HR Specialist / Generalist
Department: HR & Human Resources
Level: Operational
Primary objective: Manage personnel records, HR files, timesheets, and onboarding of new employees
What this role does
The HR Specialist manages daily personnel operations: creates and updates employee records, maintains HR files (contracts, documents, leave balances), approves monthly timesheets, and coordinates the onboarding of newly hired employees. They are the link between employees and the HR system.
Modules used daily
| Module | Where to find it | What you use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Staff | HR → Staff | Create/update employee accounts |
| HR Profile | HR → HR Profile | Complete employee files |
| Timesheets | HR → Timesheets | Verify and approve monthly timesheets |
| Staff Teams | HR → Teams | Manage team structure |
| Departments | HR → Departments | Organisational structure |
| Roles & Permissions | HR → Roles | Assign correct access to new employees |
Daily routine
Morning
- Staff → check if there are any pending modification requests (personal data, department, team)
- Timesheets → check timesheets submitted for approval by employees → approve or request corrections
- Check inbox for HR requests (leave, documents, clarifications)
Monthly — HR close
- Timesheets → export the monthly attendance report for payroll
- HR Profile → update leave balances (days used, days remaining)
- Check that all active employees have valid contracts (not expired)
Key workflows
Workflow 1 — New employee onboarding (created from recruitment)
Recruiter marks candidate status 6 (Elected) → Staff created automatically
↓
You take over and complete the record:
[Staff — /admin/staff]
→ Verify data from candidate: first name, last name, email, phone
→ Fill in missing fields:
- CRM Role (from configured roles list)
- Department
- Hire date
- Access password (or send password-setup email)
- Photo (optional)
→ Save → employee has CRM access with permissions of assigned role
[HR Profile — /admin/hr_profile]
→ Create / complete the HR file:
- Personal data: national ID number, address, emergency contact details
- Contract information: contract type, start date, base salary
- Attached documents: ID copy, signed contract, job description
- Initial leave balance: days entitled for the current year
- Dependants (for tax deductions)
[Teams and Departments]
→ Add employee to the appropriate team
→ Verify that the department in Staff = department in HR Profile
Workflow 2 — Update existing employee data
Employee requests data update (address change, new bank account)
→ Verify the request (email, internal ticket, verbal)
→ Staff → open employee record → edit the requested field
→ HR Profile → if relevant for payroll (new IBAN) → update
→ Confirm to employee that the change has been made
→ If role change (promotion) → update Role and Department
Workflow 3 — Managing leave
Employee requests leave (by email or verbally)
→ Check in HR Profile → available leave balance
→ If sufficient balance → approve → record in HR Profile:
Type: Annual leave / Sick leave / Unpaid leave
Start date – End date
Days deducted from balance
→ Notify the employee's direct manager
→ Record absence in Timesheets for that month
Workflow 4 — Monthly timesheet approval
At end of month (or weekly):
→ Timesheets → filter current month → status "Submitted for approval"
→ Check per employee:
- Do days worked match actual attendance?
- Are there any unjustified absences?
- Is overtime justified?
→ If everything is correct → Approve timesheet
→ If errors exist → Reject + explanatory note → employee corrects
→ Approved timesheet → enters the month's payroll calculation
Workflow 5 — Offboarding departing employee
Resignation / dismissal notice received
→ Staff → open record → set Contract end date
→ Calculate unused leave days (remaining balance) → send to payroll
→ Revoke CRM access: Staff → edit → deactivate account (do NOT delete!)
⚠ Never delete an employee — history must be preserved
→ HR Profile → archive required documents
→ IT/Admin: notify to revoke other access (email, VPN, etc.)
→ Staff Teams → remove employee from active teams
Organisational chart
Where: /admin/hr_profile/organizational_chart
Visual representation of the company hierarchy — useful for:
- Onboarding (new employee sees who works with whom)
- Reorganisations (identify incorrect reporting lines)
- Internal presentations
Each node in the org chart leads directly to the employee's HR Profile.
Metrics to track
| Metric | What it means | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Timesheets approved on time | % timesheets processed before payroll deadline | 100% |
| Complete HR files | Employees without missing mandatory documents | 0 missing |
| Unrenewed expired contracts | Contracts with past expiry date | 0 |
| Negative leave balance | Employees who took more days than entitled | 0 |
Practical tips
Never delete an employee — deactivate them. Their activity history, resolved tickets, processed orders are all linked to their account. Deletion breaks all these links.
Process offboarding on the same day as the employee's departure. An active account for a former employee is a security risk. Deactivation takes 30 seconds.
Verify at each new hire that the assigned Role has exactly the right permissions. A role that is too permissive creates risks; one that is too restrictive blocks productivity from day one.
Configure custom fields in employee profiles for skills, certifications, and equipment assignments before onboarding begins — this data feeds both workforce planning and task/project assignment without manual lookups each time.
Always deactivate a departing staff account rather than deleting it. Deletion breaks all links to tickets, tasks, projects, orders, and approvals that reference that account — corrupting historical records that cannot be recovered.