Onboard your organization: step by step

This guide takes a new organization from nothing to people signing in and working. Follow the chapters in order; each one says where to click, what to type and what you should see. Before chapter 4, read Understand your organization structure: it explains the decisions the setup asks you to make. Allow about half a day for the first pass. A company with a few hundred people usually needs another day to load employees and check leave and payroll.

Before you start

You need:

• a computer with a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari). Phones work for daily use; do the setup on a computer;
• the company name, an email address that will belong to the owner of the account, and a mobile number;
• a list of your legal entities (the companies that employ people), your locations, your departments and your job titles. A spreadsheet is enough.

Who does what: the person who registers becomes the Tenant Owner. Only the Tenant Owner and the administrators they create can set things up. Your software vendor sets your licence (edition and term); you cannot change it.

Chapter 1. Register the organization

1. Open the sign-in page and select Create a free account.

   

2. Step 1, Account. Fill in:

   Field	What to enter
   Company name	The name of your company, for example Acme Industries.
   Email address	The owner's email. It is also the sign-in name.
   Mobile number	With the country code, for example +911234567890.
   Password	At least 8 characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number and a special character. The strength bar and the five ticks under the box show what is still missing.
   Confirm password	The same password again. "Passwords match" appears in green when they do.

   

   Select Continue. Nothing is created yet.

3. Step 2, Applications. Tick the applications you want to try. Core HR is always included. You can add the others later.

   

   Select Create account. In one step the platform creates your private workspace, your administrator account with the Tenant Owner role, the standard administrator roles, and installs the applications you ticked. A four-week free trial starts; no card is needed.

4. If Create account reports a problem, read the message under the button. The usual causes are a password that misses a rule, an email that is already registered, or a mobile number without its country code.

Chapter 2. Sign in and find your way around

1. Sign in with the email and password you registered with.

2. You land on My ERP, the application launcher. It shows one tile for each application your organization is licensed for: Core HR, Talent, Workforce, Payroll & Rewards and People Analytics (and any others you ticked).

   

3. Select Core HR. The left menu groups everything: Employees, Departments, Designations, Locations, and so on. The next chapters use the menu paths exactly as they appear there.

4. Your name and job title are at the top right. Open that menu for My Profile, My Preferences and Sign out.

Chapter 3. Check your licence

Open the launcher and look at the tiles: you see only the applications your licence includes. Your trial ends 28 days after you registered. Before then, contact your vendor to choose an edition; after the end date people can no longer work. See How licensing works.

Chapter 4. Company details and numbering

Tell HCM who the organization is and how records are numbered, before anyone is added.

General settings

Open HCM Settings > General Settings.

This page is one form. Fill in or change:

Field	What to enter
Organization Name	Type it (for example: Organization).
Legal Entity	Type it.
Timezone	Choose one: Africa/Abidjan, Africa/Accra, Africa/Addis Ababa, Africa/Algiers, Africa/Asmara, Africa/Asmera, Africa/Bamako, Africa/Bangui, Africa/Banjul, Africa/Bissau...
Date Format	Choose one: DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY, YYYY-MM-DD, DD-MMM-YYYY
Currency	Choose from the list.
Financial Year Start	Type it.
Payroll Frequency	Choose one: Weekly, Bi-Weekly, Monthly, Custom

Then select Save Changes.

Organization settings

Open HCM Settings > Organization Settings.

To add a record, select Add Legal Entity. In the window Legal Entity fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Legal Entity Name	Type it.
Legal Entity Code	Type it.
Registration number	Type it (for example: Company registration number).
Tax number	Type it (for example: Tax identification number).
Currency	Type it (for example: Currency code, for example USD).
Time zone	Type it (for example: IANA time zone, for example Europe/London).
Country	Choose from the list.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive

Then select Save Changes. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Name, Code, Country, Status, Actions.

Numbering sequences (employee numbers and other record numbers)

Open HCM Settings > Numbering & Sequences.

To add a record, select Add Sequence. In the window Numbering Sequence fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Sequence Name	Type it.
Sequence Code	Type it.
Entity	Type it (for example: Entity (e.g. leave_request)).
Prefix	Type it (for example: Prefix (e.g. LEV-)).
Date Token	Choose one: None, YYYY, YY, YYYYMM, Financial Year
Digits	Type it.
Current Value	Type it.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive

Then select Save Changes. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Name, Code, Entity, Current Value, Status, Actions.

