How to Use BambooHR

BambooHR centralizes employee records, onboarding, and time-off tracking into one HR system, replacing the spreadsheets and email threads most small teams start with.

Step 1: Set up your employee database

Import employees via CSV or add them individually. Each person gets one profile holding personal info, job details, and documents, instead of that data being scattered across files.

Step 2: Configure onboarding workflows

Build task checklists — paperwork, equipment requests, intro meetings — that auto-assign to the right people once a new hire's start date arrives.

Step 3: Track time off

Employees request PTO through self-service, managers approve with one click, and balances update automatically based on your accrual policy rather than a manually maintained spreadsheet.

Step 4: Run performance reviews

The performance module schedules review cycles with custom questions, visible to employee, manager, or both depending on how you configure each cycle.

Step 5: Pull reports

The Reports section generates headcount, turnover, and demographic reports directly, without exporting raw data to a spreadsheet first.

Where it bites

Payroll is a separate paid add-on, not included in the base HR plan. Many teams sign up expecting an all-in-one HR+payroll system and are surprised payroll needs its own subscription tier.