Custom HR software development
HR software that fits your organisation. We build custom HRIS systems for personnel administration, leave management, onboarding and Employee Self-Service. Built around your processes and collective labour agreement rules, integrated with your payroll and ERP, GDPR-compliant and entirely yours.
Why bespoke HR software?
Many organisations work with a patchwork of HR tools: a spreadsheet for leave, a separate system for payroll, loose folders for personnel files and a generic package that doesn't quite match their own collective labour agreement rules. The result: duplicate data entry, error-prone processes and limited insight into your own organisation.
Off-the-shelf HR packages such as Personio, HoorayHR or AFAS HRM offer broad functionality, but they force your processes into a fixed mould. As soon as your organisation has specific collective agreement terms, complex leave or absence rules, or needs integrations with existing systems, standard packages reach their limits.
Bespoke HR software is built around your personnel processes, collective agreement rules and organisational structure. Whether it's personnel administration, leave management or a complete HRIS, the software does exactly what you need. We help organisations make the move from spreadsheets and standard tools to a custom HR solution that truly fits.
Modules we build
Every organisation has different HR needs. We build the modules that suit your situation, from digital personnel files to Employee Self-Service and from leave registration to HR analytics. Combine what you need now and expand later.
Personnel administration & records
Central management of all employee data, contracts, documents and organisational structure. One source of truth for your entire workforce.
- Digital personnel files
- Contract management with expiry alerts
- Organisational structure and departments
- Document generation and storage
Leave & absence registration
Automate leave requests, calculations and approval flows based on your collective labour agreement (CAO) rules. Gain insight into balances, trends and absence patterns.
- Leave requests and approval
- Automatic balance calculation
- CAO-specific leave rules
- Absence registration and reporting
Onboarding & offboarding
Structured workflows for welcoming new employees and wrapping up cleanly when they leave. No more steps forgotten.
- Onboarding checklists per role
- Automatic task assignment
- Progress monitoring
- Offboarding with a handover protocol
Employee Self-Service (ESS)
Give employees their own portal where they can request leave, update their details, view payslips and sign documents.
- Personal employee portal
- Leave requests and balance overview
- Payslips and annual statements
- Updating details and uploading documents
Performance & development
Digitise your review cycle, performance conversations and development plans. Get an overview of competencies, goals and progress for each employee.
- Review cycles and assessment forms
- 360-degree feedback
- Personal development plans
- Competency and skills management
Reporting & HR analytics
Get real-time insight into your workforce, absence figures, turnover and other HR KPIs. Dashboards that support data-driven decisions.
- HR dashboards and KPIs
- Absence analysis and trends
- Turnover reporting
- Export functions to Excel and PDF
Each module can be built as a standalone component or as an integrated HRIS. You can also see how we build custom web applications that form the foundation of your HR platform.
If you house employees yourself, that means your own administration with its own inspection requirements. How we build these is covered in our SNF software.
Custom HR software vs standard HRM packages
Standard HRM packages are a good starting point for organisations with straightforward HR processes. But once your CAO rules become more complex, integrations are needed or your organisation has specific workflows, off-the-shelf solutions reach their limits.
Standard HRM packages
Packages such as Personio, HoorayHR or AFAS HRM offer generic HR functionality that suits many organisations. You pay per employee per month and get a broad set of standard features.
- Quick to implement
- Broad basic functionality
- Fixed workflows and forms
- Limited flexibility of rules
- Costs rise linearly with growth
- Dependent on the supplier
Custom HR software
Custom HR software is built around your specific CAO rules, leave calculations, organisational structure and approval flows. You decide which modules there are and how the software works.
- Built around your CAO and processes
- Fully adaptable and extendable
- Integration with all your systems
- Predictable costs, no per-employee licences
- Full ownership of the source code
- No vendor lock-in
Not sure whether custom development is the right step? Our IT consultants can help you make the right choice based on your situation, growth ambitions and budget.
Technologies we use
We build HR software using proven technologies that guarantee reliability, performance and security. Our choices are based on years of experience with data-intensive applications where privacy is central.
Backend & databases
Secure back-end systems that reliably process sensitive HR data, with strict access control and encryption.
- Node.js and Python
- PostgreSQL and Redis
- GraphQL and REST APIs
- Row-level security and encryption
Frontend & interfaces
Intuitive interfaces that help HR staff and managers work quickly and efficiently, with an Employee Self-Service portal that employees genuinely enjoy using.
- React and TypeScript
- Next.js for performance
- Responsive for desktop and mobile
- Accessible (WCAG guidelines)
Cloud & infrastructure
Scalable cloud infrastructure with high availability and data storage within the EU for GDPR compliance.
- AWS and Google Cloud (EU region)
- Docker and Kubernetes
- CI/CD pipelines
- Monitoring, alerting and backups
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Integrations with your existing systems
HR software doesn't stand alone. We build integrations with your payroll, ERP, accounting and other business software so data flows automatically and duplicate entry disappears.
Payroll processing
Automatically synchronise employee records, leave changes and contract amendments with your payroll provider.
- Loket.nl
- Nmbrs
- AFAS
- Visma Raet
- ADP
ERP & accounting
Connect HR data with your financial administration and business processes for a complete view of costs and capacity.
- Exact Online
- SAP Business One
- Twinfield
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Xero
Custom & legacy
We also build custom integrations with identity providers, legacy systems or industry-specific software.
- Azure AD and Okta (SSO)
- REST and GraphQL APIs
- Middleware solutions
- Legacy database integrations
- Webhook integrations
Read more about our approach to API integrations, or discover how we build custom middleware to connect complex system landscapes. For integration with your ERP system or planning software, we carefully align the data flows.
Why choose Appfront for your HR software?
Our approach
We begin every HR project with a thorough analysis of your current processes, collective labour agreement rules and pain points. Together with your HR team and IT department, we map out all workflows and translate them into a technical design. We then build in short sprints, so you can test and adjust along the way.
- Discovery phase with HR and IT
- Iterative building in sprints
- Interim demos and feedback
- Migration of existing HR data
- Training and user onboarding
See our services for a complete overview of what we can offer.
What you can expect from us
At Appfront, you get an experienced team that understands HR challenges. We help you think through the optimal set-up of your HRIS, build robust and secure software, and remain available for further development and support after go-live.
- Direct communication with the development team
- Transparent about progress and decisions
- Full ownership of the source code
- Documented code and architecture
- Support and further development after handover
See our cases to discover what we have built for other organisations.
Security and privacy
HR software processes the most sensitive data within your organisation: personal details, salary data, sickness absence and performance reviews. We build privacy and security in from the very first design — not as an afterthought.
Two obligations that larger employers typically manage through the same administration: the WPM commuting report and, where foreign staff are deployed, the A1 and notification registration.
Every employer with staff needs a risk assessment, reviewed by a core expert once there are more than twenty-five employees. How we build that tool is covered under RI&E tool with action plan.
If you employ professional drivers, there is an additional monitoring requirement: the Code 95 training cycle does not run in step with the validity of the driving licence. See driving licence and Code 95 monitoring.
- GDPR compliant — privacy by design, retention periods and right to erasure built in
- Role-based access control — HR, managers and employees only see what is relevant to them
- Audit trails — all changes to personnel records are logged and traceable
- Encrypted data — personal data encrypted at rest and in transit
- EU data storage — hosting in European data centres for GDPR compliance
- SSO integration: single sign-on with Azure AD, Okta or your own identity provider
You can read more about our approach to security in our information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy.
Frequently asked questions about custom HR software
Ready to digitise your HR processes?
We're happy to help you find the optimal HR solution for your organisation. Get in touch for a no-obligation conversation, explore our services, or read more about us.