Chapter 5. Legal entities and locations

The companies that employ people and the places they work. Create these first: employees, payroll and statutory rules attach to them.

Legal entities

Open Organization > Legal Entities.

To add a record, select Add legal entity. In the window Legal entity fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Legal entity code *	Type it.
Legal entity name *	Type it.
Short name	Type it.
Entity type *	Choose from the list.
Find the parent legal entity (code or name)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Parent legal entity	Choose from the list.
Description	Type it.
Registered legal name	Type it.
Legal form	Choose one: Not set, Private limited, Public limited, Partnership, LLP, Sole proprietorship, Non-profit, Trust, Other
Date of incorporation	Pick a date.
Place of incorporation	Type it.
Country of registration *	Choose from the list.
Registration authority	Type it.
Company registration number	Type it.
Tax identification number	Type it.
Legal entity identifier (LEI, 20 characters)	Type it.
Legal employer	Choose one: Yes, No
Payroll statutory unit	Choose one: Yes, No
Find head of the legal entity (name or code)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Head of the legal entity	Choose from the list.
Website	Type it.
Company email	Type it.
Phone	Type it.
Compliance contact	Type it.
Compliance email (reminders go here)	Type it.
Currency	Choose from the list.
Time zone (for example Europe/London)	Type it.
Language	Choose from the list.
Date format (for example dd/MM/yyyy)	Type it.
Time format (for example HH:mm)	Type it.
Number format	Type it.
Week starts on	Choose one: Not set, Monday, Sunday, Saturday
Financial year starts in	Choose from the list.
Effective from *	Pick a date.
Effective to	Pick a date.
Display order	Type it.

Then select Save as draft. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Registrations (opened with Add a registration); Tax Units (opened with Add a tax reporting unit); Addresses (opened with Add an address); Banking (opened with Add a bank account); Officers (opened with Add an officer); Calendar (opened with Add a filing); Documents (opened with Add a document); Legal entity (opened with Open this legal entity); Map an organization (opened with Map an organization); Employees of the tax reporting unit (opened with Employees); Required documents (opened with Required documents); Tax by tax reporting unit (opened with Tax by unit for a payroll run); Move this legal entity (opened with Move); Deactivate this legal entity (opened with Close); Archive this legal entity (opened with Archive); Export (opened with Export); Change the selected legal entities (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Legal entity, Type, Country, Registration number, Tax ID, Designations, Employees, Organizations, Registrations, Documents held (%).

Locations

Open Core HR > Locations.

To add a record, select Add Location. In the window Location fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Location Code	Type it (for example: Location code).
Location Name	Type it (for example: Location name).
Location Type	Choose one: Headquarters, Regional Office, Branch, Office, Plant, Factory, Warehouse, Store, Site, Project Site...
Address Line 1	Type it (for example: Address line 1).
City	Type it.
State / Province	Type it.
Postal Code	Type it (for example: Postal code).
Country	Choose one: India, United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, Other
Latitude	Type it.
Longitude	Type it.
Time Zone	Choose one: UTC, Asia/Kolkata (IST), Asia/Dubai (GST), Asia/Singapore (SGT), Europe/London (GMT/BST), America/New_York (ET), America/Los_Angeles (PT), Australia/Sydney (AEST)
Parent Location / Unit	Choose from the list.
Location Head	Choose from the list.
Effective From	Pick a date.
Effective To	Pick a date.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive, Draft
Description	Type it.

Then select Save. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Documents (opened with Add document); Contact (opened with Add contact details); Working hours (opened with Add working hours); More address details (opened with Add address details); Geofences (opened with Add geofence); Employees at this location (opened with Assign employee); Holiday calendars (opened with Assign calendar).

The table shows: Location, Type, Company, Business unit, City, State / province, Country, Time Zone, Employees, Manager.

Chapter 6. Departments, designations, grades and cost centers

The building blocks of your structure. Add them top down: departments, then the designations and grades people hold, then cost centers for budgets.

Departments

Open Core HR > Departments.

To add a record, select Add Department. In the window Department fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Department Code	Type it (for example: Department code).
Department Name	Type it (for example: Department name).
Department Type	Choose one: Functional, Operational, Corporate, Support, Regional, Project, Shared Service, Other
Parent Department / Unit	Choose from the list.
Head of Department	Choose from the list.
Effective From	Pick a date.
Effective To	Pick a date.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive, Draft
Description	Type it.

