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An HRIS (Human Resources Information System) is an integrated software platform that helps companies centralize, automate, and improve all HR-related activities from payroll and onboarding to time tracking and performance reviews.
Wondering how your HR team should scale before and after HRIS implementation?
Read our HR team sizing for rockstars playbook.
Quick Access
- Do you need to implement an HRIS?
- Map out your HRIS essentials and priorities
- Drafting your HRIS requirements/vendor brief (RFP):
- Compare and choose the right tool for your startup: HRIS vs. ATS-first vs. Payroll-first platforms
- Cover the basics with a generalist-HRIS
- Recruit first with an ATS-focused HRIS
- Which ATS tools are used by XAnge portfolio companies?
- Comparison of leading ATS tools
- Put payroll first with a payroll-focused HRIS
- Drive growth with a performance-first HRIS
- HR workforce performance management tool benchmark:
- Tool spotlight: Lucca
Do you need to implement an HRIS?
You don’t need an HRIS at 10 employees, but waiting too long leads to errors, admin debt, and legal risk. These questions help you assess whether your current setup is still fit for purpose.
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Key signs it's time:
Clear milestones to watch for:
If two or more apply, it’s likely the right time to explore a more structured HR setup.
Map out your HRIS essentials and priorities
Overview of core HRIS modules:
Module | Function | Priority indicator |
Core HR | Employee records, contracts, documents, alerts, custom fields | Essential |
Time Off & Absences | Leave tracking, policies, manager approvals, team calendars | Essential |
Payroll & Compliance | Payroll processing, tax filings, social declarations (e.g. DSN in France), benefits tracking | Essential in France |
ATS (Recruitment) | Candidate tracking, hiring pipeline | Important if scaling fast |
Onboarding / Offboarding | Task checklists, tool provisioning, document collection, offboarding flows | Recommended from 10+ employees |
Performance & Feedback | Reviews, goal tracking, feedback loops | Important once above 30 employees |
Compensation & Benefits | Salary grids, equity plans, perks | Relevant from Series A stage |
Org Chart & Directory | Team structure, roles, responsibilities | Nice to have early on |
Compliance & Audit | Access rights, legal tracking, GDPR, audit logs | Critical in international environments |
HR Analytics | Dashboards for headcount, attrition, diversity, time-to-hire | Useful after 50+ employees / board reporting |
Employee Self-Service | Personal data access, requests (leave, docs), updates | Expected by employees from ~30 FTE |
Drafting your HRIS requirements/vendor brief (RFP):
Before choosing a tool, you need clarity on what you expect it to do. That’s where a clear, well-structured requirements brief becomes essential.
A RFP (Request for Proposal) is typically a formal document used to compare vendors in a structured buying process.
“Most early-stage startups don’t go through a formal RFP. But taking 30 minutes to send vendors a short, clear summary of your needs, constraints, and must-haves helps you:
- Focus demo calls on what really matters to you
- Spot dealbreakers early (e.g. no integration, hidden fees)
- Compare offers with a shared baseline”
Pauline Paquet, Director of Operations @XAnge
The document below is a french Word template to structure HRIS needs. Use it as a starting point:
Compare and choose the right tool for your startup: HRIS vs. ATS-first vs. Payroll-first platforms
There is no universal HRIS solution. The right tool depends on your company’s current priorities, such as managing payroll efficiently, supporting fast-paced recruitment, or structuring performance processes as your team scales.
Here’s a breakdown of the main HRIS types, with examples and the use cases they’re best suited for:
Tool Type | Best for… | Examples |
Generalist HRIS | Startups looking for an all-in-one platform to manage employee records, absences, onboarding, and compliance from 15-30 employees onward | Lucca, HiBob, Personio, Factorial |
ATS-first (Application Tracking System) | Companies hiring more than 3-5 people per month, needing structured pipelines, team collaboration, and employer branding tools | Greenhouse, Lever, Welcome to the Jungle |
Payroll-first | Companies with complex payroll requirements, DSN compliance, or needing to centralize variable compensation, benefits, and legal reporting | PayFit, Nibelis, ADP |
Performance-first | Teams with >30 employees looking to implement structured 1:1s, OKRs, review cycles, and engagement tracking | Lattice, 15Five, Leapsome |
Cover the basics with a generalist-HRIS
Generalist HRIS platforms are built to consolidate all key HR workflows, from employee records, to onboarding, time off, payroll, and more into a single system.
