What is HR-Driven Identity?

HR-Driven Identity is an identity and access management approach that treats the HRIS as the primary source for employee identity and account data. Unlike traditional Identity Providers that capture only basic account information, the HRIS brings additional context—such as department, title, reporting lines, and location—into the mix. Because HR manages these details, any changes (like department transfers or title updates) are automatically reflected across all connected systems. This integration ensures that employee information remains current and accurate without relying on manual IT updates, resulting in streamlined operations and enhanced security.

How Does HR-Driven Identity Work?

HR-driven identity functions through a structured integration between HRIS and IAM platforms to manage access permissions automatically. These solutions integrate with HRIS platforms like Workday, BambooHR, or SAP SuccessFactors, ensuring that user provisioning, role changes, and deprovisioning occur seamlessly without manual IT intervention. The process involves multiple stages:

1. User Creation & Provisioning

When a new employee is added to the HR system, their identity is automatically created across all required platforms.

Example: A new Marketing Manager is added to BambooHR. This triggers automatic account creation in Google Workspace, Slack, HubSpot, and Notion on their start date without requiring manual intervention.

2. Lifecycle Management

When an employee changes roles or departments, their access rights are updated dynamically.

Example: A Sales Executive who transitions to Customer Success will have their Salesforce access revoked while gaining permissions for Zendesk and customer support tools.

3. Offboarding & Deprovisioning

As soon as an employee exits the company, their access is revoked instantly, mitigating security risks.

Example: An employee leaving the organization triggers automatic deactivation of business applications, removal from email lists, and withdrawal of VPN credentials.

This automation reduces IT workload, enhances security, and ensures compliance with regulatory frameworks. It also reduces manual workload, enhances security, and ensures employees have the right tools from day one.

Benefits of HR-Driven Identity

Improved Security & Compliance

• Ensures that only authorized users have access to company resources.

• Automatically revokes access for departing employees, reducing security risks.

Operational Efficiency

• Automates user provisioning and deprovisioning, eliminating manual IT tasks.

• Reduces human errors in access management.

Better Employee Experience

• Employees get immediate access to required systems from day one.

• No delays in onboarding or unnecessary permission requests.

Audit & Compliance Readiness

• Maintains logs of all identity-related activities for compliance audits.

• Helps businesses meet security standards like SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR.

Use Cases for HR-Driven Identity

Automated Onboarding

Manual onboarding leads to delays, leaving new hires without access to necessary tools for days. HR-driven identity automation ensures instant account creation and role-based access

Automated Access Control for Promotions & Transfers

Employees often face delays in gaining the right permissions when switching roles. HR-driven identity ensures seamless access transitions.

Instant Offboarding

Ex-employees retaining access to company systems pose a security risk. HR-driven identity ensures immediate deactivation of accounts upon employee departure.

Challenges in HR-Driven Identity Management

While automation enhances security and efficiency, some challenges exist:

• HR Data Inconsistencies: Inaccurate or outdated HR records can lead to incorrect access provisioning.

• Uncoordinated Changes: When HR creates new departments or reassigns employees without coordinating with IT, the assignment rules in IT systems may not align with the updated HR data. This misalignment can lead to temporary loss of access for affected employees until the rules are updated.

• Complex Role Hierarchies: Defining role-based access can be challenging in large organizations with many departments.

• Integration with Legacy Systems: Older applications may not support direct integration with HRIS platforms.

Tailored HRIS Integrations for Every Business

ShiftControl is built on top of JumpCloud, which offers a robust range of HRIS integrations right out of the box. Additionally, our use of Workato enables us to craft custom integrations for nearly any HRIS system. We understand that many businesses rely on HRIS platforms tailored to local markets or specific industries. By leveraging these integrations, we harness HRIS data to deliver the advanced identity management features highlighted in this article.