Hello and welcome to the November edition of the Employment Hero Product Update. We’re nearing the end of the year, but we’re not slowing down. Our team has been working hard behind the scenes and we have a ton of exciting new updates to share with you. So, what’s new in November?

We’ve added enhanced security settings with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and Single Sign-On (SSO), improved our performance review module, added additional features to the list, made our workflow functionality work more powerful and that’s just the beginning. Everything is there and ready to use on the platform – let’s get started.

Improved single sign-on (SSO) login experience

Available for the following HR plan: Platinum

We’re excited to announce that we’ve improved security when logging into Employment Hero to give you an even safer experience.

Organizations with SSO enabled can log in to Employment Hero with just one click via the “My apps” Dashboard on Okta, Microsoft Office Apps and Google Workspace Apps. This connection option can be enabled via IDP configuration.

Learn more about single sign-on.

You can now add backup approver options in Employment Hero

Available on the following packages: Classic: Platinum, new generation

Administrators now have flexible backup approver choices, including options such as Administrator, Team Leader, Primary/Secondary Manager, and Specific Teams, in the Leave, Expenses, and Edit Employee Records modules.

We’ve also added notifications to alert admins if an approver is terminated, improving the speed and experience of approvals for your team.

We’ve added two-factor authentication (2FA) for payroll users and additional security measures

Available for the following packages: Payroll only, Swag users

We’ve added an extra layer of security for payroll in the Swag app to give you an even more secure experience with Employment Hero and Swag.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your account by asking for both your password and a code sent to your phone.

Payroll-only users can now enable, disable, and configure 2FA directly in the Swag app.

Note: This update is reserved for users with access to payroll only. If you have used the WorkZone app before, you can follow the tips in this article. If you have used the Employment Hero app before, follow the instructions instructions in the article here.

Learn more about setting up 2FA in the Swag app here.

You can now choose how often you want to receive application notifications.

We know you’re busy and the last thing you want is a flooded inbox. That’s why we now give you the option to choose how often you want to receive notifications about new apps.

You can now choose to receive daily or weekly application summaries instead of individual notifications for each new applicant.

Please note: By default, Applicant Reporting will be enabled at the organizational level (email notification settings) and disabled at the individual level (notification settings).

Learn more about changing how often you receive emails from Employment Hero.

We’ve added more flexibility to performance reviews.

Available on the following packages: Classic: Premium, Platinum, EOS: Plus, Unlimited

You asked, we listened! Previously, admins could only assign performance reviews to teams or individual employees, but we know you wanted more functionality and flexibility to add additional fields.

Now, when an admin creates or edits a rating period, they will have the option to assign the rating based on the locations and entities using it.

We automated the synchronization of retirement settings with HR and payroll

Available on the following packages: All connected HR and EH Payroll customers, including AutoPay customers.

To improve efficiency, all updates to UK pension settings in Employment Hero Payroll will now automatically sync with Employment Hero HR for customers connected to EH Payroll. This is a big win for businesses looking to increase efficiency by eliminating the need for manual imports.

Learn more about setting up and managing pensions.

Managers can now easily create goals and tasks when evaluating an employee’s performance.

Available on the following packages: Classic: Platinum, EOS: Plus, Unlimited

When performing a performance review, it is likely that these will be the next steps to further an employee’s professional development. We’ve made this process much more manageable, with managers now able to create goals and tasks in the “Next Steps” section of the Employee Assessment page. This will be visible to both the employee and the manager.

Learn more about handling performance reviews as a manager.

You can now enable or disable the ability for employees to request feedback in the 360 ​​Review module

Available on the following packages: Classic: Platinum, EOS, Unlimited

Workplace feedback can be invaluable to an employee’s learning and development. That’s why we give you the option to allow employees to search for them on their own.

In Employment Hero, we’ve added a new Custom Security Setting (CSS) to allow employees to directly request a 360 review. Employees will be able to directly see who gave the feedback, so they can take it into account and respond to all their questions.

To enable this feature, go to Custom Security Settings > Other Permissions > 360 Review – Request Feedback.

Learn more about performing a 360 review.

Check two-factor authentication (2FA) using the Swag app

Available for the following HR plans: Free, Standard, Premium, Platinum

The Swag app acts as a seamless 2FA method, allowing you to use your Swag app as a 2FA device.

When Swag Authenticator is enabled on your device, you will receive a push notification if push notifications are enabled for Swag. If notifications are not enabled, you will need to open the Swag app to see the 2FA prompt.

Learn more about using Swag two-factor authentication.

Designate team leaders as approvers on workflows

Available on the following packages: All

Employees can now be designated as team leaders, making them eligible to serve as approvers in workflows.

Learn more about creating teams.

We’ve added more flexibility to HR document email notifications

Available on the following packages: Classic: Platinum, EOS: Plus, Unlimited

We have upgraded the Employee Record Edit module to improve email notifications for HR documents. You can now automate and personalize your email flows, include additional recipients, provide specific context using dynamic fields, and direct notifications to the right people.

Enhanced reference checking capabilities

Available for the following HR plans: Premium, Platinum

When hiring, you want to make sure you’re hiring the right person for the job. To add more confidence to your hiring decision, we have improved our reference check feature.

When performing reference checks, you can now edit reference details, resend reference check emails, and request new references from candidates.

Learn more about managing reference checks.

An easier way to manage expense approvals through Workflows, plus an expense management update for employees on probation

Available on the following packages: Classic: Premium, Platinum, EOS: Unlimited

An expense workflow allows an organization to set up a process for recording and managing expenses. This typically involves collecting, categorizing, auditing and approving expenses to ensure accuracy and accountability. You can use expense workflows to automate this process via a “when-if-then” sequence.

In Employment Hero, you can now use Workflows as your primary expense approval system, simplifying the entire process. Approvers also now have custom permissions for better privacy, while administrators maintain control for secure and consistent management of all approvals.

We’ve also added a new workflow template to prevent probationary employees from submitting expenses.

Learn more about managing expenses in Workflows.

We have improved our workforce planning tool using vacancy data.

Available on the following packages: Classic: Platinum, EOS: Unlimited

Data is king when it comes to workforce planning. That’s why we’ve made our workforce planning functionality even more powerful.

You can now create, edit and track open positions in your organization, making role management easier. Admin users can also run a report to see the number of vacant positions versus active (filled) positions over time.

You can access this feature when employees leave or from People > Vacancies.

Keep an eye out for more feature updates coming to our workforce planning tool in 2025.

Learn more about workforce planning.

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We want our customers to get the most out of our platform. Whether it’s HR, Payroll, or Benefits, you can expect to find new updates here, all designed to make your world of work easier and more valuable. If you want to stay informed about our content, you can visit our resource center or follow us on LinkedIn.