Discover more from Kristin Mueller - HR Freelancer
How I became an Authorized BambooHR Partner
I recently announced my partnership with BambooHR on LinkedIn and wanted to share a bit more about how I got to this point and why I am thrilled to partner with them.
How I got here
Take me back to the early days of my HR career, where I was fortunate to be allowed to explore the different functions of HR. Whether during my time in recruitment, payroll, analytics, operations, or on the people operations side, I was always frustrated with the lack of confidence I, Finance, and senior leaders had in the HR data. Being a data-driven individual, it bothered me that we could not produce consistent and reliable data. I found myself responsible for driving HR consistency globally by streamlining processes and systems within HR and integrating these processes with Finance and IT. I often reflected on how these growing pains could have been avoided. Having worked closely with the IT team, they identified an opportunity to amalgamate our HR systems to have one true source of HR data. We decided to move forward with an HRIS system implementation. We had a tight implementation time, and I learned a TON within three months. Breaking down process workflows, identifying areas for automation, and streamlining the process, globally became my jam.
Throughout this entire experience, is where my drive started to help bring this to start-up companies to build these systems and processes from the ground up.
Not long after, I joined an early-stage start-up. I had taken enough away from my past to understand the importance of establishing data integrity immediately. Even with ten employees, sifting through employment agreements, digging in to see when additional stock options were granted, bonuses were paid, and pay increases were given, I quickly realized that I needed to establish a system to track this information. Hiring was also ramping up quite quickly, so I needed to set up processes to ensure they were scalable. Knowledge transfer and business continuity are always top of mind for me, and I wanted to make sure that if I ever left the company, things could be picked up and continue.
After a handful of demos on HR systems, BambooHR stood out the most, and we signed on with them immediately. The pay-per-employee fee structure, ease of implementation, customer support, and system maintenance stood out from the rest. I set up the system myself in a way that supported our work culture and met all of our needs. My primary focus as a start-up was to have lean, scalable processes. No overcomplicating or creating useless processes that managers needed to follow.
Here we were, ready to scale with our HR system, one reliable data source I was confident about. Without having to invest a large amount of money, the monthly cost for the small team we had was well worth not having to go through the administrative clean-up many companies face when they are growing and realize they need an HR system. Not only that, but we had reliable recruitment data that helped us identify gaps, and I significantly reduced the potential for human error when processing payroll. The most significant ROI I found was eliminating manual work, which allowed me to contribute meaningfully and wear the multiple hats required in a start-up.
Working with several clients now, I notice a common trend similar to what I explained above—lack of reliable HR data, too much room for human error, and unnecessary manual work. Working with a not-for-profit company of 150+ employees, I saw what many companies do.
To make their jobs more efficient, they implement software and systems that claim to be “the solution.” Companies will find themselves in a different system for various HR functions; time-off scheduling software, payroll software, policy and training software, an applicant tracking system; you name it - they had it. Again, they set all of those up with the right intentions but what ended up happening was data in various systems lacking reliability and costly human errors.
We sourced a handful of HRIS vendors, sat through the demos and found that BambooHR stood out for their needs. Without a dedicated IT person, the ability to update and manage their HRIS was important. The ease of the system from an HR and end-user perspective was fantastic. It has significantly reduced the time HR spends maintaining employee data; Finance can now rely on the data coming from HR, and best of all, reduced human error. Wins all around!
Throughout this implementation and my involvement with getting BambooHR set up, the sales rep we were working with recommended I consider becoming an authorized BambooHR partner and asked for my permission to bring that recommendation forward.
The Next Chapter
Fast forward, and here I am, an authorized partner allowing me to provide faster service to my clients, assisting them with their implementation and establishing processes unique to their situation. The marketplace vendors within BambooHR are extensive, and all integrate with BambooHR, ensuring that employee updates are pushed through automatically and eliminating manual updates.
Gone are the days of manual tracking spreadsheets. Hiring and onboarding are a breeze for anyone in the company, including founders already strapped for time. All data is contained within one system, allowing for meaningful metrics to be collected to assist in future strategic decision-making.
Collect your data early on, not when investors or the board of directors start asking for it. Depending on the data pool, you might still be at least a year out from being able to provide meaningful data. It is never too early to start!
Check it out for yourself and get your free BambooHR Trial. Let's connect if you want a free 30-minute chat about your start-up.