BambooHR Client Instance Provisioning and Workflow Handoff (Onboarding)

BambooHR Client Instance Provisioning and Workflow Handoff (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Create a dedicated BambooHR account per client rather than sharing one agency instance

   BambooHR does not publish white-label or agency multi-tenant tooling, so each retainer client gets its own account and admin login. Record the account owner, billing contact, and plan tier (Core at $10/month per employee, Pro at $17, Elite at $25) in the agency's client register before configuration begins.

2. 02

   Load employee data via CSV upload into the employee records module

   Map columns to BambooHR's standard fields (name, job title, department, hire date, manager) and confirm the org structure renders correctly in the reporting tree. Reconcile row counts against the client's source file before moving on.

3. 03

   Configure time-off policies, approval workflows, and manager permissions

   Set accrual rules per policy type, assign approvers by department, and restrict visibility so managers see only their reports. This is the step most likely to generate client change requests, so capture sign-off in writing.

4. 04

   Build the applicant tracking pipeline and onboarding task templates

   Define hiring stages, job posting defaults, and a reusable onboarding checklist that fires on hire date. Templates created here become the delivery asset the agency reuses across every client in the same vertical.

5. 05

   Connect native integrations the client already pays for

   Link Slack, Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for provisioning and notifications, and QuickBooks or Xero for payroll and accounting sync. Use the API and webhooks for anything outside the native list, and log each connection with its owner.

6. 06

   Build three custom reports against the client's compliance requirements

   Use the Custom Report Builder to produce the reports the client will actually open monthly (headcount, turnover, certification expiry). Save them to shared dashboards so the retainer review has a fixed agenda.

7. 07

   Run staff training and deliver the written handoff guide

   Walk the client's HR contact through approvals, reporting, and the compliance training library (1 course on Core, 15 on Pro, 300+ on Elite). The handoff guide is the deliverable that justifies the setup fee and reduces support tickets in month one.

8. 08

   Schedule the 30-day configuration review

   Reopen the instance after one full payroll and time-off cycle to fix broken approvals and retire unused fields. Agencies that skip this step absorb the cleanup as unpaid retainer work.