HR / Employees¶
Overview¶
The Employees module is Odoo's human resources foundation. It manages employee records, departments, job positions, work locations, and organizational structure. It serves as the base for other HR modules like Time Off, Attendance, and Payroll — all of which reference the employee record.
Last Updated: February 2026 Target Audience: HR, Managers, Supervisors
How We Use It at Scott Recycling¶
At Scott Recycling, the Employees module is the central record for every team member. Each employee record contains standard information (name, department, job title, contact details, emergency contacts) plus extensive SR-specific fields added by our custom modules. The hr.employee model is extended by sr_management, sr_scheduling, sr_operations_kpi, sr_dashboards, and sr_reports — making it one of the most heavily customized models in our system.
Our custom extensions add onboarding roles that define what training and certifications each position requires, KPI templates that set performance targets by job function, evaluation history tracking formal reviews and coaching sessions, and training progress fields that monitor which onboarding steps have been completed. These feed into the Job Architecture system, which defines career paths, skill requirements, and advancement criteria for every role at SR.
The employee record also connects to attendance tracking (clock-in/out via kiosk), time off management (PTO and sick day balances), and operational dashboards that display per-employee performance metrics. When onboarding a new hire, the employee record is the starting point — creating it triggers the onboarding workflow, assigns the appropriate KPI template, and sets up their initial training checklist.
Learning Resources¶
Official Training¶
| Resource | Type | Duration | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odoo 17 Employees Module Tutorial | Video | ~20 min | YouTube Search |
| Odoo 17 HR Department Setup | Video | ~10 min | YouTube Search |
| Odoo 17 Employee Onboarding | Video | ~15 min | YouTube Search |
Recommended Reading¶
Quick Reference¶
| Task | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| View all employees | Employees > Employees > Employees |
| Create a new employee | Employees > Employees > Employees > New |
| Set an employee's department | Open the employee > Department field |
| Assign a job position | Open the employee > Job Position field |
| Set the manager/coach | Open the employee > Work Information tab > Manager / Coach |
| View an employee's KPI targets | Open the employee > KPI tab (SR custom) |
| Check training progress | Open the employee > Training tab (SR custom) |
| View the org chart | Employees > Employees > select an employee > view hierarchy |
| Update emergency contacts | Open the employee > Private Information tab |
| Archive a departed employee | Open the employee > Action > Archive |
Tips¶
Archive, don't delete
When an employee leaves the company, archive their record instead of deleting it. Archived employees are hidden from active lists but preserve all historical data — attendance records, evaluations, KPI history, and more.
Check the KPI tab for new hires
After creating a new employee record, verify that the correct KPI template has been assigned on the KPI tab. The template determines what performance metrics are tracked and what targets are set for that role.
Keep work schedules accurate
The employee's working schedule (Work Information tab) affects time off calculations, attendance tracking, and overtime detection. Make sure it matches their actual work schedule to avoid incorrect PTO balances and false late-arrival alerts.
Need more help? Check the FAQ & Troubleshooting page or contact your supervisor.