They offer broad coverage, strong automation features, and integration capabilities with tools like Slack, Notion, PayFit, and Microsoft 365. Most allow you to start with basic modules and scale up progressively as your needs evolve.
Recruit first with an ATS-focused HRIS
Definition: An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) centralizes candidate data, standardizes hiring steps, and improves collaboration between recruiters and hiring managers.
Choosing the right Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a critical decision for any startup looking to scale its hiring efficiently. To help XAnge-backed founders and talent teams make informed choices, we've benchmarked the most commonly used ATS platforms across our portfolio.
This benchmark includes:
- A breakdown of ATS platforms used by XAnge portfolio companies
- Company size distribution per ATS (in number of employees)
- A focus on ease of use, pricing, and features
Which ATS tools are used by XAnge portfolio companies?
ATS adoption among XAnge portfolio companies strongly correlates with team size and growth stage:
- Early-stage startups (<50) often use lightweight tools (JOIN, Wellfound) or no ATS at all.
- Scaleups (50–300) adopt structured solutions like Teamtailor or Personio.
- Beyond 300, companies move to enterprise-grade tools like Lever, SmartRecruiters, or Workday. ⇒ Welcome to the Jungle stands out as a versatile option adopted across all stages.
Comparison of leading ATS tools
Put payroll first with a payroll-focused HRIS
Managing payroll manually is slow and risky (especially in France, where DSN and benefits reporting are mandatory). Some HRIS platforms make payroll their core engine, with built-in DSN, tax, and benefits integrations.
Important notably if you’re an international companies with very different payrolls accountant to manage.
👉 Use the table below to compare payroll capabilities across tools:
HRIS Payroll integration (2024 version)
HRIS | France | US | Notes |
HiBob | ✅ Integrates with PayFit, ADP France, etc. | ✅ Native integrations (ADP, Gusto, Paychex) | Strong EU/US coverage; open API allows flexibility for unsupported regions like China |
Personio | ✅ Strong EU integrations (e.g., PayFit) | ⚠️ Limited functionality outside EU | Ideal if France is the core region; lacks global capabilities |
Factorial | ✅ Basic integrations (PayFit, Sage) | ⚠️ Exports only (CSV/API); no native US payroll | Budget-friendly, but requires manual processes or middleware for anything global |
BambooHR | ⚠️ Not localized; lacks native payroll integration | ✅ Native US payroll (Gusto, ADP, Paychex) | US-centric; requires manual workflows for other regions |
Humaans | ⚠️ API/custom integration required | ⚠️ API/custom integration required | Designed for modern automation; payroll not a core strength |
Rippling | ⚠️ No native payroll; uses partners (e.g., PayFit, Deel) | ✅ Best-in-class US payroll (fully native) | Unified platform; excellent for distributed or hybrid teams managing multiple geographies |
Drive growth with a performance-first HRIS
Past 30-50 employees, ad-hoc feedback stops working. You need structured cycles to retain top talent and align teams.
Performance-first tools focus on reviews, 1:1s, OKRs, and engagement. They bring clarity for employees, visibility for managers, and consistency across teams.
👉 Use the benchmark below to pick a tool that fits your team size, culture, and pace.
HR workforce performance management tool benchmark:
Tool spotlight: Lucca
Lucca is a modular HRIS built in France, designed to support SMEs and mid-sized companies in digitizing core administrative HR tasks.
Key facts:
- 🇫🇷 French-native solution, fully DSN-compliant
- Modular: each module covers a specific function (absences, employee records, expenses, payslips)
- API-based integrations with PayFit, Slack, Microsoft 365, and other common tools
XAnge x Lucca exclusive perks:
✨ 20% off on yearly subscription + 1 day of setup offered (min 1050€)
Lucca is usually adopted when XAnge portfolio companies start to formalize their internal HR processes:
- Typically used between 75 and 250 FTEs, when manual tools are no longer enough
- It often complements or precedes the adoption of ATS or payroll systems, acting as a foundational layer in the HR stack.