Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal

Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal Published: March 2005

Table of contents Introduction...1 What is an HR Portal?...1 Why create an HR Portal?...3 Reduce administrative costs...3 Increase productivity...3 Increase information access...3 Enable manager access for improved decision making...3 Elements of an HR portal...4 Human Resources Management Self Service Suite...4 Information pages...6 Queries...7 SharePoint features...7 Implementing your HR portal... 11 1. Define goals... 11 2. Interview key users... 12 3. Identify existing information... 12 4. Identify the elements you ll need to create and set up... 12 5. Consider security... 13 6. Create and set up your HR portal elements... 14 Common procedures... 15 Creating a SharePoint web part... 15 Securing a SharePoint web part... 15 Sample pages... 17 Company Center page... 18 401(k) page... 19 Annual Employee Survey page... 21 Benefits page... 24 Classifieds page... 26 Diversity page... 27 Employee Handbook page... 29 Employee Stock Purchase Plan page... 31 Performance Management page... 33 Our HR Team page... 35 Employees page... 37 Forms page... 39 Summary... 41 Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal i

Introduction It s a common scenario played out at Business Portal customer sites. You ve read about Business Portal. You ve seen it demonstrated at trade shows. You purchased it. You ve installed it. You ve set up users. Now what? This white paper will answer the Now what? question. To put it simply, now it s time to customize Business Portal to meet your company s needs. Now it s time for Business Portal to earn its keep. Throughout this paper you ll find ideas and tips on how to customize Business Portal to meet your company s Human Resources needs. You ll see how you can use the features of Business Portal and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services to bring the capabilities and functions of your Human Resources department to your employees desktops. By using the Business Portal and SharePoint features available to you, you can create an HR portal where: Employees will go to look up 401(k) information, enter timecards, and change their personal information. Managers will go to approve timecards, post job openings, and review performance management information. Human Resources team members will go to find employee data, communicate benefits changes and company policies, and discuss team issues. And that s just the beginning. So let s get started. What is an HR Portal? By definition, a portal is a unified place that connects people to contextually relevant information, services, and applications. And Business Portal does just that. It s role-based, meaning that if you re assigned to the Salesperson role, you ll see information for salespeople when you log on to Business Portal. Similarly, if you re a manager, you ll see the pages and web parts designed for managers. You won t waste time skimming through information and web pages that have nothing to do with you or your job. So what does this have to do with an HR portal? Well plenty. Business Portal provides the right information to the right people. The HR portal you create is a specialized piece of Business Portal. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 1

Your HR portal will provide HR-related content and applications to those who need it those assigned to the Employee, Manager, Payroll Administrator, and Human Resources Administrator roles. For example, your Human Resources department manages all kinds of information everything from what procedures are covered under your company s dental plan to how many hours of vacation time you have available. Your Human Resources department needs a way to provide the dental plan information to all employees, and a way to provide your vacation information to just you. An HR portal will help you do this. You can create pages and web parts that display all of your HRrelated content. And more importantly, you can make sure that those pages and web parts are available to the right people. After you create an HR portal, you can develop other specialized pages and web parts that are geared towards other audiences. For example, you can create pages and web parts geared toward your finance team, sales team, or executive team. As you ll see, an HR portal is an important piece of your Business Portal implementation. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 2

Why create an HR Portal? When you implement an HR portal in your organization, you ll be able to realize several benefits. Here s a look at a few of them: Reduce administrative costs Remember the days when employees had to fill out paper timecards, managers had to sign each timecard and then send them to the Payroll department, and payroll clerks had to manually process them? All of that becomes a distant memory with an HR portal that includes Business Portal s Human Resources Management Self Service Suite. The applications in this suite will enable your employees, managers, and payroll clerks to complete their tasks online saving them time, and saving your company money. Increase productivity Your employees have a job to do. By implementing an HR portal, you minimize the time employees spend doing secondary tasks such as searching for information about the enrollment deadline for the next ESPP offering period, or trying to figure out how much vacation time they have left. By creating an HR portal, you ll put this information at your employees fingertips, so they can complete these tasks quickly, and get back to their real jobs. Increase information access By implementing an HR portal, you ll provide better service to your employees. For example, employees will be able to find HR-related information themselves, without having to make a phone call to the HR department. Similarly, managers will have information about their team available to them. They can post a job opening or change an employee s pay rate themselves, quickly and easily. Enable manager access for improved decision making Information is the key to making a good decision. With your HR portal, you ll put the right information in the hands of your decision makers. For example, managers can view their employees performance and compensation history with just a few clicks. Your HR team leaders can perform queries on employee records and quickly find the information they need to make decisions and set goals. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 3

