Staffing firms often live or die by the accuracy of their time capture, payroll approvals, and client billing workflows. Bullhorn Time & Expense is designed for agencies that need to collect employee hours, manage approvals, reduce payroll errors, and connect workforce activity to broader recruitment and operations systems.
TLDR: Bullhorn Time & Expense is a strong option for staffing companies that already use Bullhorn or need a dedicated time, attendance, and expense tool for temporary and contract workers. For example, a healthcare staffing agency managing 500 weekly contractors could use automated timesheet approvals to reduce manual payroll review time by 20% to 30%. Its biggest strengths are time capture, compliance support, integrations, and approval workflows, while smaller firms may find the platform more complex than lightweight alternatives. Companies comparing options should also review tools such as Avionté, TempWorks, QuickBooks Time, and When I Work.
Bullhorn Time & Expense Overview
Bullhorn Time & Expense is a workforce management solution built primarily for staffing and recruiting agencies. It helps agencies track employee hours, collect expenses, manage approvals, and prepare payroll and billing data. The product is especially relevant for firms placing temporary, contract, per diem, or hourly workers across multiple client sites.
The platform can operate as part of the larger Bullhorn ecosystem, which includes applicant tracking, customer relationship management, onboarding, and back-office tools. This makes it appealing for staffing companies that want fewer disconnected systems and more centralized operational data.
Key Features of Bullhorn Time & Expense
1. Time Tracking and Timesheet Management
The core feature of Bullhorn Time & Expense is its ability to collect and manage worker hours. Employees can submit time through approved methods, while managers or clients can review, approve, reject, or edit submissions based on company rules.
- Digital timesheets for hourly, daily, or weekly work records
- Approval routing for managers, clients, or staffing coordinators
- Exception handling for missing punches, late entries, or unusual hours
- Payroll-ready data for downstream processing
For staffing agencies handling high-volume placements, these features can reduce the number of manual emails, spreadsheets, and phone calls required to confirm hours each week.
2. Expense Capture
Bullhorn Time & Expense also supports expense submission and approval. Workers may need to submit mileage, travel, meals, lodging, or job-related purchases. The system helps standardize these requests and can make expense reimbursement more transparent.
This is particularly useful for industries such as healthcare, IT consulting, engineering, and field services, where workers may travel between client sites or incur reimbursable costs.
3. Compliance and Rule Configuration
Staffing companies often deal with complex compliance requirements. Bullhorn Time & Expense can help agencies apply overtime rules, break policies, approval requirements, and location-specific guidelines. While configuration depends on the agency’s setup, the platform is built to support rule-based time and expense workflows.
Compliance is not only about avoiding penalties; it also protects client relationships. Accurate records make it easier to answer billing questions, investigate disputes, and document approvals.
4. Payroll and Billing Support
One of the main reasons staffing firms use a dedicated time and expense system is to improve the connection between hours worked, payroll, and invoicing. Bullhorn Time & Expense is designed to help agencies move approved time data toward payroll and billing processes with fewer duplicate entries.
When time records are accurate and approved earlier, payroll teams can process wages faster, while billing teams can invoice clients with greater confidence.
5. Reporting and Visibility
The platform gives staffing teams visibility into submitted, approved, pending, or missing time. Managers can identify bottlenecks before payroll deadlines and follow up with workers or clients who have not completed required actions.
Useful reporting areas may include:
- Unapproved timesheets
- Missing time entries
- Expense totals by worker or client
- Overtime trends
- Payroll cutoff readiness
Pros of Bullhorn Time & Expense
- Built for staffing: The system is designed with temporary and contract labor in mind, not only traditional employees.
- Strong integration potential: Agencies using Bullhorn’s wider platform may benefit from connected recruiting, worker, client, and back-office data.
- Improved payroll accuracy: Automated workflows can reduce manual rekeying and approval confusion.
- Scalable for larger operations: It can support agencies with many workers, clients, branches, and approval paths.
- Better audit trails: Digital records help document who submitted, edited, and approved time or expenses.
Cons of Bullhorn Time & Expense
- May be too advanced for very small firms: Agencies with only a few contractors may prefer simpler time tracking apps.
- Implementation can require planning: Rule setup, integrations, and client approval workflows should be carefully configured.
- Best value may come within the Bullhorn ecosystem: Firms not using Bullhorn ATS or CRM may need to compare integration effort more closely.
