Human resource information systems or HRIS for short had come a long way since the 1970s when it was used for the first time to manage human capital data. These days, most hiring software systems are subscription and cloud-based. They can be integrated with other data management programs and customized to fit the organization’s needs, goals, and budget.
In 2023, HRIS is used to manage and optimize the daily human resources tasks and the company’s overall human resources goals. With HRIS, HR employees and managers can better allocate their time and resources to maximize their productive and profitable efforts. HRIS can automate manual tasks, and create reports fueled by HR data.
HRIS can sometimes help employees and managers with other tasks, such as time tracking, performance management, and updating employee directories.
One of the most popular recruitment software solutions on the market is BambooHR. if you are considering BambooHR for recruitment software. In this post, we’ll explore the benefits and drawbacks of using a HRIS like BambooHR as a pure recruitment software.
We will also recommend the top 3 BambooHR alternatives in 2022:
- BambooHR Competitor #1: Recruiteze
- BambooHR Competitor #2: Workday
- BambooHR Competitor #3: Greenhouse
- BambooHR Competitor #4: Justworks
- BambooHR Competitor #5: Bambee
- BambooHR Competitor #6: SageHR
BambooHR is a cloud-based HR management software that offers its users an applicant tracking system (ATS), time tracking, payroll processing, benefits administration, employee engagement and employee satisfaction tools, automated reminders, and workforce data analytics.
Advantages of BambooHR
BambooHR offers features that are comparable to many alternatives available on the market right now. Their standout features include a performance management module and mobile apps.
BambooHR promises that their performance management module is effective because they use a few quick questions that encourage action while limiting subjectivity and speculation. This should result in higher engagement, accurate reflections of employee performance, and the ability to address problems faster instead of six months, which is the usual time between two performance reviews, which BambooHR vows to shorten.
BambooHR also offers a mobile app that they promise can be useful for both employees and managers. Managers can use the app to access a team directory on the go and view a time off calendar that shows who is out for the day.
If you are an employee, you can use the BambooHR mobile app to check vacation time and request time off right from your phone. Managers can then use the same app to approve requests while on the go.
Shortcomings of BambooHR
Even though BambooHR is one of the most popular recruitment software on the market, it is not without its flaws. For example, reporting and custom data are limited. Also, the app can sometimes be very wonky and unstable.
Many people have also reported that the mobile app is not as polished as the web app, especially if you are using it as a manager/administrator, because of the limited number of features compared to the employee version of the app the web app in global.
If you are experiencing these or other problems with BambooHR or if you just want to test out the waters, we have prepared a list of three BambooHR competitors you should try.
Our rating system
For four weeks, we tested over twenty of the most popular BambooHR competitors that are available on the market right now. Based on our initial tests, we narrowed it down to the BambooHR alternatives that we feel have the best combination of features, usability, and pricing.
We then performed additional in-depth tests to rank these BambooHR competitors. Here are the criteria we used to rank the best BambooHR alternatives:
User experience – How easy is it compared to BambooHR?
Standout features – What are they, and are they worth it?
Pricing – Does the software justify its price?
Customer support effectiveness – How is the company’s customer support?
Now that you know our criteria and how we ranked the BambooHR competitors – let us show you the three best BambooHR alternatives you should try.
BambooHR Competitor #1: Recruiteze
We know, we know! “Placing your own software on the list!?”
Yes, and we have good reasons why, so just stick along. We promise it will be worth it.
Recruiteze is a recruitment software that will streamline all your recruiting processes by helping you track, organize, and sort your online applicant data.
With Recruiteze, you can reduce your hiring costs and hire great candidates. Recruiteze is packed with features that will help you boost your hiring efforts while ensuring that you never miss a great applicant. Unlike BambooHR, Recruiteze is a simpler and more effective solution that focuses on providing a great experience and great features.
Advantages of Recruiteze
The standout features of Recruiteze include:
- Broadcast your jobs — You can easily publish a job ad to over a dozen major job boards, including ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Glassdoor. This will save you a lot of time and improve the visibility of your job ad, which means that better candidates are more likely to see it.
- Screener Questions — You can use Recruiteze to create advanced screener question forms. These question forms allow you to quickly screen and short-list better candidates for your jobs. Different questionnaires can be used for different jobs.
- Customize your recruiting workflow — With Recruiteze, you can quickly and easily design a workflow based on your company’s existing hiring process — you don’t need to adapt to Recruiteze. Recruiteze will adapt to you. You can also effectively track candidates that apply through your various hiring stages.
- Tags, filters, notes, and tasks — To avoid overlap and better organize your candidates, you can create and manage tags and filter by those tags. You can also leave notes and create custom tasks for each candidate, which is especially useful if your recruitment team is bigger.
Shortcomings of Recruiteze
At the moment, some of the interactions with other vendors are missing. Additionally, the software is not aimed at enterprises but mostly at small to medium-sized businesses. However, Recruiteze is evolving rapidly based on feedback, and we’re working hard to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Recruiteze’s pricing
Recruiteze is available in 3 plans and a 15-day free no credit card required trial is available. All the plans can be paid monthly or annually, with annual plans having a 30% discount.