Then select Save. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Documents (opened with Add document); Locations (opened with Map a location); Management history (opened with Assign manager); Move department (opened with Move department).

The table shows: Department, Type, Parent Department, Division, Business unit, Head of Department, Employees, Positions, Location, Cost center.

Designations

Open Core HR > Designations.

To add a record, select Add Designation. In the window Designation fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Designation Code	Type it (for example: Designation code).
Designation Name	Type it (for example: Designation name).
Short Name	Type it (for example: Short name).
Job Family	Choose from the list.
Grade	Choose from the list.
Career Level	Type it (for example: e.g. Professional, Senior, Executive).
Company / Business Unit	Choose from the list.
Parent Designation	Choose from the list.
Designation Level	Type it.
Effective From	Pick a date.
Effective To	Pick a date.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive
Description	Type it (for example: Additional information).

Then select Save Designation. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Designation, Job Family, Grade, Company, Career Level, Level, Employees, Positions, Effective From, Status.

Job grades

Open Core HR > Job Grades.

To add a record, select Add job grade. In the window Job Grade fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Grade code	Type it.
Grade name	Type it.
Level (1 is the lowest)	Type it.
Category	Choose one: Entry level, Junior, Professional, Senior professional, Management, Senior management, Executive, Leadership
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive
Description	Type it.

Then select Save. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Set a new pay range (opened with Set a new pay range).

The table shows: Grade, Level, Category, Currency, Minimum pay, Midpoint, Maximum pay, Employees, Status, Actions.

Cost centers

Open Core HR > Cost Centers.

To add a record, select Add cost center. In the window Cost center fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Cost center code *	Type it.
Cost center name *	Type it.
Short name	Type it.
Cost center type *	Choose from the list.
Find the parent cost center (code or name)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Parent cost center	Choose from the list.
Description	Type it.
Organization *	Choose from the list.
Legal entity	Choose from the list.
Business unit	Choose from the list.
Division	Choose from the list.
Department	Choose from the list.
Branch	Choose from the list.
Location	Choose from the list.
Find cost center manager (name or code)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Cost center manager	Choose from the list.
Find finance owner (name or code)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Finance owner	Choose from the list.
GL account code	Type it.
Accounting dimension	Type it.
Finance cost code	Type it.
Annual budget	Type it.
Currency	Choose from the list.
Fiscal year	Choose from the list.
Effective from *	Pick a date.
Effective to	Pick a date.
Display order	Type it.
Allocation notes	Type it.

Then select Save as draft. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Add a document (opened with Add a document); Assign a role (opened with Assign manager); Charge an employee to this cost center (opened with Charge an employee); Set the budget (opened with Set budget); Split the budget by month (opened with Set the months); Move this cost center (opened with Move); Deactivate this cost center (opened with Deactivate); Archive this cost center (opened with Archive); Export (opened with Export); Change the selected cost centers (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Cost center, Type, Parent cost center, Organization, Business unit, Manager, Employees, Annual budget, Used, GL account.

Employment types

Open Core HR > Employment Types.

To add a record, select Add Employment Type. In the window Employment Type fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Type Code	Type it (for example: e.g. PERMANENT).
Type Name	Type it (for example: e.g. Permanent).
Short Name	Type it (for example: e.g. PERM).
Worker Class	Choose one: Staff, Worker, Executive, Trainee, Non-Employee
Employment Category	Choose one: Regular, Non-Regular
Employment Nature	Choose one: Permanent, Temporary, Contract, Intern, Consultant
Contract Based	Tick or untick.
Contract Type	Choose one: Indefinite, Fixed Term, Project Based, Agency
Fixed Term	Tick or untick.
Probation Applicable	Tick or untick.
Probation Period	Type it.
Probation Period Unit	Choose one: Days, Weeks, Months, Years
Notice Required	Tick or untick.
Notice Period	Type it.
Notice Period Unit	Choose one: Days, Weeks, Months, Years
Benefits Eligible	Tick or untick.
Payroll Eligible	Tick or untick.
Leave Eligible	Tick or untick.
Effective From	Pick a date.
Effective To	Pick a date.
Status	Choose one: Draft, Active, Inactive, Retired
Description	Type it (for example: Optional description...).

Then select Save Type. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Code, Employment Type, Worker Class, Employees, Contract, Probation, Notice Period, Status, Effective From, Actions.

Job positions

Open Core HR > Job Positions.

