HR workflow builder that doesn't require your vendor's help

The specific frustration that keeps surfacing is not that users want to rebuild their HR system — it's that they want to change how a workflow behaves: who approves a leave request when a manager is out, what happens when a new role is created, which fields are required for a specific department but not others. These are process decisions, not IT projects. But inside enterprise HR software, every workflow change is treated like an IT project.

The gap persists because workflow engines in systems like ADP or Adrenalin were built for the implementation team, not the HR admin. The assumption baked into the product architecture is that configuration happens once at go-live, not continuously as the business changes. That assumption made sense when HR software was installed on-premise and customized by consultants. It's wrong for the current reality, but rebuilding the workflow layer would require the vendor to admit the original design was wrong — and they'd rather sell change management hours.

Users describe this as: 'it lacks flexibility and you have to find other ways to resolve an issue,' 'not having the level of customization that we need,' and 'somewhat rigid, not as flexible as smaller competitors.' Smaller competitors are more flexible precisely because they don't have ten years of baked-in assumptions to protect.

A standalone workflow builder that connects to Core HR systems via API or file export — pulling employee records, org structure, and event triggers from the HR system, then executing multi-step approval and notification flows based on rules the HR team defines themselves — gives HR ops teams the process flexibility they actually need without touching the HR system's internals.

This is a business because org structures change, compliance requirements shift by state and country, and every acquisition or reorg produces a new set of workflow exceptions. The need doesn't go away; it compounds.

What to build

Build a workflow automation tool that ingests employee and org data from Core HR systems via API or scheduled CSV export, lets HR admins define trigger-based approval chains and notification rules through a drag-and-drop builder, and executes those workflows independently — sending emails, Slack messages, or writing status back to the HR system when the API allows it.

Where to start

Win first on leave and time-off approval workflows — it's universally painful, the current experience in most HR systems is either email-based or inflexible, and a manager can demo the improvement to their team in under five minutes, which shortens the sales cycle.

The hard part

The hardest early trade-off is depth versus breadth of integrations — going deep on one HR system (ADP only) gets you a tight product but a narrow market, while supporting many systems early means shallow integrations and a worse product for everyone.

How it makes money

Per-employee-per-month pricing starting around $2–$4 PEPM, with a minimum monthly floor — this mirrors how buyers already think about HR software costs and scales naturally as headcount grows.