Introduction

In the Staff Development product, both Organizational Roles and Groups play crucial roles in managing employees, but they serve different purposes and operate in distinct ways. Understanding these differences is important for effectively setting up and managing performance reviews, goal assignments, and access to various features within the platform. This article will explain how Organizational Roles and Groups differ, what they control, and how they interact with permissions within the platform.

What Are Organizational Roles?

Organizational Roles are designed to help automate certain actions within the platform based on the role an employee holds within their unit or department. These roles help to define what actions a user is eligible to perform, based on their position in the organization, but they do not directly grant access to menus or specific sections of the platform.

Key Points About Organizational Roles:

1. Automation-Driven: Organizational roles are primarily used to trigger automated actions or permissions related to specific workflows.

2. No Direct Permissions for Viewing/Editing: Unlike groups, organizational roles do not provide direct permissions to view or edit specific sections of the platform. Instead, they influence what actions an employee can perform based on their organizational role.

3. Influence on Workflows:

   • Performance Reviews: For example, if an employee holds the Manager role within an organizational unit, they are automatically assigned as the person responsible for conducting downward reviews for the members of that unit. This assignment happens automatically unless the settings are customized during the Performance Cycle Setup.

   • Goals: If goals are assigned to the organizational unit, individuals holding roles like Manager will automatically be granted the ability to modify those goals, as they are part of the unit responsible for managing the goals.

4. Role-Based Actions: Organizational roles enable employees to perform specific actions based on their responsibilities within the unit, such as approving goals or performing reviews.

Examples of Organizational Roles:

• Manager: Automatically gets the ability to perform reviews for members in the unit.

• Employee: Can be assigned goals and performance reviews based on their role within the unit.

What Are Groups in the Administration?

Groups are permission-based roles within the administration side of the platform. These groups provide employees with specific access to features and settings within the Staff Development product. When the organization purchases a Staff Development product, two default groups—Staff Development Admin, Manager, and Employee—are automatically registered in the system. These groups determine which menu items and administrative functionalities users can see and manage in the Employee Portal.

Key Points About Groups:

1. Permission-Based: Groups control what employees can see and do within the Admin Panel of the platform. They grant access to administrative features such as creating performance cycles, managing goals, and modifying the bank of questions or competencies.

2. Assigned Based on User Role: Groups like Staff Development Admin, Manager, and Employee come with predefined permissions:

   • Staff Development Admin: Grants access to full administrative capabilities, allowing the user to manage all aspects of the Staff Development product.

   • Manager: Gives access to specific administrative features, like viewing and creating performance review cycles or modifying certain settings.

   • Employee: Typically has limited access, focusing on personal goals and performance reviews, with no access to administrative features.

3. Direct Control Over UI Elements: The group you belong to determines which menu items you will see in the Employee Portal, and what level of control you have over certain features.

   • For example, as a Manager group member, you may see and manage Performance Review Cycles, Competency Banks, or even create new performance cycles depending on your organization’s setup.

Examples of Groups in the Administration:

• Staff Development Admin: Has the highest level of control and can manage everything related to the Staff Development product.

• Manager: Can manage performance cycles and other administrative tasks related to their organizational unit.

• Employee: Has limited access, primarily for personal development tracking and reviews.

How Organizational Roles and Groups Work Together

While both Organizational Roles and Groups influence what actions a user can perform, they do so in different ways. Here's how they work together:

1. Organizational Roles control automated workflows and role-based actions within the organization. For example, a Manager role allows the user to perform specific actions like downward reviews for team members.

2. Groups provide access to administrative features and allow users to manage settings, view reports, and control the flow of the Staff Development product. The Manager group, for example, grants access to view and modify Performance Review Cycles and Competency Banks, but the Manager role within an organizational unit will decide who performs the actual reviews.

In short, Organizational Roles help automate processes and determine which actions an employee can perform based on their unit, while Groups control what administrative permissions employees have within the platform.

Conclusion

Understanding the distinction between Organizational Roles and Groups is key to effectively managing your organization's performance and staff development processes. Organizational Roles automate processes based on employee responsibilities within their units, while Groups provide access to administrative features and allow employees to manage specific aspects of the Staff Development product.

By combining both, you ensure that employees are empowered with the right actions and permissions based on their roles and responsibilities in the organization.