To add a record, select Add position. In the window Job position fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Position code	Type it (for example: Leave empty to number it automatically).
Position title *	Type it.
Job *	Choose from the list.
Position type *	Choose one: Permanent, Temporary, Contract, Seasonal, Project, Intern, Apprentice, Consultant, Other
Employment type *	Choose one: Full time, Part time, Contract, Intern, Consultant
Work type	Choose one: Not set, On site, Hybrid, Remote, Field
Job grade (default from the job)	Choose from the list.
Job level (default from the job)	Choose from the list.
Position description	Type it.
Department *	Choose from the list.
Team	Choose from the list.
Location	Choose from the list.
Branch	Choose from the list.
Cost center	Choose from the list.
Profit center	Choose from the list.
Find the reporting position (code or title)	Optional: type part of a name or code to narrow the list below it.
Reports to position	Choose from the list.
Approved headcount (seats)	Type it.
Budgeted	Choose one: Yes, No
Annual budget per seat	Type it.
Currency (for example USD)	Type it.
Effective from	Pick a date.
Effective to	Pick a date.
Apply an approved change on (optional)	Pick a date.

Then select Save as draft. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Other reporting lines (opened with Add a reporting line); Assign an employee (opened with Assign employee); Release an employee (opened with Release employee); Transfer an employee (opened with Transfer employee); Reserve this position (opened with Reserve); Freeze this position (opened with Freeze); Close this position (opened with Close position); Position budget (opened with Set budget); Export (opened with Export); Position numbering (opened with Numbering); Change the selected positions (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Position, Job, Department, Location, Grade, Employee, Seats, Occupancy, Status, Level.

Chapter 7. People and roles

Create sign-in accounts and decide what each person may do. An account is not an employee record: the employee record lives in Core HR.

HCM Users

Open Administration > HCM Users.

To add a record, select Create User. In the window Create HCM User fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
rahul@company.com	Type it.
+91 98765 43210	Type it.
••••••••	Type it.

Then select Create User. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: User Details (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Username, Email, Mobile, Status, Created.

Permissions

Open the HCM menu.

To add a record, select Create Permission. In the window Create Permission fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
HCM	Type it.
LEAVE	Type it.
Leave Management	Type it.
REQUEST	Type it.
Leave Request	Type it.
APPROVE	Type it.
HCM.LEAVE.REQUEST.APPROVE (Application.Module.Resource.Action)	Type it.
Approve Leave Request	Type it.
Allows approval of leave requests	Type it.

Then select Create Permission. The window closes and the table shows the record.

Other windows on this screen: Permission Details (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Permission, Module, Resource, Action, Type, Status, System.

Chapter 8. Employees

Add people only after the structure above exists, so each person lands in the right place. Employees are added one at a time. There is no file import for employees yet: Data Import (see the Leave chapter) loads leave types, organization tags, permissions and market rates, and HCM Users can import sign-in accounts, but neither creates employee records.

Employee Directory (add one employee)

Open Core HR > Employee Directory.

To add a record, select Add Employee. In the window Add Employee fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Employee Code	Type it (for example: EMP-1001).
Full Name	Type it (for example: Full name).
Email	Type it (for example: name@company.com).
Company	Choose from the list.
Department	Choose from the list.
Reporting Manager	Choose from the list.
Position	Choose from the list.
Hire Date	Pick a date.

Then select Submit for Approval. The record is saved with the status Pending approval and an approval request goes to the approver. It becomes Active when it is approved. Who approves is set under Administration > Approval Hierarchies.

Other windows on this screen: Change Department (opened with a row action); Change Manager (opened with a row action).

The table shows: Name, Job Title, Department, Manager, Employment Type, Joining Date, Status, Email, Phone, Actions.

Chapter 9. Leave

What kinds of leave exist and who gets how much.

Leave types

Open Leave Management > Leave Types.

