ELMO vs HiBob – how they compare for AU/NZ HR & payroll
For: HR Leaders, Payroll Managers, Finance Directors|9 min read|Last updated: August 2026
This comparison is published by Affinity. Vendor information is based on publicly available sources. Contact each provider directly for their current capabilities.
Summary
ELMO is an AU/NZ-built HR suite covering core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning, with a payroll module of its own. HiBob is a global, culture-led HRIS built around employee experience and engagement.
Affinity is an AU/NZ payroll specialist – its core business is a configurable award and EBA payroll engine, full STP Phase 2 and Superannuation, and Pay Day Super readiness. Most organisations run it best-of-breed, alongside a dedicated HR platform for recruitment, performance, and learning, connected through Clever Forms. Where an organisation doesn't have – or hasn't yet settled on – a separate HR system, Affinity's own employee record and self-service can also carry the essentials of a lighter core-HR layer, so payroll doesn't have to wait on an HR project to get underway.
How ELMO and HiBob differ
ELMO was built in Australia and New Zealand for the local market, and it shows in its footprint: mid-market organisations from 100 to over 1,000 employees, with particular strength in aged care, education, healthcare, and local government. Its suite is broad – core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning are all native – and its onboarding workflows capture TFN declarations, Super Choice forms, and bank details directly, built around Fair Work, Modern Awards, and EBAs.
HiBob grew out of a different premise: that HR software should feel as good to use as consumer apps, for globally distributed mid-market organisations, particularly in tech and professional services. It has added native recruitment (Bob Hiring) and learning (Bob Learning) in 2024, and enhanced headcount and compensation planning through its Mosaic acquisition, making it a genuinely complete HR platform in its own right.
Put simply: ELMO is built local-first with broad, AU/NZ-compliant modules; HiBob is built global-first with a modern, engagement-led experience and an increasingly complete native module set.
Feature comparison
A neutral comparison of ELMO Software and HiBob across HR and payroll capabilities, with Affinity shown as a separate AU/NZ specialist column. Vendor capabilities should be confirmed directly with each provider.
Native / strong: Native / strongAvailable / partial: Available / partialNot offered: Not offered
Capability
ELMO Software
HiBob
AU/NZ specialistAffinity Payroll
Core HR/HRIS (system of record)
Native / strong: Native HR Core — system of record, AU/NZ-built
Native / strong: Native Core HRIS
Recruitment / ATS
Native / strong: Native Recruitment module
Native / strong: Native ATS (added 2024)
Onboarding
Native / strong: Native onboarding workflows – digital offer acceptance, learning checklists, compliance training
Native / strong: Native onboarding workflows, modern UX
Native / strong: Digital onboarding via Clever Forms – new-starter pack completed on any device, TFN validated at entry, data writes directly to the payroll record, no re-keying
Available / partial: Native payroll module, STP Phase 2 compliant – many ELMO customers pair it with a specialist AU/NZ payroll platform for complex award and EBA requirements
Not offered: Native payroll covers the UK (via Pento) and US (via Gusto); AU/NZ runs through Payroll Hub orchestration with a specialist local partner
Native / strong: Affinity's core business – configurable award/EBA engine, full STP Phase 2 & super, Pay Day Super ready
Bank / TFN / IRD / super validation at capture
Native / strong: Captures TFN declarations, Super Choice forms, and bank details during onboarding
Not offered: AU validation is handled by the downstream payroll partner rather than natively in HiBob
Native / strong: Bank account and tax file/IRD number validated at entry via Clever Forms, before data reaches the payroll record
Leave management & AU/NZ compliance
Native / strong: Leave requested/approved/tracked in HR Core with ESS/MSS; built for Fair Work, Modern Awards, EBAs
Available / partial: Time Off included in Core HR, configurable leave types; AU/NZ compliance (Holidays Act/NES) is enforced by the downstream payroll partner
Available / partial: Handled via HR Core workflows; not confirmed as a dedicated purpose-built change-approval engine
Available / partial: Configurable within Core HR; not a dedicated AU/NZ change-approval engine
Native / strong: Role, salary, and position changes submitted and approved through Clever Forms workflow – writes to the record automatically with a full audit trail, effective from the date specified
Integration / interface with Affinity
Native / strong: Native 2-way API integration
Native / strong: Standard file-based interface in place. API integration on specification and request
Native / strong: Affinity uses its existing integration library, or draws on experience from equivalent customer integrations, to deliver a low-cost system connection
Where ELMO fits
ELMO suits AU/NZ mid-market organisations that want a single, locally built suite covering the full HR lifecycle – recruitment through to learning – with statutory data captured natively at onboarding. It is a strong fit in aged care, education, healthcare, and local government, where local build and vertical familiarity matter, and Affinity maintains a dedicated partnership with ELMO for customers running both.
Where HiBob fits
HiBob suits mid-market and growing organisations, particularly in tech and professional services, that want a genuinely complete HR platform – recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning are all native – built around a modern, engagement-led experience and people analytics. Affinity also maintains a dedicated partnership with HiBob for AU/NZ payroll.
ELMO is AU/NZ-built with a broad modular suite spanning core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, and learning, and strong footholds in aged care, education, healthcare, and local government. HiBob is a global, culture-led platform built for mid-market organisations that prioritise employee experience and engagement, with modern UX and its own broad module set. Which is better depends on whether local build and vertical depth or global engagement-led design matters more to your organisation.
Do ELMO and HiBob handle AU/NZ payroll?
ELMO has a native payroll module that is STP Phase 2 compliant, and many ELMO customers pair it with a specialist AU/NZ payroll provider for complex award and EBA requirements. HiBob's native payroll covers the UK and US, with AU/NZ handled through its Payroll Hub connecting to a specialist local pay engine.
What is the main difference between ELMO and HiBob?
ELMO is a locally built, modular AU/NZ suite aimed at mid-market organisations across a wide range of verticals. HiBob is a global, engagement and culture-led platform aimed at mid-market and growing tech and professional-services organisations. ELMO leans local depth and breadth of modules; HiBob leans modern UX and people-analytics-driven engagement.
How does Affinity compare to ELMO and HiBob?
Affinity is not an HR system – it is an AU/NZ payroll specialist shown alongside ELMO and HiBob to fill the payroll gap each leaves. ELMO connects to Affinity through a native 2-way API integration. HiBob already has a standard file-based interface with Affinity in place, with API integration available on specification and request.
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