Standard Filters

The article outlines the standard filters available in BambooHR, which assist in managing features that do not apply to all employees. Key filters include Department, Division, Employment Status, Teams, Job Title, and Location. Users can apply multiple filters and customize options through Settings. The article also discusses the organizational hierarchy, recommending a structure where Divisions encompass Departments, which in turn organize employees by function, while Teams provide flexibility for project-based groupings. Additionally, a BambooHR Learning course on filters is available for further education. This resource aims to enhance user understanding and effective application of filtering within the BambooHR system.

  • Feb 11, 2026
  • Knowledge

Title
Standard Filters
Article Text
This feature is included in the Core, Pro, and Elite packages.

What are the standard filters in BambooHR?

Purpose: To identify the standard filters you can use when setting up a feature that does not apply to all employees.

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Table of Contents

Did you know we have a BambooHR® Learning course about filters? Click here to learn more about what is included in this course.

The following areas or features in BambooHR have standard filters:

  • Who's Out calendar
  • Power edit
  • Company announcements
  • Email alerts
  • Onboarding and Offboarding
  • Reports
  • Company holidays
  • Access levels
  • Performance Management
  • Training
Filter options
Benefit Eligibility

Filters allow you to identify a specific group of employees concerning various features throughout BambooHR. Click Edit to filter employees and then select Only Some Employees from the dropdown menu.

The standard filters in BambooHR are the following fields:

  • Department
  • Division
  • Employment Status
  • Teams
  • Job Title
  • Location

If you do not have data available in one of these fields, it will not appear as a filter option. 

You can create list options for standard filters in Settings > Employee Fields. For example, you can add team names to the Teams filter, allowing you to customize the list according to your company's needs. For detailed guidance on how to set up these list options, please refer to this help guide.

Select your filters
Benefit Eligibility

Select a filter criteria.* You can apply multiple filters. Click Save when you are done.

*The number at the top will decrease as you select the filter criteria. The number represents the number of employees included in the selected filters. The system will filter employees by using all elements of the filter criteria. 

Example: If you choose Finance, HR Department, and then Full-Time (Employment Status), the system will only apply this filter to full-time employees from the Finance or HR department. It will not include part-time employees from the Finance or HR department.

Note: Filtering trainings works differently. A filtered training created before 1/2/2024 will appear for employees meeting any elements of the filter criteria. A filtered training created after 1/2/2024 will appear for employees meeting all elements of the filter criteria.

Organizational hierarchy

Our standard filters are Department, Division, Employment Status, Location, Teams, and Job Title. While Employment Status, Location, and Job Title typically function as standalone filters, Department, Division, and Teams can be used to reflect your company's organizational hierarchy.

Our typical recommendation for structuring your organizational hierarchy in BambooHR is as follows:

  • Division: These are the broadest groupings within your company, representing major business units or segments.
  • Department: Departments usually exist within divisions, organizing employees by function more specifically.
  • Teams: This is an additional, flexible layer designed to group employees collaboratively, often cutting across traditional division and department lines. Teams are excellent for organizing around projects, initiatives, or cross-functional groups.

In practice, this means the following:

  • Divisions can group multiple departments under a broad business unit.
  • Departments organize employees by their specific function within a given division.
  • Teams allow for dynamic, project or goal-oriented groupings that can span multiple departments or divisions.

This setup gives you a solid way to organize your team. BambooHR is meant to fit your needs, and you can always adjust how you use these filters for your company's unique needs.

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