To add a record, select New Leave Type. In the window Leave Type fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Code	Type it (for example: AL).
Leave Type Name	Type it (for example: Annual Leave).
Short Name	Type it (for example: Annual).
Category	Choose from the list.
Status	Choose one: Active, Inactive
Sort Order	Type it.
Description	Type it.
Entitlement Type	Choose one: Fixed, Accrued, Unlimited, No Entitlement, Policy Based, Service Based, Grade Based
Annual Entitlement (Days)	Type it.
Maximum Entitlement (Days)	Type it.
Accrual Method	Choose one: None, Annual, Monthly, Quarterly, Biweekly, Per Pay Period, Daily, Custom
Accrual Amount	Type it.
Start After (Days)	Type it.
Maximum Accrual Balance	Type it.
Carry Forward Rule	Choose one: No Carry Forward, Unlimited, Fixed Days, Percentage, Policy Based
Maximum Carry Forward (Days)	Type it.
Carry Forward Expiry	Type it (for example: 31-MAR).
Maximum Encashment (Days)	Type it.
Minimum Balance to Encash	Type it.
Employment Types (comma-separated)	Type it (for example: FULL_TIME,PART_TIME).
Minimum Service (Days)	Type it.
Gender Eligibility	Choose one: All, Male, Female, Other, Custom Rule
Minimum Hours	Type it.
Required After (Days)	Type it.
Document Types (comma-separated)	Type it (for example: MEDICAL_CERTIFICATE).
Approval Workflow Id	Type it.
Payroll Component	Type it (for example: PAID_LEAVE).
Calendar Visibility	Choose one: Team, Manager, Private, Public

Then select Save. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Code, Leave Type, Category, Paid, Status, Sort Order, Actions.

Leave policies

Open Leave Management > Leave Policies.

To add a record, select New Policy. In the window Leave Policy fill in (a star after a name means the screen requires it):

Field	What to enter
Policy Name	Type it.
Policy Code	Type it.
Description	Type it.
Organization ID	Type it.
Employee Group ID	Type it.
Employment Type ID	Type it.
Job Grade ID	Type it.
Location ID	Type it.
Effective From	Type it (for example: YYYY-MM-DD).
Effective To	Type it (for example: YYYY-MM-DD).
Leave Types (JSON)	Type it.
Accrual Enabled	Tick or untick.
Accrual Frequency	Choose one: Yearly, Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Monthly, Joining Date, Custom
Annual Entitlement	Type it.
Carry Forward Enabled	Tick or untick.
Maximum Carry Forward Days	Type it.
Carry Forward Expiry Enabled	Tick or untick.
Expiry After (Months)	Type it.
Encashment Enabled	Tick or untick.
Minimum Balance for Encashment	Type it.
Maximum Encashment Days	Type it.
Minimum Service (Days)	Type it.
Probation Employees Eligible	Tick or untick.
Minimum Duration (Days)	Type it.
Maximum Consecutive Days	Type it.
Half-Day Allowed	Tick or untick.
Weekend Rule	Choose one: Exclude, Include, Configurable
Sandwich Rule	Tick or untick.
Allow Negative Balance	Tick or untick.

Then select Save Draft. The window closes and the table shows the record.

The table shows: Policy Name, Policy Code, Organization, Effective From, Effective To, Version, Status, Actions.

Data Import (load leave types and other reference data from a file)

Open Administration > Data Import.

This page is one form. Fill in or change:

Field	What to enter
Entity	Choose one: Leave Type Category, Leave Type, Organization Tag, Permission Catalog, Compensation market rates

Then select Save.

Chapter 10. The modules you use

Set these up next, in this order. Each guide has the same step-by-step layout as this one.

Module	Start here	What you set up first
Leave	Leave setup	Leave types and policies (done above), then holidays, then each person's balance.
Time and attendance	Attendance policies	Shifts, attendance policy, then devices or the mobile punch.
Payroll	Payroll setup	Pay groups, salary components and structures, then each person's compensation.
Recruitment	Recruitment	A requisition template and the approval route.
Onboarding	New hire onboarding	A checklist template for new joiners.
Performance, Learning, Benefits, Expenses, Travel	HCM user guide	Each module guide starts with its own setup chapter.

Chapter 11. Go live

Before you tell people to sign in:

1. Sign in as an ordinary user with a role you created, not as the owner, and open Core HR, Leave and My Payslips: the launcher, menus and pages should show only what that person may use.
2. Check the header on that account: the name and job title come from the employee record. If they are missing, the account is not linked to an employee.
3. In Administration > HCM Users, make sure everyone who needs access has an account and the right role.
4. Check Application Access in the launcher settings: by default everyone may open every licensed application. Deny it only for people who must not use HCM.
5. Tell people their sign-in name and how to reset a password (Forgot password on the sign-in page).
6. Keep the Tenant Owner credentials with two people, not one.

Related

• Setting up HCM for your organization: the same journey in outline.
• HCM Users
• Permissions catalog