BambooHR is an HRIS human resources information system built for small and mid-size businesses that need to manage the full employee lifecycle in one place. It covers onboarding, performance management, time tracking, and offboarding without requiring a large HR team to operate it. I'd consider it over Rippling if your priority is people management rather than IT and device management—BambooHR® is purpose-built for HR, and that focus shows in its feature depth and overall design.

BambooHR® Evaluation Summary
- From $10/user/month
- Free trial available
Why Trust Our Software Reviews
We’ve been testing and reviewing HR software systems since 2019. As HR experts ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.
We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different HR management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our software review methodology.
BambooHR® Overview
pros
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The modern, intuitive interface makes it simple to find information and complete tasks. The free trial includes dummy data so you can test out the user experience easily.
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Excellent employee engagement features, including the Employee Community.
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Employee self-service features help staff access their data, request time off, sign documents, and more.
cons
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Benefits administration, payroll, and time tracking are paid add-ons (and some are only available to U.S. customers)
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Not a ton of wiggle room if you require lots of platform customization.
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Native payroll is limited to the United States. Global payroll is only available through a third-party EOR provider.
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How We Test & Score Our Tools
We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.
Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.
Core Functionality (25% of final score)
The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.
Standout Features (25% of final score)
Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.
We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.
Ease of Use (10% of final score)
We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.
Onboarding (10% of final score)
We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.
Customer Support (10% of final score)
We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.
Customer Reviews (10% of final score)
Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.
Value for Money (10% of final score)
Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.
Core Features
Employee Records
Digital management of employee records is made easy with the platform's secure, centralized database. It efficiently organizes employee information, including emergency contacts, contract details, job responsibilities, salary, and addresses, in a user-friendly manner. The system also provides a centralized “Documents” hub to store resumes, signed documents, task lists, and project workflows. Additionally, the “Assets” hub lists equipment assigned to employees, such as computers, monitors, and other hardware. For miscellaneous items, the “Notes” hub offers a space to store agendas, meeting minutes, and other relevant information.
Hiring
When evaluating BambooHR's hiring capabilities, I found it lacks automatic importation and parsing of resumes, which limits efficient data entry and candidate tracking when recruiting at scale. While it simplifies job posting with an intuitive three-step process, the absence of robust resume handling is a significant drawback. BambooHR can automatically push job postings to major job boards, but setting up connections involves extra steps and permission controls, slowing recruitment efforts. During the free trial, interview emails cannot be sent directly, hindering communication. The platform supports GDPR compliance but lacks information on other international regulations, which could be a concern for global organizations. BambooHR offers strong controls over access permissions, balancing collaboration and data confidentiality. Its pre-built templates and reporting features support comprehensive analytics without additional modules, making it suitable for large organizations needing detailed HR metrics.
Employee Onboarding and Offboarding
The platform streamlines employee onboarding and offboarding workflows. Customizable steps and comprehensive new starter checklists make the onboarding process transparent and self-managed. It provides an easy-to-access space for resources and information, such as employee details via the “Directory” under the People tab, which supports adding new employees, list view, search, and organizational charts. Offboarding templates cover essential tasks, including vacation payout/accrual, disabling access to software systems and shared drives, and collecting company assets.
Time Tracking
A suite of tools allows employees to track work hours, submit time-off requests, and manage various leaves of absence, including paid time-off accruals. Users can easily submit time-off requests and view their remaining sick, bereavement, and vacation balances. Managers can review and approve timesheets and time-off requests, ensuring accurate and efficient time management.
Performance Management
Tools to enhance performance management and employee development are integrated into the platform. Learning and development (L&D) resources and training channels are housed in the “Performance” tab under My Info. The platform includes templates for review cycles, as well as 60- and 90-day performance assessments, making it easy to start an assessment. The Training tab provides templates for various trainings, including security training, unlawful harassment, product trainings, and COVID office protocols. You can track incomplete trainings and assign deadlines to ensure timely completion.
Payroll and Benefits Administration
The platform offers streamlined payroll and benefits administration modules or integrations. It houses employee information, calculates gross and net pay, and disburses payments. Integration with several payroll providers allows for seamless payroll processing and benefits administration. The Benefits tab offers a clear overview of benefits coverage and dependent information, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k plans, and any opt-in supplemental benefits. Note that users are unable to try out the payroll and integrations experience via the 7-day free trial.