BambooHR vs. Recruiteze — how are they different?
BambooHR is a comprehensive Human Resources Information System (HRIS) offering a wide range of HR management functionalities.
Its features include an applicant tracking system (ATS), onboarding tools, time-off tracking, performance management, and an employee database. BambooHR is designed to manage many HR tasks within a single platform, providing a holistic HR solution for businesses of varying sizes.
On the other hand, Recruiteze is primarily an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). It focuses on streamlining the recruitment process, including job posting, applicant tracking, resume parsing and storage, and communication with candidates.
Its primary goal is to make the hiring process more efficient and effective. Thus, if you are looking for a BambooHR alternative that is more ATS oriented, Recruiteze is the right option for you.
Recruiteze’s ratings as one of the BambooHR competitor
- User experience: 4.8/5
- Standout features: 4.5/5
- Pricing: 5/5
- Customer support effectiveness: 5/5
BambooHR Competitor #2: Workday
Workday is a complex suite of human capital management software. It consists of multiple software, including talent acquisition and recruiting solutions.
Advantages of Workday
Workday says they will help you manage the full talent acquisition lifecycle. Their standout features include:
- Hire feedback — Workday allows you to get feedback using Slack and Microsoft Teams, set up interviews on Outlook and Google, and help your hiring managers speed up the process with simplified job requisitions.
- High-volume hiring — You can use Workday to automate hiring workflows, distribute candidates on a large scale, and process offers and agreements in bulk, all of which is great if you need to hire for many roles at once.
- Make data-driven decisions — Workday’s dashboards and analytics feature allow you to effectively measure key metrics, thus making it easier to support business goals.
Shortcomings of Workday
If you are running a smaller business or your recruitment software needs are not as extensive, you may need to shop elsewhere for an applicant tracking system.
Also, many users have reported that Workday is not always user friendly, as it takes a few clicks to complete some processes instead of other solutions that can do the same functions in less time and fewer clicks.
Workday’s pricing
Workday doesn’t publicly release how much their software costs. To get a quote, you need to contact them directly.
BambooHR vs. Workday — how are they different?
Workday is the most similar solution to BambooHR on this list. They share many of the same features and functionalities, but Workday does it on a grand scale, and is generally meant for enterprises.
Workday’s ratings as one of the BambooHR competitors
- User experience: 4/5
- Standout features: 3/5
- Pricing: 5/5
- Customer support effectiveness: 4/5
BambooHR Alternative #3: Greenhouse
Greenhouse is an applicant tracking system and recruiting software designed to help improve hiring processes. It consists of a recruiting and an onboarding solution, but we will focus on the recruiting one right now.
Advantages of Greenhouse
The standout features of Greenhouse include:
- Candidate tracker — This feature allows you to classify and nurture talent in your talent database so that you can quickly find exactly who you’re looking for.
- Fair and equitable hiring process — Greenhouse helps you reduce unconscious bias with nudges and measurement tools.
- Better candidate experience — With Greenhouse, you can create career pages and customizable email templates for a better experience for your candidates.
Shortcomings of Greenhouse
Many users report that Greenhouse is not a user-friendly software. Even though there are many features, many people need an in-depth tutorial on how to use them. You have to search for what you want on their help pages unless you want to spend days without making progress.
Greenhouse’s pricing
Greenhouse’s pricing is based on the number of employees your company has. To find out the exact price for your needs, you need to contact them directly for a quote.
BambooHR vs. Greenhouse — how are they different?
Greenhouse is similar to BambooHR, but it is a bit more complex and generally intended for larger companies.
Greenhouse’s ratings as one of the BambooHR competitors
- User experience: 3/5
- Standout features: 4/5
- Pricing: 4/5
- Customer support effectiveness: 5/5
BambooHR Alternative #4: Justworks
Justworks is a comprehensive HR software platform offering features like payroll management, benefits administration, compliance support, and HR tools. It’s a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), meaning it co-employs your staff and manages many aspects of HR operations.
Advantages of Justworks
Justworks offers a wide range of features including payroll, benefits, compliance, HR tools, and more. This all-in-one approach can reduce the need for multiple separate tools and simplify your HR operations.
As a PEO, Justworks provides robust support for compliance with various labor laws and regulations. This can be particularly valuable for smaller businesses that lack the resources to handle these complex issues in-house.
Justworks leverages its large pool of co-employees to negotiate access to high-quality health insurance and other benefits that might otherwise be inaccessible or unaffordable for small businesses.
Justworks offers straightforward, per-employee pricing with no hidden fees. This can make it easier to budget for your HR costs.
Shortcomings of Justworks
Some users have reported that Justworks offers limited options for customization. Depending on your specific needs, you may find that some aspects of the platform can’t be tailored to fit your workflows or processes.
While many users report positive experiences with Justworks’ customer support, some users have reported slow response times or issues with getting the help they need.
While the PEO model offers many advantages, it also means giving up some control over your HR operations. Not all businesses are comfortable with this.
Justworks pricing
BambooHR vs. Justworks — how are they different?
BambooHR is an HRIS focused on providing tools for HR management such as a centralized employee database, performance management, and hiring processes. It offers payroll as an add-on.
