Allow employees to update their HR records on their own

📍 How do I access this feature?
Settings > Module Configuration > Layout Editor + Settings > Customer Portal

The situation #

A company manages hundreds of employees on short-term contracts. Currently, the process of sending access credentials to the employee portal is already automated using Kafinea’s workflows. However, the company would like to take this a step further so that employees can enter the essential information for their files themselves, such as their Social Security number and bank details…

The HR department spends a considerable amount of time collecting this information manually—via email or phone—for each new hire.

Goal #

Enable each employee to complete their application directly from their extranet portal—independently, securely, and with step-by-step guidance. The HR department can track progress at a glance and automatically send reminders to those who are behind schedule.

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1. Create a tracking block on the record #

From the Layout Editor (Settings > Module Configuration > People > Layout), create a new block dedicated to tracking the completeness of the file, containing the following fields:

Note: These fields are used solely for automated tracking. They are not intended to be edited manually.

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2. Set up the employee portal #

Make bank accounts accessible via the extranet #

1. Go to Settings > Customer Portal
2. Add the Third-Party Bank Accounts module to the visible modules
3. Configure fields and permissions:

4. Enable permissions to create and edit a record

Important: The "Bank Account of" field must not be visible on the portal. It is automatically populated by the system with the logged-in user's information. This ensures that an employee can only create a bank account for themselves.

Check the Social Security Number field on the profile #

The Social Security number is already enabled for editing on the portal. Simply verify that it appears in the field settings of the People module on the portal.

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3. Create workflows #

Workflow 1: Social Security number entered #

• Module: People
• Trigger: On every change
• Condition: The Social Security number is not empty
• Action: Check the "Social Security Number entered" box

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Workflow 2: Default bank account entered #

• Module: Third-Party Bank Accounts
• Trigger: On every save (creation or modification)
• Condition: The "Default Bank Account" checkbox is selected
• Action: Check the "Bank account entered" box on the Parentrecord (via the "Bank account of" field)

Note: The Kafinea workflow engine allows you to update a field on a parent record of the current entity.

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Workflow 3: Complete File #

• Module: People
• Trigger: On every change
• Condition: "Social Security number entered" is checked AND "Bank account entered" is checked
• Action: Check the "Complete file" box

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Workflow 4: Notify the employee whenever a bank account is updated #

• Module: Third-Party Bank Accounts
• Trigger: On every save (creation or modification)
• Condition: None (always notify)
• Action: Send an email to the account holder (via the "Bank account of" field)

Important: This workflow is an essential security measure. It allows employees to detect any suspicious changes to their bank account. Include the following in the message: "If you did not make this change, contact HR immediately."

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Workflow 5: Automatic Reminder #

• Module: People
• Trigger: Scheduled (daily or weekly, as needed)
• Condition: The user has active extranet access AND "Complete file" is not checked
• Actions:
  1. Send a reminder email to the person
  2. Update the "Last reminder sent" field with the current date and time

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4. Security #

Automatic validation of bank details #

IBANs and BICs entered via the extranet are automatically validated by the system:

• The IBAN is validated (checksum, format, country code)—an invalid IBAN is rejected with an error message visible to the employee
• The BIC has been verified (strict 8- or 11-character format)

The HR department does not need to manually validate IBANs. The technical validation makes it extremely unlikely that a randomly entered IBAN would pass the check.

Data isolation #

Each employee can view and edit only their own bank accounts. The system automatically assigns the account owner when the account is created via the extranet.

Fraud Detection #

Automatic notification to the employee (workflow 4) is the primary detection mechanism. If someone changes an employee’s bank account without their knowledge, the employee is immediately notified by email.

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5. The Employee Journey #

1. The employee receives their extranet access (via an existing workflow)
2. He logs in to his account and accesses his profile
3. They enter their Social Security number → the system automatically checks the "Social Security number entered" box
4. He goes to the Bank Accounts section and creates his account (IBAN and BIC are automatically validated) → the system checks the "Bank account entered" box
5. He receives a confirmation email (for security purposes)
6. The system checks the "Complete File" box on the record
7. If the application is not completed by the deadline, automatic reminders will be sent

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6. Implementation Checklist #

• [ ] Create the tracking block and the 4 custom fields on the record (Layout Editor)
• [ ] Configure the portal: Make bank accounts accessible with the appropriate fields and permissions
• [ ] Verify that the Social Security number is visible on the extranet profile
• [ ] Create the 5 workflows (Social Security number, bank account, complete file, employee notification, reminders)
• [ ] Test the entire process from the extranet
• [ ] Verify that IBAN/BIC validation errors are displayed correctly

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Related references 🔗 #

• The employee portal
• The people
• Workflows