BambooHR Software Review: Is It Worth It?

We Really Liked:

• Navigating through the software is extremely easy after one or two trials or demo videos.
• If you are looking for tools where you can streamline HR services, Bamboo HR software is definitely the one for you because of its exclusive features that are tailor-made for your needs. 
• You will be able to avail a lot more than 50 features for integration after you have purchased the software.

Best For:

The flexible plans, ease of use and countless integration options all of which are well-suited to cater to the needs of any small, medium or large businesses in need of urgent HR staff.

One Thing to Watch Out For:

• There have been some online complaints from customers regarding the pricing not being transparent. 

• There is no basic feature for payroll in the software. You have to pay extra for integrating TRAXPayroll into your software. 

BambooHR Overview:

The BambooHR software is great for carrying out HR functions. In fact, it can be the perfect investment for your business if you are looking for an efficient HR management tool. 

In case your current HR staff is not able to do a cutting-edge job at the office, purchasing the BambooHR software can really do wonders for you. The software can gather all of your company plus employee data to date, and provide you with the best HR solutions in order to help you deal with your HR problems. 

This also means that you will no longer be needing a multi-functional manager to look after HR issues in the office! 

The BambooHR software can easily save a great deal of your valuable business hours by looking after your onboarding, hiring, compensation and other HR related responsibilities. With all those concerns taken care of, you can finally focus on your business strategies instead. 

BambooHR Features

The BambooHR software is loaded with various features that any firm could benefit from in order to put an end to their HR issues. Some of the most essential features of the BambooHR software for automated tasks include the following:

Employee Database

One of the major problems that most businesses face these days is the amount of business hours they spend on manually inputting updates or making changes to the spreadsheets. These updates have to be edited separately on different paper documents, which makes it a very repetitive and tedious process. 

The spreadsheets that you see at the office do not help in centralizing the information. Not only is this entire process lengthier, but it is also a recipe for disaster because you might end up making a mistake while manually updating it over and over again.

So, what can you do to fix this issue? 

Get yourself a BambooHR software that is based on a centralized employee database. This will require you to make changes or update the software in one single location only. Inputting the data in one space will automatically update the rest of the boards on the software.  

Moreover, this will also help to eliminate any risks of creating unwanted errors in the documents and cut out the process of editing several files at a time since all of the work will be done by the software automatically. 

Employee Self-Service

With the BambooHR software, you no longer have to keep track of the requests made by your employees. The software is built and designed for employees to have access to important documents from the office databases. All they need is a stable connection to the internet and a properly functioning device to have access to the files. 

The employee self-service feature allows employees to look into their tax documents, PTO, employment information etc. without having to bother the administrators or managers in person. 

What’s more, the employee self-service feature allows the employees to request time off, track training, reviewing benefits, etc. while using the software from their laptops, tablets or mobile phones. 

Automated Time Off

It is extremely difficult to calculate and keep track of the PTO of employees manually. This is where a software like BambooHR will come in handy by calculating the PTO days for you. 

All you have to do is put in the formula you use to calculate the PTO days and the software will take care of the rest. For every time an employee goes on a paid leave, it will automatically be updated on the software and the new PTO will be calculated for both you and the employee. 

This way, you will not have to worry about triple checking the formula to make sure that the calculation is correct. Any and all kinds of human error will be eliminated once this feature comes into action. 

HR Reporting

It is of no use if you have a box full of HR data with you and are unable to do anything productive for your company using it. 

Software like BambooHR can collect huge amounts of data on employees, as well as the company itself and create reports on it. These reports are made using all of the data and stats collected from the software, to enable you to come up with effective strategies for your businesses. 

The software can also be very specific, in the sense that it can often create reports regarding extremely specific issues from the data collected. 

For example, you might be alerted about a report based on the following topic – ‘when’ the employees are most likely to spend their PTO, or one on employee absences, disposition of new hires, etc. 

Applicant Management

Do you always have to follow a lengthy process while hiring new people? If yes, then it might be the right time for you to invest in an HR software like BambooHR. 

With the help of BambooHR, you can send out offer letters to prospective applicants and also store their personal information for future reference. The applicant management feature enables businesses to not be bothered about their recruiting processes, for it is taken care of by the BambooHR software itself. 

All of the features mentioned above are great for increasing your productivity at work while excluding time-consuming tasks related to applicant management. 

HR Resources

We have already established how important it is for companies to have a dedicated set of HR staff. However, an HR department can often be too difficult to maintain. This is why a software service like BambooHR can be a good investment if you are looking to manage your benefits, payrolls and new recruitments in the company. 

However, does owning an HR software mean that your business no longer needs an HR staff who can look after the more practical aspects of HR support like employee evaluation, compliance etc.? The answer is “Yes”. 

BambooHR offers a team of professional HR services for users who are in need of a dedicated bunch of HR experts. Not only is purchasing HR software cheaper, but it also comes with its own added benefits. 

Comparing to Competitors

BambooHR is one of the best software out there, and is as competent as Paychex or Rippling, which are two of the best software in the market providing overall HR support.

Unlike other HR software, the BambooHR has a great user interface and navigation system that can be grasped easily. What’s more is that it is extremely affordable, making the pricing plans suitable for startups and small businesses. 

Pricing

If you head to the BambooHR website, you will find two separate price plans to choose from – the Essentials Plan and the Advantage Plan. However, you might face difficulty while looking for the details of their pricing plans as it is not available on their website. 

To have access to the pricing details, you will have to get in touch with the software provider first, who will then discuss the price of the plan you are opting for. The provider will take your HR objectives into account before proposing a plan and quoting you its price range. 

As per the providers, if you opt for an Advantage Plan, which comprises of a package for a total of 15 employees, it will cost you a monthly fee of around $8.25 per employee. Therefore, both the Essentials Plan and the Advantage Plan will require you to communicate with the provider beforehand in order to know the details of their custom price for the plans. 

For the advantage plan, you will have access to all of the major advanced features including document storage, employee directory and org chart, HR Information System, PTO Management, Company branding, Applicant Tracking, Software Integrations, Reporting Tools, Employee/Manager Self Service, Customer Service, Workflows and Approvals and Onboarding Tools. 

As for the essentials plan, you may not have access to a couple of the advanced features on the software, but you will still be able to make use of the core HR support and services that any small business or startup would need. 

Other unique features that are available on the software can be integrated with paid add ons. The cost will be different for every add ons available on the website. 

For instance, if you want to make use of the TRAXPayroll, you will have to pay an additional amount of $75, along with the $4.05 for each employee monthly. In case you want to incorporate the payroll implementation, it will cost you around $241.25. 

If you want to train your clients, the ‘QuickStart Training’ might come in handy for you. However, you have to note that it does come with a hefty price tag of $299. 

Keeping track of time is important while running a business. So, if you want to use the time tracking tool of the BambooHR software, you can avail it by paying an extra $3 per employee, monthly.

Lastly, proper management of the overall performance of your employees can cost you up to $5.25 per employee, if that is one of your HR objectives. 

Free Plan

Unfortunately, BambooHR does not offer any free plans for its users. All details regarding the pricing of the plans have to be discussed with the provider. The two plans which include Essentials and Advantages, can give access to both core and advanced features that you may need for successfully running a company.  

Ease of Use

When compared to other HR software, BambooHR is relatively easy to use and has specifications of cloud-based solutions which keeps all the employee data very safe. Here’s a step-to-step guide on how you can set up your BambooHR software:

• The very first step for setting up any software on your device is to create an account for yourself with a valid email address. 
• Next up, you have to fill in the details of your company along with the specifics of your employees. 
• Once you have added the employees, they themselves can change their details, which will sync throughout the board automatically. 
• You have to provide information regarding banks, tax and registration for the software to start working. 
• Set up payrolls or integrate any other features that you may wish to use on the software. 
• Lastly, choose a plan for yourself based on your requirements and budget. 

BambooHR on Mobile

Mobile phone users can find the app on both Android and iOS application stores, making your access to personal data, self-service tools, requests, etc. a lot easier. 

Employers can also make use of the mobile app by approving or declining requests made in real time through the app. 

The Bottom Line

All successfully run organizations require an expert group of HR who are actively helpful in resolving issues in the office. However, due to limitations in funds and time, a lot of business owners have to opt for online HR software instead. 

But the brighter side of this is that, not only do software like BambooHR help to cut down on wastes like paper and spreadsheets, but it can also help you to have access to all of your personal data stored within the software within seconds. 

Overall, it’s the perfect software to handle all your HR needs!