Justworks, a Professional Employer Organization, manages compliance and benefits administration, along with payroll and HR tools.
While BambooHR allows for more HR processes customization, Justworks offers access to high-quality benefits and robust compliance support
Justworks ratings
- User Experience: 4/5
- Standout Features: 4/5 (considering the PEO model, compliance support, and access to benefits)
- Pricing: 3.5/5 (transparent pricing but could be on the higher side for smaller businesses)
- Customer Support Effectiveness: 3.5/5 (generally positive reviews but some users have reported slow response times)
BambooHR Competitor #5: Bambee
Bambee is an HR service targeted towards small and medium-sized businesses, offering affordable HR policy development and dedicated HR managers.
Advantages of Bambee:
- Affordable HR Management: Bambee offers a cost-effective solution for businesses that may not have the budget to hire a full-time HR manager. Their service provides a dedicated HR manager who can help tailor HR policies to the specific needs of your business.
- HR Policy and Compliance Support: Bambee offers support in developing HR policies and maintaining compliance with state and federal employment regulations. This is great for smaller businesses that may not have the resources to navigate these complex issues in-house.
- Termination and Training Assistance: Bambee can guide businesses through tricky processes like terminations, and they also offer training sessions for managers.
Disadvantages of Bambee:
- Limited Scope: Bambee is primarily focused on HR policy and compliance. It does not offer some of the other features found in more comprehensive HR platforms, such as payroll, benefits administration, or recruitment tools.
- Dependence on Individual Managers: The quality of service can depend significantly on the individual HR manager assigned to your business.
Bambee pricing
Bambee’s pricing depends on your needs and the number of employees. It starts at $99/mo, and can go all the way up to $3,699/mo.
BambooHR vs. Bambee — how are they different?
Bambee and BambooHR target different aspects of HR management.
Bambee provides dedicated HR managers to help small to medium-sized businesses develop HR policies, maintain compliance, and guide through processes like terminations.
On the other hand, BambooHR is a comprehensive HRIS platform, providing tools for employee data management, hiring, onboarding, and performance management, with payroll as an add-on.
While Bambee offers personalized HR advice and policy support, BambooHR gives you the tools to manage many HR processes in-house.
Bambee ratings
- User Experience: 4 (The service is relatively straightforward, focusing on providing dedicated HR managers and policy support)
- Standout Features: 3.5 (Dedicated HR managers and compliance support are valuable but lack some of the broader features found in more comprehensive HR platforms)
- Pricing: 4 (Bambee provides an affordable solution for smaller businesses that need HR support but can’t afford a full-time HR manager)
- Customer Support Effectiveness: 4 (Generally, feedback on their customer support is positive, but it can depend on the individual HR manager assigned)
BambooHR Competitor #6: SageHR
SageHR is a cloud-based human resource management solution that integrates core features like 360 feedback, workforce management, performance appraisal, and attendance tracking.
SageHR advantages
- Comprehensive HR Features: SageHR offers a broad range of HR tools, including time tracking, leave management, shift scheduling, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and more. This can help businesses manage multiple HR functions in a single platform.
- Customizable Modules: SageHR allows businesses to pick and choose the modules they need, so they only pay for the functionality they require. This flexibility can be a cost advantage for smaller businesses or those with specific needs.
- User-Friendly Interface: SageHR is known for its intuitive, visually pleasing interface, which can help to reduce the learning curve for users.
- Mobile Apps: SageHR offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, which can help employees and managers stay connected and up-to-date, even when they’re on the go.
SageHR disadvantages
- Limited Integrations: SageHR offers fewer integrations with external software compared to some other HR systems. This could potentially limit its interoperability with other tools that your business might be using.
- Reporting Capabilities: Some users have reported that SageHR’s reporting features could be more robust. Depending on your needs for HR analytics, this could be a limitation.
SageHR pricing
BambooHR vs. SageHR — how are they different?
BambooHR excels in HR processes such as performance management, applicant tracking, and onboarding, with payroll as an add-on.
SageHR provides flexible, module-based services where businesses can choose what they need, covering areas like time tracking, leave management, and shift scheduling.
While BambooHR is known for its user-friendly interface and high customizability, SageHR’s main advantages lie in its adaptable module-based system and mobile application features.
The choice between the two depends on the specific HR needs of a business.
SageHR ratings
- User Experience: 4/5 (Intuitive interface and user-friendly design)
- Standout Features: 3.5/5 (Flexible, module-based system, but could lack some advanced features or integrations)
- Pricing: 4/5 (Customizable pricing based on the modules you choose, making it cost-effective)
- Customer Support Effectiveness: 3.5/5 (Generally positive feedback, but some users may have experienced inconsistencies)
So, what is the best BambooHR competitor?
So there you have it, the three best BambooHR competitors.
Workday and Greenhouse are excellent choices for enterprises that are looking for a complex human capital management solution for and that can afford to spend time learning a complex applicant tracking system, respectively.
Recruiteze has a great combination of features, functionality, a great user experience, and pricing, all of which contribute to a great choice for SMBs.
Using other recruitment tools? Check the recommended alternatives for them too: