Las Vegas — Amid the glitz of Las Vegas and the size and aura of the HR Tech Conference and Expo, Sept. 16-18, it is difficult for any single tech provider to stand out in the crowd.
But HiBob, the people management platform transforming how organizations operate in the modern world of work, pulled it off with its trademark mixture of substance, friendliness and fun.
The night before the event opened, HiBob leaders and employees hosted a dinner with industry analysts, with CEO Ronni Zehavi sharing stories about the history of the company, which is approaching its 10th anniversary. In true HiBob fashion, he thanked team members for making the company a success and asked them to share stories about their journey with the organization.
The next morning, before the doors to HR Tech™ opened, HiBob unveiled its native U.S. Payroll and Benefits Administration solution — a strategic move that transforms the company from a best-in-class HCM platform into a comprehensive, all-in-one people management powerhouse for the American market.
“This is payroll reimagined,” Zehavi said during the morning announcement. “We’ve built a system designed for people, not just payments.”
As attendees walked toward the expo entrance each day, they had the opportunity to get a professional headshot taken, courtesy of HiBob. Over the course of the conference, 800 attendees took home headshots, often comparing the print version (they received a digital version via text or email) with colleagues with pride while pointing them to the photo booth.
Inside the expo hall, in the center of traffic at Booth #2822, HiBob employees enthusiastically demonstrated and explained the payroll platform and other solutions while, at the other end of the booth, Adam the Robot coffee barista entertained booth-goers as bystanders snapped photos or recorded videos.
A New Chapter in Payroll: HiBob Goes Native
At the booth and in a one-hour demo session, attendees were eager to get their first glimpse of the U.S. Payroll and Benefits Administration solution, which is now in early access with general availability set for January 1.
The timing couldn’t be better. As organizations grapple with increasingly complex compensation structures and distributed workforces, HiBob’s approach brings a refreshing perspective to an often-overlooked function. Unlike traditional payroll systems that treat compensation as a necessity, HiBob’s solution places employee well-being and transparency at its core.
The new offering is powered by Gusto’s trusted payroll engine and PlanSource’s robust benefits administration technology. And with HiBob’s intuitive UX, it brings relief to employees and HR teams alike.
Picture this: payday arrives, and instead of puzzling over cryptic deductions, an employee simply asks Bob’s AI co-pilot, “Why did my net pay change this month?” In seconds, they get a clear, human explanation — no jargon, no guesswork.
For finance leaders, the same intelligence fuels real-time analytics that highlight trends before they become problems. It’s no longer about reconciling spreadsheets at month’s end — it’s about spotting issues and opportunities as they happen.
And because payroll and HR data now live in one place, teams stop tripping over duplicate entries and conflicting reports. Collaboration feels effortless, and trust — between HR, finance, and employees — finally has a foundation.
As Chris Osborne, HiBob’s Head of Payroll Product Marketing, put it: “We see payroll as a trust engine, not just a transaction.”
Martin Lundström, VP and Head of Finance at Magma Math, an early adopter, shared his enthusiasm: “With HiBob, payroll and people analytics are now unified across our international entities. It was the only platform our employees proactively requested.”
And I couldn’t agree more. Payroll is inherently complex, with many Brandon Hall Group™ customers telling us it has become even more complicated in recent years. But in watching a live demo of Bob US Payroll, I saw that the payroll can be easy to use, with a minimal learning curve.
A great payroll and benefits solution tends to be overlooked as a vital part of the employee experience. But it can have a huge impact – positively or negatively – on employees. HiBob understands that.
Tools to Measure HR’s True Business Impact
Brandon Hall Group™ research shows HR technology buyers also want their providers to be true partners after the sales process ends. This includes advice and thought leadership as customers seek to optimize their use of technology.
HiBob understands this, too. The company’s thought leadership was on display at the packed HR Tech Talks theater, where Dr. Kenneth Matos, HiBob’s Director of Market Intelligence, challenged HR professionals to move beyond intuition and embrace data-driven decision making.
“HR interventions should be referred to by their impact, not their activity,” Matos emphasized, using a compelling example of how AI training for engineers reduced development time by two months, resulting in a staggering 5,517% ROI.
“We need to link HR interventions to business outcomes, build credibility with leadership, and optimize our program investments,” he said.
The Intervention Evaluation Framework
Matos introduced a model for evaluating HR interventions, giving HR leaders a new lens for proving their value. He broke each intervention into six interconnected components that tell a complete story:
- Inputs — The resources invested (budget, people, tools).
- Activities — What you actually do (training sessions, policy launches).
- Outputs — The tangible deliverables (hours delivered, policies published).
- Outcomes — Short and mid-term effects (skill gains, behavior shifts).
- Impact — Long-term business results (reduced turnover, higher revenue per employee).
- ROI — the ultimate test: net gain versus investment.
Matos emphasized that intervention planning should start at the end, which Brandon Hall Group™ has also advocated for years. “Start with the impact you want to achieve, then work backwards,” he advised. “What effect do you want on business operations? What could alter revenues and costs? Then figure out what activities could create that impact.”
To illustrate his point, Matos walked through a “Development Time Reduction” case study.
- The Problem: HR and Product identified that increased AI proficiency could improve development times.
- The Investment: $30,000 for customized AI training, plus $5,000 in lost work time.
- The Activity: 20 engineers attended 4 hours of training,
- The Outcome: Pre/post-skills tests and manager feedback confirmed skill adoption.
- The Impact: Average development time reduced by 2 months (double the original goal).
- The ROI: With each month in market worth ~$100,000 in revenue across 10 products, the result was $2 million in additional revenue – a 5,517% ROI.
“Refer to interventions by their impact, not their activity,” Matos emphasized. “Don’t call it ‘AI training.’ Call it your ‘Development Time Reduction Initiative.’ ”
Matos also left the audience with a “cheat sheet” on how to think about HR measurement:
Hours after Matos’ presentation, when the HR Tech expo officially closed, most exhibitors were eagerly disassembling their booths. As I walked toward the exit, I decided to stroll past the HiBob booth to say a quick goodbye to the “Bobbers” I’d met. The team was there, still engaged in lively conversations with several attendees.
Just as Zehavi explained to us at dinner, that’s the HiBob way: people first, with a focus on prospects, customers, and partners. As HiBob enters its next decade, this mix of warmth and boldness may indeed prove to be its biggest differentiator.