Reporting & Analytics
The Reports tab helps track signed documents, custom reports (with limited field configuration), and standard reports. Templates include headcount, employee turnover, additions and terminations, and time off used. You can configure custom reports to export assets, contact information, training history, and contract renewals, although details are somewhat limited. For example, generating a report on time-to-hire per recruiter or representative is not supported.
Ease of Use
BambooHR is highly user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that simplifies HR tasks for your team. Its clean design allows you to navigate easily, reducing the learning curve for new users. Features like employee self-service and customizable workflows enhance usability, letting your team manage their own data efficiently. Compared to other systems, BambooHR stands out for its straightforward approach, making it a preferred choice for businesses seeking simplicity and ease in managing HR processes.
Integrations
Integrations include Checkr, Greenhouse Software, Culture Amp, TalentLMS, Slack, Google Single Sign-On, Blue Marble Global Payroll, Deel, Oyster, Papaya Global, QuickBooks, and Xero.
New Product Updates from BambooHR®
BambooHR Adds EasyLlama Course Retirement Management
BambooHR now flags EasyLlama courses that are retiring or no longer available and lets admins choose or schedule replacement training. The update also gives employees clearer messaging when assigned courses reach end of life while preserving completed certificates. Highlights include:
- Retirement Alerts: Flags courses that are approaching retirement or have reached end of life.
- Replacement Workflows: Lets admins search, filter, and select replacement EasyLlama courses.
- Scheduled Replacements: Allows replacement courses to take over automatically when current training retires.
- Employee Guidance: Shows clearer messages when assigned training is no longer available.
- Certificate Retention: Keeps certificates accessible for completed retired courses.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Adds EOR Documents and Payslips
BambooHR now syncs Remote employment agreements and payslips into a dedicated Remote Documents folder within each employee’s Documents tab. Admins can also manage syncing, review storage usage, and monitor the latest sync from Global Employment Settings. Highlights include:
- EOR Document Sync: Syncs employment agreements and payslips from Remote into BambooHR.
- Dedicated Remote Folder: Organizes synced files into Agreements and Payslips subfolders.
- Global Employment Settings: Lets admins monitor sync activity, storage usage, and document syncing.
- Read-Only Source Records: Keeps the original Remote documents unchanged when files are renamed or deleted in BambooHR.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Expands Shift Scheduling and Reporting
BambooHR expands shift scheduling with custom reporting for staffing, coverage, labor trends, and shift exceptions, plus a 24-hour Day View for managing daily schedules. Managers can also move and resize shifts in 15-minute increments and publish a single day’s schedule. Highlights include:
- Scheduling Dataset: Adds schedule configuration, shift details, coverage data, and labor hours to Custom Report Builder.
- Shift Assessment Fields: Adds reporting for missed shifts, late arrivals, early departures, unscheduled work, and other exceptions.
- Shift Scheduling Day View: Provides a detailed 24-hour view for managing overlapping and high-volume shifts.
- 15-Minute Shift Adjustments: Lets managers move and resize shifts in 15-minute increments.
- Single-Day Publishing: Lets managers publish only the schedule for the day currently displayed.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Automates 401(k) Payroll Data Sharing
BambooHR Payroll now supports automated, secure sharing of finalized payroll data with select 401(k) providers via retirement payroll APIs. This reduces manual file handling and helps ensure retirement contributions and loan repayments are processed accurately and on time. Highlights include:
- Automated Data Sharing: Sends finalized payroll data to authorized 401(k) providers without manual file transfers.
- Retirement Payroll APIs: Provides secure, read-only access to payroll and year-to-date information.
- 401(k) Provider Support: Supports automated data retrieval for Human Interest and 401GO.
- Retirement Data Processing: Provides the data needed to process contributions, loan repayments, and employer matches.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Expands Compensation Planning Workflows
BambooHR adds automated calculations, budget allocation, hierarchical approval workflows, employee communications, and expanded admin controls to Compensation Planning. The updated experience helps teams manage compensation cycles end to end, with approved changes applied to employee records and captured in an audit trail. Highlights include:
- Approval Workflows: Provides dynamic approval flows with temporary compensation data access for recommenders and approvers.
- Communication Automation: Sends compensation change communications using customizable email templates and employee placeholders.
- Admin Controls: Lets admins create, edit, and publish cycles, manage workflow permissions, export data, and review audit logs.
- Compensation Publishing: Applies approved compensation changes to employee records when a cycle is closed.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Adds Retirement Savings Powered by Human Interest
BambooHR introduced Retirement Savings powered by Human Interest, helping administrators evaluate and buy a 401(k) plan without leaving BambooHR. After purchase, the plan is automatically added to the Benefits tab, simplifying setup and keeping benefits information centralized. Highlights include:
- Human Interest Integration: Explore and purchase 401(k) retirement plans directly from BambooHR.
