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Initial setup and organization onboarding
Initial setup and organization onboarding
Agnieszka Popławska avatar
Written by Agnieszka Popławska
Updated over 3 months ago

In this article, we'll provide a concise checklist for setting up an HR system using Calamari. This checklist covers essential steps from subscription activation to configuring employee data and integrating it with other tools. 🚀

Subscription

Activate the subscription plan and ensure access to all features. Not sure what features are available in which module? Check the article explaining the differences between all of them.

Helpful materials on this stage:

Adding employees

Adding/importing employee data is essential to move forward with the rest of the configuration.

Here, you can find detailed instructions on how to upload employee information to the system (you can add them one by one or import their data in bulk using an Excel spreadsheet).


While we offer basic details in employee profiles, if you're utilizing the Core HR module, you have the flexibility to enrich these profiles with more information.

This includes the ability to configure custom fields tailored to your specific needs, allowing you to capture additional data relevant to your organization.

💡 We've got you covered! Gathering all the details upfront isn't necessary. You can upload additional information about employees at a later stage in the process.

Absence types setup


A crucial step in the process is to customize the absence types configuration to align with your company's policies. Here's an overview of the various options available within the absence types configuration (Calamari offers extensive flexibility, providing numerous customization possibilities).

Below, you can also find detailed instructions on how to add different types of leave depending on the location or contract types:

🌎 If your company operates globally, Calamari offers various ways to support such businesses:

💡 Feeling a bit overwhelmed? No worries at all! We're here to offer our support every step of the way. Reach out whenever you need assistance, and we'll make sure to guide you through it all! 😊

Importing leave data

When starting to use Calamari, there are two common scenarios for setting up leave balances:

a. Start fresh with current balances in Calamari:

  • Employees can plan future time off based on these balances and future accruals.

  • Accruals should be added with the effective date of the next accrual period (e.g., next month).

b. Import historical data for the current calendar year:

  • Import balances carried over from the previous year as of December 31st.

  • Import all requests, including historical data, for the current year.

  • Set up accruals with an effective date of January 1st of the current year.

Need a recommendation on what would work best for you or any help with the import? 💫

Just shoot us a message at [email protected] 📩

Public holidays


Depending on your company's global presence or if you operate within a single country, setting up public holidays involves configuring the system's calendar to recognize and accommodate holidays observed by your organization. This process ensures accurate recording of employees' time off, whether it's for national holidays, regional observances, or company-specific holidays.

Below, you can find detailed instructions on setting up public holidays:

Approval flows


Setting up approval flows is essential for streamlining the process of managing employee absences or timesheet management.

This involves configuring different approval paths based on various factors, such as the team or role in the organization, the type of absence requested, and whether multi-step approval is required. Additionally, the system may allow for automatic approval for some users, while other requests may require manual approval from specific individuals or departments.

Check more details below:

Work schedule

Configuring a proper work plan is crucial for accurately calculating timesheets and leave durations. By defining work schedules and assigning specific weekly work plans to employees, the system can automatically calculate leave durations based on the employee's regular working hours. This ensures that employees' time off is accurately recorded and the system shows proper data in their timesheets.

Read more about configuring work schedule:

Attendance tracking options

Calamari offers two main models of tracking attendance, catering to different work environments, employee preferences, and organizational requirements. 🕐

  • real-time attendance tracking using various methods (web browsers, mobile app, QR codes, MS Teams, Slack, iBeacons, API)

  • adding timesheets manually

Dive into the details below 🔍

Roles and data visibility management

Adjusting visibility settings within a time and attendance management system is crucial for maintaining data privacy and security while ensuring efficient workflow management. These settings allow administrators to control who can access and view different types of information within the system, depending on their roles and responsibilities.

Calamari allows you different options for visibility of the employees' side:

Integrations

Calamari provides a wide range of integrations. To learn more about how to enable these integrations, please read below🤓

Inviting employees to a new tool and training resources

Calamari offers three ways for users to log in to the web and mobile application:

  • sign in with login and password

  • SSO login with an external tool

  • sign in with login & password and SSO login

Depending on preferred login options, you can share invitations with your colleagues in 3 ways; check details below:

Below, we've also gathered a set of onboarding materials you could share internally - enjoy! 📚

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