Elements of an HR portal Now that we ve highlighted a few reasons why you should implement an HR portal in your organization, let s take a look at the elements of an HR portal. Human Resources Management Self Service Suite The HRM Self Service Suite is a collection of applications, accessible from within Business Portal and the cornerstone of an HR portal. Using the applications in this suite, employees can update their personal information, enter timecards, view paychecks, submit vacation requests, and complete other related tasks without the assistance of a Human Resources team member. There are five applications in the HRM Self Service Suite: Employee Profile The Employee Profile application helps employees modify their personal information, such as their address and emergency contact information. Managers can also use Employee Profile to review their employees performance and position history. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 4

Employee Pay The Employee Pay application helps employees view their pay and benefits information. Managers can also use Employee Pay to review their employees compensation history and modify employee pay rates. Time and Attendance Using the Time and Attendance application, employees can submit timecards, enter vacation requests, and view the amount of time-off they ve accrued. Managers can then approve the timecards and vacation requests with a couple of clicks. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 5

Skills and Training The Skills and Training application enables employees and their managers to view the skills, education, certifications, and company training on record for them. Recruitment The Recruitment application enables employees to apply for job openings in the company and view the status of their submitted applications. Managers can use the Recruitment application to post job openings, view applications, and track the cost incurred by the company to fill a position. Information pages An information page displays a combination of web parts (called result viewers) to present data relevant to a user in a specific role. The back office data displayed on an information page is for display Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 6

only. Information pages provide a safe way to display back office data without worrying about a user modifying or deleting the data. As web parts on an information page, result viewers can communicate with each other by publishing and subscribing to data. For example, if you select an employee in the Employees result viewer, detailed information about that employee is displayed in the Employment Details result viewer. Queries A query is the primary mechanism used to execute requests for information from a business entity. Business Portal provides out-ofthe-box queries you can use to retrieve and analyze back office data. You can quickly modify these queries to display specific data, or you can create new queries to display the information you need. Queries can be displayed on Business Portal query pages, or in result viewer web parts. SharePoint features Business Portal is built on one of Microsoft s most innovative collaboration and productivity tools: Windows SharePoint Services. This architecture allows you to use SharePoint features, such as document libraries and announcement lists on your Business Portal pages. Here s a brief overview of some of the features you can use in your HR portal: Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 7

Document library A document library is a collection of files you can share with your employees. For example, it s a great way to share all of your 401(k) information with your employees. Picture library A picture library is a collection of pictures you can share with your employees. For example, you can display pictures from a recent company event and include a brief description of each photo. Links list A links list is a collection of links to internal and external web sites. For web sites your employees access frequently, provide links to them here. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 8

Announcements list An announcement list is an effective way to communicate to your employees and keep them informed of recent news and updates. When you post an announcement to the announcement list, you can specify how long you want the announcement posted by entering an expiration date. Contacts list A contacts list is an excellent way to make employees aware of who to contact with their HR-related questions. In the following pages, you ll see how we reused the HR Contacts web part, shown below, on several of the pages in our HR portal. Events list An events list is an effective way to help employees remember important company dates. You can choose to display events in an easy-to-read list, or in a calendar view. Here s an example of the list view: Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 9

Here s a look at events in the calendar view: Discussion board Discussion boards provide a forum for conversing about topics that interest your team. Team members can start new discussions, sort and filter discussions, and create alerts so that they are notified of changes to the discussion board. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 10

Surveys Surveys provide a way of polling team members. For example, you can create an annual employee satisfaction survey and display it in Business Portal. When you create the survey, you can indicate whether users can respond to the survey more than once, and whether survey responses are anonymous. Implementing your HR portal The following steps will help guide you through the implementation of your HR portal. 1. Define goals The first step in implementing your HR portal is to define the goals you want to achieve. Write these goals down they ll help guide your implementation. The goals you identify will help you determine what applications you need to install, what pages you need to create, and what content you need to make available. For example, you may implement an HR Portal because: You want to eliminate a paper-based time card entry process. You want to implement employee self-service applications. You want your HR team to have better access to employee data. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 11