- Automatic Benefits Setup: Adds purchased retirement plans to the Benefits tab without manual configuration.
- Payroll Contribution Sync: Synchronizes contribution data with BambooHR Payroll through API to keep deductions up to date.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Adds Contractor Agreement Options and Global Employment Insights
BambooHR introduced flexible contract options for onboarding global contractors through the embedded Remote experience and expanded Ask BambooHR with in-chat answers for Global Employment Powered by Remote. Together, these updates give teams more flexibility during contractor onboarding and faster access to global workforce information. Highlights include:
- Flexible Contractor Agreement Options: Choose to generate a contractor services agreement or continue onboarding without one to match existing legal processes.
- Ask BambooHR Global Employment Insights: Answers questions about EOR employees, contractors, country-specific hiring requirements, onboarding progress, and pricing using Remote data.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Adds Images to Recognition and Rewards Posts
BambooHR now lets employees add one or more images to Recognition and Rewards posts, making shout-outs more visual and engaging. Images can be uploaded and adjusted during creation, and they carry through wherever recognition is viewed. Highlights include:
- Image Uploads: Add one or more images to recognition posts using PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP files.
- Image Resizing: Adjust uploaded images before publishing to better fit the recognition message.
- Feed and Email Display: Shows images in the recognition feed and recognition email notifications.
Visit BambooHR’s official site for more details.
BambooHR Enhances Time Clocks With Break and Shift Tools
BambooHR Time Clocks have expanded timekeeping capabilities by adding break tracking and new shift-related tools. This helps employees manage more of their workday from the clock itself and supports more consistent clock-in behavior. Highlights include:
- Break Tracking: Start and end meal or rest breaks directly from BambooHR Time Clocks.
- Scheduled Shift Validation: Verify scheduled shifts automatically when employees clock in to support accurate attendance.
- Schedule Viewing: View published work schedules directly from the time clock before starting a shift.
Visit BambooHR's official site for more details
BambooHR Adds Searchable Chat Conversations
Ask BambooHR now organizes chat history into distinct, searchable conversations, making it easier to find past answers and keep work streams tidy. With clearer organization and simple management controls, users can revisit prior questions faster and track ongoing topics more effectively. Highlights include:
- Searchable Chat Conversations: Search and access previous AI conversations from a dedicated sidebar.
- Persistent Chat History: Save conversations with automatic titles to revisit ongoing work later.
- Conversation Management: Rename or delete chats to keep conversation history organized.
Visit BambooHR's official site for more details.
BambooHR® Specs
- 2-Factor Authentication
- 360 Degree Feedback
- API
- Application Tracking
- Attendance Tracking
- Batch Permissions & Access
- Compliance Tracking
- Dashboard
- Data Export
- Data Import
- Data Visualization
- Employee Database
- Employee Engagement
- Employee Incentive Management
- Employee Onboarding
- Employee Training
- Expense Tracking
- External Integrations
- Feedback Management
- Multi-User
- Notifications
- Payroll
- Performance Appraisal
- Scheduling
- Time Management
- Timesheets
- Travel Management
- Vacation & Absence Calendar
Alternatives to BambooHR®
BambooHR® FAQs
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BambooHR Company Overview & History
BambooHR is a human resources software company that provides a cloud-based system for managing employee data, hiring, onboarding, compensation, and performance. The company focuses on serving small and medium-sized businesses. BambooHR is a private company headquartered in Lindon, Utah and employs over 500 people.
Over 16,000 companies in more than 100 countries use BambooHR to streamline their HR processes. Some of BambooHR's notable clients include Postmates, Change.org, University of Maryland, FreshBooks, ZipRecruiter, and Stance.
BambooHR has an estimated annual revenue of over $54 million. In 2018, the company achieved a $1 billion valuation after raising $54 million in a Series B funding round. BambooHR is known for its award-winning company culture and has been recognized as one of the best places to work by Great Place to Work and Fortune magazine for several consecutive years.
BambooHR Major Milestones
- 2008: Founded by Ben Peterson and Ryan Sanders in Lindon, Utah
- 2012: Raised $3 million in Series A funding
- 2016: Surpassed 10,000 customers
- 2018: Achieved $1 billion valuation with $54 million Series B round
- 2019: Released employee wellbeing features
- 2021: Named to the Forbes Cloud 100 list
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