAP, Workday, Oracle and others in Talent Management. Updated: September 2026.

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