2. Interview key users The second step in implementing your HR portal is to interview key users of the HR portal, such as employees, managers, and HR team members. When you interview these users, find out: What information do they use on a daily basis? What information would help them make more accurate decisions? What data do they need that they currently don t have access to? 3. Identify existing information The next step in implementing your HR Portal is to do a content inventory. What information do you already have? For example, is your company s 401(k) plan listed in a Word document that s lying around on someone s hard drive? Are there existing web applications or web sites that your employees use? Create a list of the content you already have that you want to make available in your HR Portal. List the content, where it s currently located, what format it s in, and who maintains it. Here s an example: 4. Identify the elements you ll need to create and set up The fourth step in implementing your HR portal is to identify the HR portal elements you ll need to create and set up. This list should help you identify: Who is going to install and set up the HRM Self Service Suite? What new pages do you need to create? Where will each page be located in the menu structure? What web parts will be on each page? Who will create each page? Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 12

The following list is an example. It shows HR portal elements that need to be created and configured, and who is assigned to each task. There s one item in the list that deserves special attention: the location of pages in the menu structure. It s important to keep in mind that not all of the pages you create will be located in the same area of Business Portal. For example, some of the pages you create will contain information you want available to all employees in the company. Such pages should be located under the Company tab in the menu structure. Pages created for your HR team members should be located under the HR tab. 5. Consider security Security is one of the most important issues you need to consider when implementing a software program. It s especially important when you re implementing a software program that manages your employees personal information. In this step of your HR portal implementation, you need to plan how you are going to control access to information so that the right people see the right information. Here are a few points to remember when setting up security for your HR portal. For complete security information, see the Business Portal Administrator s Guide. Roles One of the first steps in setting up Business Portal is to add users and assign them to roles. Roles allow you to control access to Business Portal data, tasks, and pages. You can use roles to group Business Portal users based on job responsibilities. For example, Employee, Manager, and Human Resources Administrator are examples of roles. You can assign users to default Business Portal roles, or you can create new roles for your specific business needs. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 13

Data permissions Before we explain what a data permission is, you must first understand what a business entity is. A business entity is a representation of a transaction, document, or other record from the back office. Employee, applicant, and timecard are examples of entities. Entities contain subsets of data called entity attributes. For example, employee ID, employee name, and employee address are attributes of an employee entity. A data permission controls which attributes from the business entity are viewable to users in a specific role. Data permissions allow you to specify exactly what information is available to each role. Pages Each page in Business Portal is assigned to a specific role or roles. When you create a new page, you can select which role or roles can access it. For example, if you assign a page to the Manager role, all users assigned to the Manager role can access the page and view the web parts displayed on it. SharePoint features SharePoint features, such as a document library or discussion board, can be displayed as web parts on Business Portal pages. Here s a brief overview of how security for these web parts is handled: View access If you have access to a page, you can view all web parts on the page, including SharePoint document libraries and lists. Write access By default, only members of the Business Portal Administrator role can add and modify items in SharePoint web parts. You may want your HR team leaders to be able to add and modify items in SharePoint web parts, as well. For instructions on how to do this, see Securing a SharePoint web part. 6. Create and set up your HR portal elements The next step in the process is to create and set up the HR elements you listed in step 4. For complete step-by-step instructions refer to the following manuals: Business Portal Administrator s Guide Explains how to install Business Portal and set up users, roles, and data Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 14

permissions. It also explains how to create pages and web parts. HRM Self Service Suite Administrator s Guide Explains how to install and set up the Human Resources Management Self Service Suite. These manuals are available on the Business Portal CD. You can also access these manuals on the CustomerSource web site at: https://mbs.microsoft.com/customersource/support/documentation/ UserGuides/businessportal_25FP_userguides.htm Common procedures When implementing your HR portal, you ll most likely be adding lots of SharePoint web parts. To help you along with this process, we ve included some common procedures you may want to refer to. Creating a SharePoint web part The following steps explain how to create a SharePoint web part. HINT: Although these steps show how to create a document library, they also apply to other SharePoint features, such as announcement lists, surveys, and discussion boards. 1. Open Business Portal and go to the Create Page page (Site Settings > General Settings > Create). 2. Click Document Library. 3. Follow the instructions displayed to create your document library. 4. After you have created the document library, go to the Business Portal page where you d like to display it. 5. Click Modify Shared Page > Add Web Parts > Browse. The Add Web Parts tool pane appears. 6. Select BusinessPortal Gallery and browse through the web parts listed until you find your document library. 7. Select your document library and drag it onto the page. Securing a SharePoint web part By default, only members of the Business Portal Administrator role can add and modify items in SharePoint web parts. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 15

