HR & payroll self-service layer

ConnX HR software: a broad HR suite, with payroll kept separate

The short version

ConnX is an Australian HR system with payroll self-service that sits on top of a separate payroll system, most often MicrOpay. It suits organisations that want broad HR modules alongside their existing payroll; check how the payroll interface is supported if HR and pay data need to stay in step.

ConnX is an Australian HR software vendor with a head office in Milton, Brisbane. ConnX says it has 20+ years in business and 500+ clients. Its modular, web-based system covers core HR, recruitment, paperless onboarding, performance, learning, leave, workplace health and safety, workflow, and timesheets with award interpretation.

ConnX does not calculate or process pay, lodge STP or pay super. Those happen in the payroll system it connects to. According to its technical specifications, MicrOpay connects by database or API, ReadyTech's HR3 Payroll by database and Definitiv by API; other payroll systems exchange data through file import and export. ConnX has long been paired with MicrOpay, including when both were sold by Sage.

That makes ConnX two systems rather than one: an HR and self-service layer, and a payroll engine underneath, joined by an interface. For organisations that value ConnX's HR breadth, that can work well. Where HR, timesheet and pay data must stay in step every pay run, it is worth confirming how the interface is maintained and which vendor owns a fix when something doesn't carry across. If you are reviewing payroll anyway, compare that against a platform where self-service and payroll share one database.

Why do AU/NZ teams look at alternatives to ConnX?

  • Payroll runs in a separate system, so HR, timesheet and pay data depend on an interface staying in sync
  • Two vendors for one pay process – support for issues between HR and payroll can be unclear
  • No NZ payroll capability found publicly for cross-Tasman organisations
  • Teams reviewing MicrOpay often review the ConnX layer at the same time

Affinity: 40+ years of AU/NZ payroll – 500,000+ employees processed, ISO 27001 certified, single AU/NZ database.

Which providers can you compare ConnX against?

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More on Affinity →See every AU/NZ payroll comparison →

What's involved in moving off ConnX?

Replacing ConnX usually means changing HR and payroll self-service – and often reviewing the payroll underneath.

  • HR records and documents – employee files, contracts, onboarding documents and history held in ConnX, and where each will live afterwards
  • Self-service and approval workflows – the leave, timesheet and form approvals your managers use today, and how they map to the new system
  • Timesheet award rules – any award or EBA logic applied in ConnX timesheets before data reaches payroll, so it isn't lost when that layer goes
  • Integrations – the payroll interface (MicrOpay by database or API, HR3 Payroll by database, Definitiv by API, file-based for others) and other connections such as job boards
  • Payroll, if it moves too – if you move payroll too (often MicrOpay), year-to-date balances, leave and STP continuity carry across from the payroll system, not ConnX

Build agreed before you commit, two parallel pay runs minimum, and most projects reach first go-live in 3–4 months (indicative) – how Affinity migration works →

Not sure where to start? Talk it through with the Affinity team – we'll look at your ConnX and payroll setup, awards and pay cycles and what a move would involve.

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Frequently asked questions

What is ConnX?

ConnX is an Australian HR software system with a head office in Brisbane. It covers core HR, recruitment, onboarding, performance, learning, leave, workplace health and safety and timesheets, plus payroll self-service for employees and managers.

Is ConnX a payroll system?

No. ConnX provides payroll self-service – employees and managers can view pay advices, leave balances and personal details – but pay is calculated and processed, STP lodged and super paid in a separate payroll system that ConnX connects to.

Does ConnX work with MicrOpay?

Yes. MicrOpay is ConnX's main payroll integration, connecting by database or API according to ConnX's technical specifications. ConnX also lists a database integration with ReadyTech's HR3 Payroll and an API integration with Definitiv; other payroll systems exchange data through file import and export. Confirm current integration options directly with ConnX.

Does ConnX handle New Zealand payroll?

No NZ payroll capability was found in public sources. ConnX's payroll features depend on the payroll system it connects to, so confirm NZ requirements – Holidays Act, KiwiSaver and payday filing – with both ConnX and your payroll provider.

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