[bromcom] Bromcom - Dealing with inductions

[CHiLL]

We are trying to streamline our onboarding process and want to figure out how we can add new staff into Bromcom, which would allow Salamander to create their AD/M365 accounts and allow them to log in for an induction. A contracted member of staff would have their contract and start date added, however we are conducting inductions sometimes several weeks before their official start date. I have read that some people are adding users in as volunteers in Bromcom, as well as their contract, meaning that they can overlap. However, I cannot figure out how to do that. Ideally, we would like to have it as follows:

 

• Person's details entered in Bromcom, including volunteer date for induction (for example 01/07/2024 - 05/07/2024 or overlapping with their contact start date, such as 01/07/2024 - 01/09/2024) and their actual contract start date (for example 01/09/2024)
  
• Salamander creates their account
  
• Person has their induction
  
• Salamander disables their account as per volunteer end date
  
• Salamander reactivates their account as per contract start date
  
• Person then starts their employment on their actual start date
  

 

Bromcom support is either not understanding what we're trying to achieve or being cagey about it. Does anyone have any advice on how to achieve this?

[bobsmith]

We are in the same situation as you - but went another route.

 

Salamander runs the place now - it's basically SkyNet....

 

But since we don't actually like the idea of giving people - who are technically not employed yet - access to student and staff information we don't add them to bromcom until they start*.

 

*well we create their records - but their contract and employment start date are in the future.

 

They get a guest user account for the induction day/s and the teacher running the induction uses their account to show them around bromcom.

They don't get let loose on it until DBS comes back clean and their contract starts.

 

However the workaround when I need to get someone on before their contract start date is simply to give them an employment start date before their contract start date. then amend it after they actually start for real.

Pretty sure our salamander install looks at employment not contracts (I know because HR aren't always quick to enter contracts!)

[CHiLL]

We are in the same situation as you - but went another route.

 

Salamander runs the place now - it's basically SkyNet....

 

But since we don't actually like the idea of giving people - who are technically not employed yet - access to student and staff information we don't add them to bromcom until they start*.

 

*well we create their records - but their contract and employment start date are in the future.

 

They get a guest user account for the induction day/s and the teacher running the induction uses their account to show them around bromcom.

They don't get let loose on it until DBS comes back clean and their contract starts.

 

However the workaround when I need to get someone on before their contract start date is simply to give them an employment start date before their contract start date. then amend it after they actually start for real.

Pretty sure our salamander install looks at employment not contracts (I know because HR aren't always quick to enter contracts!)

Yeah, that's what we're trying to avoid - unnecessarily giving users who aren't technically employees access. There can be some exceptions, like a HoD or SLT who wants to get a head start during the summer holidays or something. We also want to achieve this in the least disruptive way for HR as possible, so they don't have to do a job twice if it isn't necessary.

 

We are investigating with Salamander whether they can read the "The user can log into system" checkbox in "System Users". If they can, then we can see if they can change the password to something random is that box isn't checked and if it is checked, change the password to the default new starter password. This would require HR to have access to the System Users section, but I don't see that being an issue (though by default, that's only available to Administrators, so I'd probably have to create a custom role). Sure, it means they'd have to revisit Bromcom and change that flag, but at least it's less steps than creating a new contract. One downside is that Salamander doesn't automatically run until the following night, so either HR have to check that box BEFORE the start date (which could be a problem during holidays), or we'll have to manually run the Salamander script to force the sync.

Edited June 26, 2024 by CHiLL