You may want your HR team leaders and in some cases, employees to be able to add and modify items in SharePoint web parts, as well. The following steps show how we modified security for the 401(k) Information document library, found on the 401(k) sample page. HINT: Although these steps show how to modify security for a document library, they also apply to other SharePoint features, such as announcement lists, surveys, and discussion boards. 1. Click the web part title, 401(k) Information. The 401(k) Information document library appears in full-page form. 2. Click Modify settings and columns. 3. The Customize 401(k) Information page appears. Click Change permissions for this document library. 4. The Change Permissions: 401(k) Information page appears. Click Add Users. 5. The Add Users: 401(k) Information page appears. To set up permissions for a specific user, enter the user s email address. Or, to set up permissions for group of users, enter a cross-site group name. In this example, we wanted members of the Human Resources Administrator role to be able to add and remove documents from the 401(k) Information document library. Therefore, we entered the cross-site group name, BP Human Resources Administrator All. For more information about cross-site group names, see the Business Portal Administrator s Guide. 6. Select the appropriate permissions. In our example, we selected View, insert, edit, delete items. 7. Click Next. 8. Confirm the user names and indicate whether you want to send an email notification to the user or users. 9. Click Finish. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 16

Sample pages To give you some ideas on how you can implement the HR portal elements we ve discussed in this paper, here are some sample pages. Pages for employees: Company Center page 401(k) page Annual Employee Survey page Benefits page Classifieds page Diversity page Employee Handbook page Employee Stock Purchase Plan page Pages for managers: Performance Management page Pages for HR team members Our HR Team page Employees page Forms page Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 17

Company Center page The Company Center page is an out-of-the-box feature of Business Portal. It contains general announcements for all employees, as well as provides links to other pages within the Company Center. With a few customizations, you can make this page more visually appealing and provide key information to your employees. Here s how we customized this page: 1. Created the Company Picnic picture library The Company Picnic web part is a SharePoint picture library. It provides a fun glimpse of a recent company event. The picture library was modified so that only the Thumbnail and Description columns are displayed. 2. Created the Company Events events list The Company Events web part is a SharePoint events list. It provides a quick glance at important, upcoming company events that all employees should attend. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 18

3. Created the Extras and Activities links list The Extras and Activities web part is a SharePoint links list. In this example, it provides links to external web sites our sample company, Fabrikam, supports and encourages employees to become involved with. 401(k) page The 401(k) page is a sample page we created to store all of our 401(k) information. Employees can come to this page and find information about 401(k) benefits, read the latest announcements, and find a list of HR team members they can contact if they have questions. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called 401(k). While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 19

2. Created the 401(k) Announcements announcements list The 401(k) Announcements web part is a SharePoint announcements list. It s the perfect place for your HR team to highlight changes to your company s 401(k) plan. 3. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. 4. Created the 401(k) Links links list The 401(k) Links web part is a SharePoint links list. It provides links to external web sites and tools employees may find helpful in making 401(k) decisions. 5. Created the 401(k) Information document library The 401(k) Information web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains all documents relating to 401(k) benefits, including the official 401(k) plan, eligibility information, and even a Frequently Asked Questions document. The document library was modified in the following ways: Only the Type and Name columns are displayed. A column called Category was added. The documents are grouped according to Category. 6. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 20

Annual Employee Survey page The Annual Employee Survey page is a sample page we created to get employee feedback. The page provides basic information to employees about the survey and how it is administered. When employees are ready to begin the survey they click the Respond to Survey button. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 21

Once employees click the Respond to Survey button, they can begin providing their feedback. Here s a look at some questions we asked in our sample survey: Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Annual Employee Survey. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. 2. Added the We Want To Hear From You web part The We Want to Hear From You web part was created by dragging the Page Viewer web part (from the BusinessPortal Gallery) onto the page. Next, we created an.html page that contains general information about the survey. This.html page explains why we re conducting the survey and informs employees that all survey responses are anonymous. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 22

Then, we configured the Page Viewer web part to point to the.html page that we created. We also renamed the web part to We Want To Hear From You! 3. Created the survey Our survey contains questions geared toward measuring employee satisfaction. While creating this survey, we made the following selections: User names will not be shown in survey results. Multiple responses per user are not allowed. Users can read only their own responses. 4. Security was modified By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. To allow employees to respond to this survey, we modified security so that the BP Employee 1 cross-site group has permission to respond to survey questions. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 23

