The 15+ Essential Apps to Power Up Your HR Tech Stack

If you look at any HR pro’s to-do list, you’ll likely see things like “save time,” “simplify processes,” and “double down on compliance” right at the top. One of the ways you can tackle all three of those tasks (plus many, many more) is by strengthening your HR tech stack.

And when we say strengthen, we don’t just mean adding more HR apps—but integrating them.

By strategically choosing and integrating HR tools that work together, you’re setting yourself up for effective, efficient processes. Alternatively, leaving your HR tech disconnected can create data silos, which can lead to inefficiencies, compliance issues, and worst of all—the time suck that comes along with manual data entry in multiple systems.

So where do you start? We’re listing out the best HR tools to solve common problems in the HR world. We’ve vetted them for you so you can be sure you’ll get a top-notch solution.

Bonus: Each HR app we’re listing in this article already has a built-in integration with BambooHR, meaning you can connect the systems in just a few simple steps.

The 3 Best Hiring Apps for Effective Recruiting

Recruiting and hiring the best talent comes with its own host of challenges. How do you get the word out? What does the interview process look like? How do you verify candidate backgrounds? Our favorite hiring apps solve all those problems and more.

Checkr

Our friends at Checkr have made background checks a breeze. Although you can use Checkr as a standalone tool, when you integrate Checkr with BambooHR, you can run background checks directly from BambooHR, making your hiring process that much easier.

Indeed

If you’re trying to promote a job listing, Indeed is probably one of the first places you’ll go. In most cases, integrating Indeed with your ATS means automatic postings to the job platform. And you know what that means? You’re one and done when it comes to entering job information.

Greenhouse

With a powerful suite of built-in HR tools for hiring, onboarding, and equity & inclusion, Greenhouse is a great partner for your hiring team.

The 4 Best Time Tracking Apps for Accuracy & Security

Because they’re so closely related, finding a time tracking tool that integrates with your payroll provider is downright necessary. Without the ability to integrate, you’ll find yourself entering all that super detailed information manually—potentially resulting in errors, which could result in non-compliance, hefty fees, and a loss of trust from your employees. It’s a whole domino effect that’s better off avoided. Here are a few of our favorite time tracking apps that integrate directly with BambooHR.

BambooHR Time Tracking

BambooHR Time Tracking stands out in two key areas.

1. Ease of use—for both admins and employees.
2. Everything lives happily together under the BambooHR umbrella. Your employee records feed into Time Tracking, and Time Tracking feeds into Payroll. A very happy ecosystem!

Deputy

Deputy is a powerhouse workforce management solution. With this robust HR tool, you can create schedules, track hours, ensure overtime compliance, and send hours worked directly to your payroll software.

NextGen

If you need an additional layer of security in your time tracking, NextGen is a great option. With biometric validation through fingerprints and facial recognition time clocks, as well as a GPS-enabled mobile clock, your employees can sign in with security and flexibility. NextGen also offers up all the other tracking and scheduling features you likely have on your list—like overtime calculation, lunch deductions, and more.

SwipeClock

SwipeClock has all the core time tracking features like scheduling and a mobile app for remote clock-ins, but one of the biggest differentiators is its Schedule Trade Board, which allows employees to easily find coverage if they need to drop a shift.

The 3 Best Compliance-Boosting Payroll Apps

If there’s one HR tool to prioritize when integrating all your systems, it’s your payroll app. Even if you’re not the one in charge of running payroll, you likely know how important the small details are. The good news about payroll integrations is that, just by integrating your people data, you’re already increasing compliance, simplifying your payroll process, and saving yourself valuable time. You’ll really knock it out of the park if you integrate your payroll app with your benefits administration and time tracking tools.

BambooHR Payroll

Integrations are great, but when all your major HR tools live together under one roof, well, that’s when you’ve really unlocked the key to efficiency. Designed for US-based employees, BambooHR Payroll allows you to pay your people confidently.

Pento

Beloved by HR pros across the UK, Pento is easy to set up, has real-time data syncs with BambooHR, and generally makes running payroll easy. You can now enjoy even more visibility into your pay as Pento can now push payslips, P45's, and other payroll documents directly into the "Documents" tab of your BambooHR account.

Blue Marble

If you’re paying employees across the globe, you’ll need a global payroll solution. Look no further than Blue Marble. They partner with local payroll providers across most regions and countries to aggregate your payroll for you, ensuring you’re in compliance with local payroll laws across the globe—and that you have all your payroll data in one place even when you’re paying people in multiple locations.

The 6 Best Integrations to Add to Your HR Tech Stack for Business Efficiency

It’s no secret that technology can help you increase efficiency. But it may come as a surprise to some that too much technology—when not integrated—can have a negative impact on efficiency.

For instance, say you have 15 software platforms you work in daily. That’s 15 different usernames, 15 different passwords, and multiple times a day you’re having to login to a new platform. It’s a lot to keep track of, and the minutes logging in and out of disparate systems add up.

Here’s where the power of integrations really comes through. When you integrate your HR tools, you’re creating shortcuts for both you and your employees.

Slack

There’s a lot to love about Slack. First on the list: It’s a first-rate communication tool. And don’t just take it from us. 87% of Slack users said the platform improves communication and collaboration within their organization. Second on the list: It’s absolutely free to integrate with BambooHR. Through our integration, Slack + BambooHR users can look up teammates, view PTO balances, see who’s out of office, and more.

Microsoft Single Sign-On, Google Single Sign-On, SAML, OneLogin or Okta

According to OneLogin, over 80% of security breaches involve weak or stolen credentials. And it’s no surprise. Your employees have to keep track of a lot of login information. Making use of a single sign-on software makes life easier for them, and even more importantly, increases security for you.

The 3 Best HR Tools to Enhance People & Culture

Culture is a tough nut to crack. There’s a lot that goes into it, which can make you—the architect of company culture—feel like you’re swinging at a moving target. With the help of HR technology, you can put a process to your culture, ensuring you’re focusing on the right things. Whether you’re looking to implement a rewards and recognition program or measure employee engagement, there’s a people app for it.

BambooHR Performance Management

According to Gallup, only 2 out of 10 employees say their performance is being managed in a way that motivates them. When the majority of performance reviews are unplanned, unstructured, and not biased toward action, it’s no surprise that employees would feel this way. Implementing a performance management software can help you put a process in place to conduct meaningful, actionable performance reviews.

Nectar

If you’re looking for a recognition app, we love Nectar because it allows everyone at your company—from managers to peers—to recognize other employees who are doing great work. Even better: Recognition can come in the form of redeemable points that your team can trade in for company swag, gift cards, charitable donations, and more.

Culture Amp

One of the reasons we love Culture Amp: It includes tools that guide you on next steps based on your employee engagement data. Survey data from your employees contributes directly to tools like turnover forecasting, competitive benchmarking, and engagement action planning.