BambooHR Review

Pros

• Free trial
• Easy to use
• Intuitive software
• No annual contract
• Responsive customer service

Cons

• Clunky integrations
• Payroll, benefits administration, and time-tracking are all add-ons

What is BambooHR?

BambooHR is an HRIS (Human Resources Information System) designed to help businesses manage core HR tasks, including employee records, hiring, onboarding, time off, performance management, compensation management, and reporting. With payroll, benefits administration, time tracking, and other add-ons, BambooHR can serve as a broader HR management platform.

BambooHR is more HR-focused than payroll-focused, so businesses that mainly need payroll may find a cheaper or more specialized alternative.

BambooHR Pricing

BambooHR has three pricing plans. The company charges a flat rate starting at $250/month for businesses with 25 or fewer employees.

Here’s a breakdown of each plan.

BambooHR Core

The Core plan includes:

• Employee Records
• Company Directory & Org Chart
• Document Storage – 20 GB + 500 MB per active employee
• Applicant Tracking System – 5 Job Openings
• Standard & Custom Reporting & Analytics
• Custom Access Levels
• Custom Email Alerts; Custom Tabs & Fields
• Time-Off Management
• Training Tracking (add-on price)
• Benefits Tracking (add-on price)
• Company Calendar
• Mobile App
• Onboarding/Offboarding
• eSignatures
• Company Branding
• Audit Trail
• Access to the Partner Marketplace
• Open API
• Total Rewards
• Employee Wellbeing
• Employee Satisfaction with eNPS
• Basic AI Assistant
• Compliance Training (1 course)

BambooHR Pro

The Pro plan includes everything in Core, plus:

• Performance Management Software
• Performance Management Metrics
• Employee Community
• Upgraded AI Assistant
• Recognition & Rewards
• Compliance Training (15 courses)

BambooHR Elite

The Elite plan includes everything in Pro, plus:

• Compensation Management
• Custom Dashboard & Analytics
• HR Benchmarks
• New Administrator Training
• Data Integrity Services
• Exclusive Insider Webinars
• Advanced AI Assistant

BambooHR Extra Costs & Fees

Payroll, time tracking, and benefits administration are all paid add-ons, so costs can add up if those are the core features you need.

Extra fees can also drive up your monthly pricing. This may include implementation fees if you wish to add payroll and benefits administration. And for payroll, there are extra fees for wage garnishment and off-cycle payroll runs. If you run into problems with the software, you may pay a research and problem-solving fee to get someone to assist you.

BambooHR discloses these fees in its quote, but payroll-related extras can increase the total cost quickly.

Is BambooHR Easy To Use?

BambooHR’s interface is simple and intuitive. That’s true for the HR management side, as well as the employee interface. It’s easy to navigate between screens, pull up reports, and request time off.

Once you add certain add-ons, moving between systems can feel clunky. BambooHR Payroll is available as an add-on to the main HR platform. The company markets the payroll tool as connected to employee data in BambooHR, though some users have reported that payroll workflows can feel less seamless than the core HR platform.

If ease of use is your primary concern, BambooHR is a great choice.

Note that BambooHR says implementation generally takes four to six weeks, so businesses should expect some setup time before the system is fully running.

BambooHR Features

BambooHR has ample features for HR management and great add-on tools like payroll and time-tracking. With all the add-ons included, it is a robust system. However, if the program doesn’t have exactly what you need, it also integrates with 125+ other programs to help you round out your full HR suite.

BambooHR’s HR tools also include compensation management features that can help businesses plan raises, manage pay data, and support more consistent compensation decisions.

Here’s what to expect from BambooHR.

BambooHR Customer Service

BambooHR support is available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM MT.

BambooHR Reviews

BambooHR has a lot of positive reviews on G2 (5K+ reviews), where it scores 4.4/5.  It has a 2.9 rating on Trustpilot. It also has an A- on the BBB, although it is not accredited.

Here’s the rundown of the feedback from the review sites.

Negative BambooHR Reviews

• Small feature issues, like the inability to cancel PTO days
• Doesn’t support contractors
• Lack of customizations
• Doesn’t always play well with third-party integrations

Positive BambooHR Reviews

• Easy to use
• Good reporting
• Makes onboarding, HR compliance, and employee management easy
• Supportive and responsive customer service team
• Strong features

Is BambooHR Secure?

BambooHR implements a range of security measures to keep sensitive data safe.

Here’s how it protects your information:

• Regulatory Adherence: BambooHR provides privacy and security documentation, including GDPR/CCPA compliance information and SOC 2 Type 2 documentation available through its security portal.
• Data Encryption: BambooHR uses TLS 1.2 to secure information as it moves across the system, while robust encryption safeguards data stored within the platform, lowering the chance of unauthorized access.
• Enhanced Authentication: With both two-factor and multi-factor authentication options, BambooHR ensures that access requires more than just a password, adding an extra layer of protection.
• Access Control: The system allows for precise customization of user access, ensuring employees only see the data relevant to their responsibilities.
• Ongoing Security Assessments: Regularly conducted third-party audits and penetration tests highlight BambooHR’s strong commitment to maintaining high-security standards.

Final Verdict: Is BambooHR Worth It?

BambooHR is worth considering if your business needs an easy-to-use HRIS for employee records, onboarding, time off, reporting, performance management, and employee engagement. It’s especially useful for growing businesses that want a central HR platform with payroll, benefits administration, and time tracking available as add-ons.

However, BambooHR may not be the most cost-effective choice for very small businesses or companies that mainly need payroll.

BambooHR is best for businesses that want a user-friendly HR platform first, with payroll and benefits as optional add-ons. Businesses that want payroll-first software may want to compare alternatives.