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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    BambooHR

    Score8.3 out of 10
    N/ABambooHR is an cloud-based human resources solution that provides onboarding, payroll, and benefits management. It also offers automated time-off management and employee self-service.

    $10

    per month per user

    SmartSearch ATS

    Score6.6 out of 10
    N/ASmartSearch is an enterprise-grade native recruitment platform that unifies applicant tracking, CRM, onboarding, and reporting. Purpose-built for staffing and talent acquisition teams, it automates workflows, improves visibility, and reduces reliance on disconnected recruiting tools.N/A
    Pricing
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Editions & Modules
    Core
    $10
    per month per user
    Pro
    Contact Sales
    per month
    Elite
    Contact Sales
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Considered Both Products
    BambooHR
    No answer on this topic
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    Chose SmartSearch ATS
    Functionally, SmartSearch is not on the same page as ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter as a platform is much more geared toward helping applicants and is essentially a glorified resume database. SmartSearch offers so much more in terms of features and abilities, that would not really …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    374 Answers
    71%
    Would buy again
    5 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    276 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    6 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    371 Answers
    71%
    Happy with the feature set
    5 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    94%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    181 Answers
    60%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    3 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    205 Answers
    83%
    Implementation went as expected
    5 Answers
    Features
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.9
    407 Ratings
    4% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data8.3360 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history8.1355 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration8.0370 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.7332 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting7.9382 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management8.2358 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)7.4213 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.7
    278 Ratings
    6% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation8.1209 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors7.0154 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment7.5155 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration7.2216 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.3210 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management7.9225 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management7.6139 Ratings00 Ratings
    Leave and Attendance Management
    Comparison of Leave and Attendance Management features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    8.8
    352 Ratings
    7% above category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Approval workflow8.7352 Ratings00 Ratings
    Balance details8.6338 Ratings00 Ratings
    Annual carry-forward and encashment9.2129 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee Self Service
    Comparison of Employee Self Service features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    8.5
    393 Ratings
    3% above category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    View and generate pay and benefit information8.6269 Ratings00 Ratings
    Update personal information8.9393 Ratings00 Ratings
    View company policy documentation8.5341 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employee recognition7.8255 Ratings00 Ratings
    View job history8.8355 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    9.1
    74 Ratings
    13% above category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets9.174 Ratings00 Ratings
    HR Reporting
    Comparison of HR Reporting features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.3
    287 Ratings
    4% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Report builder7.4281 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pre-built reports7.5278 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ability to combine HR data with external data7.0212 Ratings00 Ratings
    Onboarding
    Comparison of Onboarding features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    8.2
    323 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    New hire portal8.4308 Ratings00 Ratings
    Manager tracking tools8.0281 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance and Goals
    Comparison of Performance and Goals features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.9
    241 Ratings
    2% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Corporate goal setting7.0178 Ratings00 Ratings
    Individual goal setting7.9232 Ratings00 Ratings
    Line-of sight-visibility9.169 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance tracking7.6227 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance Management
    Comparison of Performance Management features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.8
    258 Ratings
    2% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Performance plans7.3245 Ratings00 Ratings
    Performance improvement plans7.3209 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review status tracking8.697 Ratings00 Ratings
    Review reminders8.1101 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple review frequency7.7230 Ratings00 Ratings
    Succession Planning
    Comparison of Succession Planning features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    9.0
    81 Ratings
    14% above category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    -
    Ratings
    Create succession plans/pools8.946 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate ranking9.067 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate search9.068 Ratings00 Ratings
    Candidate development9.259 Ratings00 Ratings
    Recruiting / ATS
    Comparison of Recruiting / ATS features of BambooHR and SmartSearch ATS
    Feature
    BambooHR
    7.9
    264 Ratings
    0% below category average
    SmartSearch ATS
    3.4
    17 Ratings
    80% below category average
    Job Requisition Management7.6201 Ratings3.017 Ratings
    Company Website Posting7.6219 Ratings3.017 Ratings
    Publish to Social Media9.291 Ratings1.013 Ratings
    Job Search Site Posting7.3213 Ratings1.017 Ratings
    Duplicate Candidate Prevention7.588 Ratings10.016 Ratings
