Every module that assigns work or routes an approval resolves against the employee record, which makes People OS the first thing worth setting up properly.
The record
Name, work contact details, job title, department, manager, status, and start date form the core. Documents, assets, and compensation attach to it with tighter permissions.
Org chart
Built from the manager field. Once reporting lines are accurate, approval routing, one-on-one tracking, and workload views all work without further configuration.
Departments
Departments group people for reporting, permissions, and planning. Keep them aligned with how you actually operate rather than with an aspirational structure.
Lifecycle
Onboarding and offboarding run as checklists with owners and due dates, and can be triggered automatically when a candidate is hired in Hiring OS or when status changes.
Tip: Import your people list first, before any other data. Deals, tasks, and approvals all reference employees, so an accurate directory makes every later import land correctly.