HR Glossary
API
API
One of the key technologies enabling seamless communication between systems in 2025 is the Application Programming Interface, better known as an API.
This article explains what an API is, how it works, and how GoodShape uses APIs to help organisations streamline absence reporting, data sharing, and workforce health insights.
What is an API?
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of rules and protocols that allow different software systems to talk to one another. It acts as a bridge, enabling one application to access the features or data of another without needing to understand its internal workings.
Think of it like a restaurant menu: the menu (API) tells you what’s available, and once you place your order (make a request), the kitchen (underlying system) prepares your food and sends it back (the response). You don’t need to know how the kitchen operates, you just need the interface that lets you place your order.
What Can APIs Be Used For?
APIs power much of what we do online and in the workplace. They allow systems to share information instantly and securely, automate workflows, and create richer user experiences.
Some everyday examples include:
- Connecting a payroll system to a time-tracking platform
- Integrating customer support data into a CRM
- Syncing calendar data across multiple apps
- Sharing absence or wellbeing data between HR and occupational health systems
How GoodShape Uses APIs
At GoodShape, our mission is to improve workforce health and performance by giving businesses clear, real-time insight into employee wellbeing and absence. APIs are a crucial part of how our platform delivers this.
GoodShape’s APIs allow our absence management software to integrate directly with your organisation’s existing systems, including HR platforms, payroll, scheduling tools, occupational health providers and more. This ensures data flows smoothly across your tech stack without the need for repeated manual updates.
For example, when an employee reports an absence through the GoodShape platform, our API can instantly update:
- Your HR or people management system
- Payroll systems (for accurate sick pay calculations)
- Shift management or rota tools (to reallocate cover quickly)
- Health and wellbeing services (such as a referral to occupational health)
Benefits of API Integration with GoodShape
By integrating GoodShape with your other systems via our secure APIs, your organisation can:
- Reduce administrative burden by eliminating manual data entry
- Access real-time reporting across multiple platforms
- Ensure data accuracy and consistency across departments
- Make faster decisions with up-to-date absence insights
- Support wellbeing pathways with automated signposting and referrals
Our APIs are built with security and scalability in mind, using modern standards and full documentation to make integration straightforward for your IT teams.
APIs are essential tools for any organisation looking to unify its data and systems. At GoodShape, we use them to ensure our absence and wellbeing insights are always connected to the wider picture, helping HR teams, line managers, and business leaders make informed, proactive decisions.