    Applicant Tracking7.9234 Ratings3.017 Ratings
    Notifications and Alerts8.1251 Ratings5.513 Ratings
    Customized Application Form00 Ratings9.016 Ratings
    Resume Management00 Ratings1.017 Ratings
    Candidate Search00 Ratings3.017 Ratings
    Collaboration00 Ratings1.015 Ratings
    Task Creation and Delegation00 Ratings1.014 Ratings
    Email Templates00 Ratings1.016 Ratings
    User Permissions00 Ratings1.016 Ratings
    Reporting00 Ratings8.016 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Small Businesses
    UZIO
    Score9.3 out of 10
    Crelate
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Zoho People
    Score8.6 out of 10
    CareerSiteBuilder
    Score10 out of 10
    Enterprises
    PeopleStrong
    Score10 out of 10
    JobDiva
    Score8 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.4
    (428 ratings)
    6.0
    (31 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (18 ratings)
    3.0
    (18 ratings)
    Usability
    8.7
    (355 ratings)
    8.2
    (10 ratings)
    Availability
    9.3
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    8.7
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.2
    (186 ratings)
    7.4
    (8 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.2
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.6
    (6 ratings)
    6.0
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.3
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    8.4
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.6
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    9.2
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    8.9
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    BambooHRSmartSearch ATS
    Likelihood to Recommend
    BambooHR
    It's suitable for companies that want to streamline HR paperwork without getting overwhelmed. If you're a tech startup with a volatile payroll, high turnover, and multiple platforms that require a reliable source of truth for integrations, BambooHR is a gem. It's not suitable for companies with payroll outside of North America that aren't willing to pay for two systems or double their work. Companies without a technical background might miss out on the API integrations, which we consider one of the most important features. Es adecuado para empresas que quieran organizar el papeleo de RR.HH. sin morir en el intento. Si eres una Startup tecnológica, con nómina volátil, alta rotación, y muchas plataformas que requieran una fuente de verdad confiable para sus integraciones, BambooHR es una gema. No es adecuado para empresas que tengan Payroll fuera de Norteamérica y no estén dispuestas a pagar por dos sistemas o trabajar doble. Empresas sin perfil técnico podrían desperdiciar la parte de las integraciones por API, algo que para nosotros es de las cosas más importantes. This review was originally written in Spanish and has been translated into English using a third-party translation tool. While we strive for accuracy, some nuances or meanings may not be perfectly captured.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    I think our environment has stretched SmS and their capabilities (positively) but we have grown together and developed an enormously capable system together that is now very well integrated into our business. For doing applicant tracking, requisition management and offer management that has really been strong. I think we can partner together and build some better analytics and reporting capabilities that would be better suited for our business.
    Read full review
    Pros
    BambooHR
    • It's a great hub to see the company's current status on who's off, how many days off we have, and which holidays are coming up.
    • Feedback forms are a great way to help you and your team grow. They're easy to set up and use.
    • Training management is a great feature since it centralizes the required trainings.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    • The search functions are outstanding. It is the reason we originally went with SmartSearch many years ago. The ability to do very simple or complex searches gives the recruiting staff great flexibility in how they look for and narrow down candidates.
    • The hire and onboarding traks allow us to create very specific processes we want our staff to follow to insure a consistent and repeatable result. I can create traks that can be very general or traks that literally provide emails and reminders to all of the players (recruiters, managers, candidates, etc...) every step of the way. This is particularly helpful where we have customers who have extremely stringent contractual guidelines that must be followed.
    • Support. Their customer support is second to none. We always joke that they are our favorite vendor to deal with.... Anytime we have an issue or question. They are there to walk us through it. The training is on target and the staff has always been friendly and more than eager to help make us successful with the tool.
    Read full review
    Cons
    BambooHR
    • I think it could display PTO in number of days, as well.
    • I wish that the benefits page was easier to navigate.
    • I don't like that the pay stub area is hidden, since I am typically alone at home when I review that data.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    • SmartSearch has a steep learning curve if you want to extensively use the features like automated tasks and the report writer
    • Technical support is spotty and sometimes very frustrating, they don't respond for weeks at a time.
    • SmartSearch user interface is old and has far less ability to customize the interface than other tracking systems
    • SmartSearch has virtually no ability to connect directly with other software and allows now other software to connect in - so no Microsoft Flow, no Zapier, no mail parser, etc. and since Smart Search capabilities are limited, not being able to integrate it with other platforms easily is unfortunate.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    BambooHR
    There's nothing wrong with this platform. I would recommend it to any business starting with more than 10 employees. I will continue to use the program for as long as I need to, hoping they continue being tremendous and finding other ways to incorporate more technology.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    I believe over the past 30 or so pages (or so it seems), you have every reason for my business to continue as a SmartSearch ATS client and user. The support is off the charts great the few times I need them (generally not even once per year). My business has been a client since 2004. That should say it all.
    Read full review
    Usability
    BambooHR
