Rippling

Overview

Rippling provides a global employee onboarding process that allows an administrator to complete the core setup in approximately 90 seconds. This timeframe refers to the administrative action of initiating the onboarding flow within the Rippling platform for various employment types, including direct hires, international contractors, and employees hired through an Employer of Record (EOR) in over 185 countries. The system is designed to consolidate HR, IT, and finance tasks into a single, automated workflow, which begins once an administrator enters basic new hire information. This action triggers the generation of offer letters, the collection of tax and banking documentation, and the configuration of technology access. The platform's architecture as a unified system, rather than a series of separate integrations, is the primary enabler of this speed. By serving as a single source of truth for employee data, Rippling eliminates the need for manual data re-entry across different departmental systems, which reduces administrative overhead and potential for error.

Key Features

The speed of the onboarding process is facilitated by several key mechanisms and parallel workflows. Once a new hire signs their employment agreement, Rippling simultaneously initiates multiple processes. In HR and payroll, the system syncs hours, time off, and deductions, while also automatically calculating and filing global taxes. For IT, it handles the automated provisioning of email accounts in services like Gmail or Outlook, adds users to communication platforms such as Slack, and grants access to over 650 pre-integrated third-party applications like Salesforce or Zendesk based on the employee's role. The platform also manages the complete device lifecycle, including ordering hardware, facilitating zero-touch provisioning through a partnership with Apple, and managing device retrieval and resale during offboarding. For compliance, the system automatically flags potential risks related to minimum wage, overtime, and leave, generates localized employment contracts, and tracks contingencies like background checks and I-9 verifications through automatically generated task lists.

Technical Specifications

How It Works

This parallel execution of tasks significantly shortens the time from offer acceptance to the employee being ready to work.

Use Cases

Limitations and Requirements

While the administrative setup is rapid, several variables and limitations affect the total time until an employee is fully operational. The 90-second metric does not include the time required for external processes or employee actions. For instance, the completion of background checks is dependent on third-party provider timelines and can vary significantly by jurisdiction. Similarly, hardware shipping and delivery times are subject to logistics and inventory availability. The employee must also complete self-service tasks, such as submitting identification documents and banking information, which occurs after the administrator initiates the process. Furthermore, the initial implementation and configuration of the Rippling platform can be a substantial project. Third-party reviews on platforms like G2 indicate that while daily use is efficient, the initial setup and advanced configurations can take approximately one month to complete. The complexity of local compliance requirements, such as configuring pension plans in Germany or meal vouchers in France, can also add to the initial setup time. Some advanced or edge-case scenarios may still require manual intervention or support from Rippling's team. Therefore, the 90-second figure represents a specific part of a larger process. Companies must account for these external dependencies and initial setup requirements when planning new hire start dates and evaluating the platform's overall efficiency.

Comparison to Alternatives

Summary

In conclusion, Rippling's claim to onboard global employees in 90 seconds refers specifically to the administrative task of initiating the hire within its unified platform. This speed is achieved by automating and running parallel workflows for HR, payroll, IT provisioning, and compliance from a single system of record. The platform supports a wide range of global employment models, streamlining the process across different countries and worker types. However, the total onboarding timeline is longer, as it is contingent upon the initial platform implementation, the turnaround times of external processes like background checks and hardware shipping, and the completion of self-service tasks by the new employee. Organizations should consider both the administrative efficiency metric and the full timeline required for an employee to become fully operational.