Benefits page The Benefits page is the repository for documents that detail our medical plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance and disability information, and other benefits. It s a great way to organize all your benefits information so that employees can quickly and easily locate the information they need. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Benefits. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. 2. Created the Benefits Announcements announcements list The Benefits Announcements web part is a SharePoint announcements list. It s the perfect place for the HR team to highlight changes to the company s benefits information. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 24

3. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. 4. Created the Benefits Information document library The Benefits Information web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains all documents relating to medical plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, and other benefit information. The document library was modified in the following ways: Only the Type and Name columns are displayed. A column called Category was added. The documents are grouped according to Category. 5. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 25

Classifieds page It s time to move the company bulletin board online! This sample Classifieds page shows how easy it is for employees to post new ads and review existing ads. By grouping the ads into categories, you ll help employees find that desired item. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Classifieds. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. 2. Created the Classifieds announcements list The Classifieds web part is a SharePoint announcements list. Employees can post announcements describing the items they re selling, including prices and their contact information. The announcement list was modified in the following ways: Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 26

A column called Category was added. The announcements are grouped according to Category. 3. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our employees to be able to add items to the web part on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Employee 1 cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web part. For step-by-step information, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Diversity page A Diversity page is a great way for your company to promote diversity, celebrate your employees heritage, and educate employees about the benefits of a diverse workplace. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Diversity. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 27

2. Created the Diversity Announcements announcements list The Diversity Announcements web part is a SharePoint announcements list. It s the perfect place for the HR team to highlight upcoming cultural events in the company and community. 3. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. 4. Created the Diversity Programs document library The Diversity Programs web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains documents describing the company s diversity objectives, opportunities, and resources. The document library was modified so that the Type and Name columns are displayed. 5. Created the Women s Conference picture library The Women s Conference web part is a SharePoint picture library. It provides a glimpse at a recent event sponsored by the sample company, Fabrikam. The picture library was modified so that the Thumbnail and Description columns are displayed. 6. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 28

Employee Handbook page Is your company s Employee Handbook sitting on a shelf in a threering binder? If so, it s time to move that information online. By placing those documents in a document library on a Business Portal page, you ll ensure that all employees have access to the most current company guidelines and policies. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Employee Handbook. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. 2. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 29

3. Created the Employee Handbook document library The Employee Handbook web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains the company s policies and guidelines. The document library was modified in the following ways: Only the Type and Name columns are displayed. A column called Category was added. The documents are grouped according to Category. 4. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 30

Employee Stock Purchase Plan page The Employee Stock Purchase Plan page is a sample page we created to store all of our ESPP information. Employees can come to this page and find enrollment and plan information, read the latest announcements concerning the ESPP, and find a list of HR team members they can contact if they have questions. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called ESPP. HINT: The name ESPP will appear in the page s menu tab. We later modified the page name to be more descriptive: Employee Stock Purchase Plan. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Employee role so all employees can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 31

2. Created the ESPP Announcements announcements list The ESPP Announcements web part is a SharePoint announcements list. It s the perfect place for the HR team to highlight changes to the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. 3. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. 4. Created the ESPP Links links list The ESPP Links web part is a SharePoint links list. It provides links to external web sites and tools employees may find helpful in making ESPP decisions. 5. Created the ESPP Information document library The ESPP Information web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains all documents relating to the ESPP benefits, including the official plan, enrollment guidelines, and even a Frequently Asked Questions document. The document library was modified in the following ways: Only the Type and Name columns are displayed. A column called Category was added. The documents are grouped according to Category. 6. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 32

Performance Management page The Performance Management page helps managers prepare for employee performance reviews. The page gives managers access to documents that help them prepare and conduct reviews. It also reminds them of important dates in the review process, and provides them with a list of HR team members they can contact if they have questions. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Performance Management. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Manager role so that only managers can access the page. We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. 2. Created the HR Contacts contacts list The HR Contacts web part is a SharePoint contacts list. If employees have any questions about the information on this page, they can contact the HR team members listed here. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 33

3. Created the About Performance Management at Fabrikam document library The About Performance Management at Fabrikam web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains documents describing how managers should set goals and rate employee performance. The document library was modified so that the Type and Name columns are displayed. 4. Created the Performance Management Important Dates events list The Performance Management Important Dates web part is a SharePoint events list. It reminds managers of important dates in the performance review process, such as the dates on which employees and managers must submit their review forms. 5. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 34