- Pricing transparency may vary: Agencies typically need to contact the vendor for a tailored quote.
Who Should Consider Bullhorn Time & Expense?
Bullhorn Time & Expense is best suited for staffing and recruiting firms that manage a meaningful volume of hourly or contract workers. It is especially useful when agencies need structured approvals from external clients, payroll-ready time data, and expense workflows across multiple assignments.
A mid-sized agency placing 1,000 temporary workers each month, for instance, may benefit significantly from centralized time collection. If even 5% of timesheets are late or incorrect, that could mean 50 records requiring manual follow-up each pay period. A dedicated system can help reduce those exceptions, improve payroll timing, and create a more professional client experience.
Staffing Software Alternatives to Bullhorn Time & Expense
1. Avionté
Avionté is a staffing software platform that includes front-office and back-office capabilities. It is popular among staffing agencies that want applicant tracking, onboarding, payroll, billing, and talent engagement tools in one environment. Compared with Bullhorn Time & Expense, Avionté may be considered by agencies looking for a broader end-to-end staffing platform rather than a focused time and expense solution.
2. TempWorks
TempWorks offers staffing software for recruiting, payroll, invoicing, client management, and employee self-service. It is often used by agencies that need comprehensive staffing operations support. TempWorks can be a strong alternative for firms that place high volumes of temporary workers and want extensive back-office functionality.
3. QuickBooks Time
QuickBooks Time is a general time tracking tool that may work well for smaller staffing businesses or agencies already using QuickBooks. It offers mobile time tracking, GPS features, scheduling, and payroll integrations. However, it may not provide the same staffing-specific workflows as Bullhorn Time & Expense, especially for complex client approvals or large-scale temporary labor management.
4. When I Work
When I Work focuses on employee scheduling, time clocks, shift management, and team communication. It can be a practical option for agencies or workforce providers that prioritize scheduling simplicity. It is generally easier to adopt than enterprise staffing platforms, but may not be as robust for staffing-specific payroll and billing workflows.
5. Replicon
Replicon provides time tracking, project time management, compliance, and professional services automation features. It can be suitable for consulting, IT services, and project-based staffing models. Agencies that bill by project, task, or client engagement may find its reporting and project costing tools useful.
How Bullhorn Time & Expense Compares
Bullhorn Time & Expense stands out because it is tailored to staffing workflows and connects well with Bullhorn’s broader recruitment and operations suite. Compared with general tools, it is more appropriate for agencies that must coordinate workers, recruiters, clients, payroll teams, and billing teams.
However, a smaller agency may prefer a lighter system with faster setup and lower complexity. A large staffing business, on the other hand, may value Bullhorn’s scalability, auditability, and dedicated time approval structure. The best choice depends on worker volume, client approval requirements, payroll complexity, and existing software investments.
Final Verdict
Bullhorn Time & Expense is a capable and staffing-focused solution for agencies that need accurate time capture, expense management, approval workflows, and payroll support. Its strongest fit is with mid-sized to large staffing firms, especially those already using Bullhorn products or planning to modernize manual back-office processes.
For agencies with simple needs, alternatives such as QuickBooks Time or When I Work may be easier to implement. For firms seeking a broader staffing operations system, Avionté or TempWorks may also deserve serious consideration. Ultimately, Bullhorn Time & Expense is most valuable when time accuracy, compliance, client approvals, and operational scale are central to the staffing business.
FAQ
What is Bullhorn Time & Expense used for?
Bullhorn Time & Expense is used to track worker hours, collect expenses, manage approvals, and support payroll and billing processes for staffing agencies.
Is Bullhorn Time & Expense only for staffing firms?
It is primarily designed for staffing and recruiting companies, especially those managing temporary, contract, or hourly workers across client assignments.
Does Bullhorn Time & Expense integrate with payroll?
It is designed to prepare approved time and expense data for payroll and billing workflows. Specific integrations depend on the agency’s configuration and systems.
What are the best alternatives to Bullhorn Time & Expense?
Common alternatives include Avionté, TempWorks, QuickBooks Time, When I Work, and Replicon.
Is Bullhorn Time & Expense good for small businesses?
It can work for smaller staffing firms, but very small agencies may find simpler time tracking tools more cost-effective if they do not need advanced staffing workflows.