    I think BambooHR is super easy to use and understand. I would recommend the system, and it helped my company decide to keep it when we were considering a change. I also think our users find it easy to use, since we don't get many calls from people struggling.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    There are so many facets of SmartSearch, that to know everything about it is nearly impossible. While it is mainly straight forward, there is a lot. After using the program for a while, you become pretty comfortable with the basics and can start adding some of the other features.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    BambooHR
    Yes, there is a huge team in the back of the online platform or it looks like it because I have never been left without an answer when I have a question or waiting from a response on my chat .... There must be a huge team, this is so great and I always seem to have someone that is very knowledgeable too. So many times in the past I had to leave with customer service that would connect you with someone else because of the expertise, here everyone seems to be some kind of an expert in the HR function.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    My license for SmartSearch goes back to 2004. It has always been available for me - don't remember a single time it was not available in all of those years.
    Read full review
    Performance
    BambooHR
    I love BambooHR. Reports are easy to run and download and it usually covers any types of requests I get from the management team. You get excel or .csv downloads/reports and it is fast and simple, not too crowded so it is easy to read through. We don't integrate the tool yet but again, soon we will. we just did not had the time to utilize it yet but that's the plan.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    BambooHR
    Through their help center, FAQs, and live customer service agents, I've always received prompt, accurate, and helpful guidance when I reach out with questions. Their live-agent customer service hours cover a good portion of the day, and I get the help I need whenever I need it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    Once you get the 1 person on the phone they are very knowledgeable and tend to solve the problem. The issue is there are not enough resources to handle all the clients. Their primary clients are "recruiting firms" and I think that is where most of the their support resources go
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    BambooHR
    I didn't have in-person training besides teaching my managers how to use the program. However, I couldn't omit this question (maybe a system glitch).
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    BambooHR
    Overall this training was great and our implementation specialist was wonderful and very helpful. We felt really prepared once our training was completed, But we could get additional help immediately even when we were live. The continuation Support heros after implementation are wonderful and you can always get a LIVE person each time you call into their office.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    BambooHR
    We implemented bambooHR in Fall, 2023 then implemented Payroll 1/1/24. A vital piece of information was not known or missed in that we are exempt from State Unemployment Tax and have a Reimbursement Set-up, so bambooHR did not send Payroll Reports to the State. Those reports need to be sent regardless if we are exempt or not.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    Using the basic functions of SmartSearch is an easy implementation. But consider carefully what your organization needs to really drive placements. Because we only did a basic implementation first, we were caught off guard when later trying to implement more functions and realizing that the capabilities were limited or were difficult to learn and implement and realizing that tech support was not going to be consistent.
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    BambooHR
    Bamboo HR's user interface is better than the alternative products listed above. It is easier to scroll through tabs and navigate different sections and reports. You do not need to train your team members to use Bamboo HR. This saves time on training. The user interface of other products listed above is not as simple and clean as Bamboo HR.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    Functionally, SmartSearch is not on the same page as ZipRecruiter. ZipRecruiter as a platform is much more geared toward helping applicants and is essentially a glorified resume database. SmartSearch offers so much more in terms of features and abilities, that would not really be appropriate to try and compare the two. Similarly, the overall use of SmartSearch is an apples and oranges comparison to LinkedIn Talent. LinkedIn is great for sourcing and attracting talent, but in terms of tracking candidates all the way through a hiring process and tracking a heavy volume of job orders across a variety of states and locations, the two just don't really compare.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    BambooHR
    Since my organization has dropped with employees, I always find ways to reduce costs. I thought there would be a cheaper option, but I was glad that my package included a lot for the price, and downgrading would cost more. The rep could have let me downgraded and taken me to a higher package. I am thankful that didn't happen.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    BambooHR
    There is so much you can do with this platform, it is incredible and so welcoming. We don't utilize it 100% yet just because we are growing and the HR team has not been able to concentrate on other areas offered to us but but we will soon. Which is also why we got the product, specifically because what BambooHR can do to help us meet our growing business needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    BambooHR
    VERY professional!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    BambooHR
    • We used to pay an outside firm to handle these things. We paid about the same per month as we do for BambooHR® and they would answer HR questions when we needed them to.
    • Onboarding goes a lot smoother and it's easy to collect esignatures.
    • Time off has become much more visible across the organization and managers can see their own team's requests and the requests of others to better plan our schedule.
    Read full review
    Advanced Personnel Systems (SmartSearch)
    • That's easy - they have helped us grown and make more money. The core element of their technology (e.g. the ability to search for, identify and contact candidates is excellent).
    • They are a business partner and do their very best to help us succeed.
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    BambooHR Screenshots

    Screenshot of the Job Info tabScreenshot of Onboarding TasksScreenshot of a New Hire PacketScreenshot of an Employee Performance ReportScreenshot of Employee Satisfaction (eNPS®)Screenshot of Open Enrollment