Our HR Team page The Our HR Team page is an example of how you can create a team site within Business Portal. For example, this page enables HR team members to find out more about their team members, learn when the next team meeting is, and participate in team discussions. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Our HR Team. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Human Resources Administrator role. (In this example, all members of our HR team are assigned to the Human Resources Administrator role.) We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 35

2. Created the HR Team Members picture library The HR Team Members web part is a SharePoint picture library. It provides HR team members with a way to learn more about the people they work with every day. We ve customized this picture library to display the position title, hire date, and an interesting fact about each HR team member. 3. Created the HR Team Meetings event list The HR Team Meetings web part is a SharePoint events list. It s an easy way for HR Team Members to keep track of when their team meetings are scheduled. 4. Created the Chatting with the HR Team discussion board The Chatting with the HR Team web part is a SharePoint discussion board. It s a great way for all team members to participate in a team conversation. 5. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 36

Employees page The Employees page is a sample information page. The result viewer web parts on this page communicate with each other. For example, by selecting an employee in the Employees web part, data about that specific employee is displayed in the Employment Details, Personal Details, and Home Address web parts. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Employees. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Human Resources Administrator role. (In this example, all members of our HR team are assigned to the Human Resources Administrator role.) We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 37

2. Created the publishing web part The Employees web part is a publishing result viewer web part. This means that when you select an employee in this web part, data about that employee is displayed in the other result viewers on the page. The Employee web part was created by dragging the Primary Publishing Result Viewer web part (from the BusinessPortal Gallery) onto the page. We then configured it to display a query containing employee first and last names. It s important to note that you can add additional queries to this web part. For example, you can choose to display a list of all employees, or only the employees in the Accounting, Purchasing, or Sales departments. 3. Created the subscribing web parts The Employment Details, Personal Details, and Home Address web parts are subscribing result viewer web parts. This means that when you select an employee from the Employees web part, data about that employee is displayed in the subscribing web parts. These web parts were created by dragging the Form ResultViewer web part (from the BusinessPortal Gallery) onto the page. We then configured each web part to display a query containing employee data. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 38

Forms page There are several forms and templates your HR team uses on a daily basis. Instead of keeping those forms and templates in a file cabinet, or tacked up to a wall, put them online. A document library provides you with a central place to store and manage these documents. Here s how this page was created: 1. Created the page We created a new portal page called Forms. HINT: The name Forms will appear in the page s menu tab. We later modified the page name to be more descriptive: HR Forms and Templates. While creating this page, we assigned it to the Human Resources Administrator role. (In this example, all members of our HR team are assigned to the Human Resources Administrator role.) We also choose the Header, Footer, 3 Columns page layout. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 39

2. Created the HR Templates links list The HR Templates web part is a SharePoint links list. It provides a link to HR-related templates available on the Office Online web site (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates). 3. Created the HR Forms document library The HR Forms web part is a SharePoint document library. It contains all of the documents the HR team needs on a regular basis, such as the job description form, request for references letter, or the manager feedback form. The document library was modified in the following ways: Only the Type and Name columns are displayed. A column called Category was added. The documents are grouped according to Category. 4. Modified security By default, only users assigned to the Business Portal Administrator role can add, modify, and delete items from SharePoint web parts. We wanted our HR team leaders to be able to add items to the web parts on this page. Therefore, we modified security so that the BP Human Resources Administrator All cross-site group has permission to view, insert, edit, and delete items in the SharePoint web parts. For step-by-step instructions, see Securing a SharePoint web part. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 40

Summary Throughout this paper you ve found ideas and tips on how to customize Business Portal to meet your company s Human Resources needs. Specifically, you ve learned: What an HR portal is The benefits an HR portal can provide How to implement an HR portal Now it s time for you to take these ideas and concepts and put them into practice in your own organization. By using the Business Portal and SharePoint features available to you, you can create an HR portal where: Employees will go to look up 401(k) information, enter timecards, and change their personal information. Managers will go to approve timecards, post job openings, and review performance management information. Human Resources team members will go to find employee data, communicate benefits changes and company policies, and discuss team issues. With some planning and some easy customizations, you can create your very own HR portal. The HR portal you create will deliver the right information to the right people, helping your organization and your employees reach their full potential. Disclaimer The information contained in this document represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation on the issues discussed as of the date of publication. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This White Paper is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property. 2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, SharePoint, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Building a Human Resources Portal using Microsoft Business Portal 41