Build a Custom HRMS without Coding Skills

Why This Matters

At FlytBase, we transformed our time-consuming onboarding process by building a custom HRMS solution that reduced our onboarding time by 85%. Instead of compromising with commercial HRMS platforms that offered rigid workflows and unnecessary features, we created a perfectly tailored system using AI tools without writing a single line of code.

The Problem

Our traditional onboarding process was extremely time-consuming, requiring full days dedicated to processing each new hire. When exploring commercial HRMS solutions like GreatHR, KekaHR, and BambooHR, we encountered consistent drawbacks:

- Expensive yearly subscriptions averaging $70-100 per employee

- Rigid, non-customizable workflows that didn't match our unique processes

- Weeks-long implementation timeframes before seeing any benefit

- Bloated interfaces with features we would never use

The AI-native Solution

We built a complete, custom HRMS system using a toolkit of AI applications, without writing code:

- Claude for brainstorming, prompt engineering, and workflow design

- Lovable AI for building the entire dashboard interface with both frontend and backend functionality

- Zapier for email and Slack integrations

- Supabase for database management

The solution includes three interconnected modules:

1. An onboarding portal with separate employee and HR admin interfaces

2. A gamified day one and day two orientation experience

3. A streamlined exit process with automated communications and analytics

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Step 1: Exploring AI Tools and Designing the System

- Conducted exploratory sessions with Claude using prompts like: "How can I build an HRMS system without coding?"

- Created a system architecture diagram showing how Lovable, Supabase, and Zapier would connect

- Outlined specific requirements for employee onboarding, including document collection, verification workflows, and notification systems

- Example prompt: "I need a dashboard for HR admins to track document submissions with approval/rejection functionality. How would you design this with Lovable AI?"

Step 2: Building the Interface with Lovable AI

- Created dual-interface system with specific prompts for each view:

 - Employee view: "Create a form with document upload functionality, progress tracking, and sections for personal details"

 - HR admin view: "Design a dashboard showing all employee submissions with filtering and search capabilities"

- Used multi-language prompting for better results: "मुझे एक डैशबोर्ड बनाना है जिसमें नए कर्मचारी अपने दस्तावेज अपलोड कर सकें" (Hindi)

- Shared screenshots with prompts like: "This layout isn't working. Can you adjust the columns to show more information per row?"

- Prompt example for document verification: "Add approve/reject buttons for each document with comment functionality and status tracking"

Step 3: Database Integration with Supabase

- Connected Supabase to Lovable with the prompt: "Connect this dashboard to Supabase for data storage"

- Created specific database tables with the prompt: "Create tables for employees, documents, bank_details, insurance_details, and accommodation_info"

- Implemented database functions with: "Add functions for document verification status updates and notification triggers"

- Set relationships between tables: "Link all employee information tables with a unique employee_id foreign key"

Step 4: Creating Automated Workflows with Zapier

- Built webhooks capturing form submissions: "When a document is uploaded, trigger a notification"

- Created Zaps with specific triggers and actions:

 - Trigger: New document uploaded → Action: Send Slack notification to HR team

 - Trigger: Employee profile completed → Action: Use Claude to generate personalized introduction message → Action: Post to company Slack channel

- Configured automated email sequences for onboarding milestones and document verifications

- Example Zapier webhook configuration: "POST to https://hooks.zapier.com/hooks/catch/123456/abcdef/ with JSON payload containing employee_id, document_type, and timestamp"

Step 5: Gamifying the Onboarding Experience

- Designed a 10-task orientation program with point values for each completed task

- Created four achievement levels with specific badges (Explorer, Quiz Master, etc.)

- Built knowledge quizzes about company, product, and industry

- Implemented a leaderboard showing new joiner progress

- Prompt used: "Create a gamified interface with progress bars, achievement badges, and a point system for completing onboarding tasks"

Step 6: Building the Exit Analysis Dashboard

- Created a unified exit interview interface with standardized questions

- Implemented data visualization for exit trends using a prompt like: "Add charts showing exit reasons by department and tenure"

- Built automated notification workflows for departing employees

- Configured management reports showing actionable insights from exit data

What Changed

- Reduced onboarding process time from days to minutes

- Created a fully customized system perfectly aligned with FlytBase's workflows

- Automated 90% of previously manual communication processes

- Improved new hire satisfaction scores by 40% through gamified onboarding

- Centralized employee data management with proper security controls

- Gained valuable attrition insights through structured exit analysis

- Achieved complete system ownership without ongoing licensing costs

What You Can Steal

1. Use prompt chaining for complex designs - Start with high-level architecture prompts, then drill down into specific features. For example: "First design the overall dashboard layout, then let's focus on the document approval workflow."

2. Try multi-language prompting - When English prompts aren't yielding good results, switch to your native language. Example: Hindi or Marathi prompts with Lovable AI sometimes produced clearer interfaces than English.

3. Create composite prompts with screenshots - When refining designs, combine screenshots with specific change requests: "Here's my current screen. Please adjust the layout to make the verification buttons more prominent."

4. Build webhook-centered automation chains - Design your entire workflow around data captured by webhooks. Create a JSON template of exactly what data each system will pass to Zapier, then build your integrations accordingly.

5. Let AI test what it builds - Use prompts like "Test this onboarding flow and identify any missing fields or broken processes" to have Lovable AI verify its own work.

Final Thought

Building our own HRMS wasn't just about saving money—it was about creating something that works exactly the way we need it to. The HR team now owns both the process and the technology, giving us unprecedented flexibility to adapt as our organization evolves. The key insight: you don't need to code, you just need to know how to ask AI the right questions. Don't make your processes fit commercial software; use AI to make software fit your processes.