This article applies to Account Owners, Account Admins, and Power Users in the Legacy PI platform.
One of the biggest changes from Legacy PI to the new PI2 experience pertains to folders.
In this article, we'll explain what's changing, why it's changing, and how to take advantage of the changes in PI2.
How folders worked in Legacy PI
In Legacy, folders could be created by Account Owners, Account Admins, and Power Users.
These folders were accessible via the "Browse" menu.
Users could create a hierarchical folder structure, then use those folders to organize jobs, candidates, and employees. (In the below example, each folder pertains to a different department in an organization, with subfolders dedicated to employees vs. jobs/candidates.)
Folders also functioned as a way to control who could see what within the PI platform. In the above example, an Account Owner or Account Admin could restrict access to the "Sales Candidates" folder so that only specific people (e.g., recruiters or hiring managers) could view relevant candidate behavioral data.
How folders work in PI2
In PI2, folders are controlled by "organization admins." (Learn how Legacy user roles map to PI2 user roles.)
These folders are accessible by clicking the gear icon in the right-hand corner, then selecting the "Folders" tab.
Here, you can create new folders and nest them within individual folders, just like in Legacy.
Note: Unlike Legacy, where you added both people and jobs to folders, in PI2 we are de-emphasizing the focus on people and focusing solely on job access.
While you will still be able to add employees to folders, candidate data now lives directly in Hire. Instead, you can add jobs to folders, and then extend folder access permissions to users, letting you fine-tune access to jobs and candidates in one motion.
Important: As with legacy, PI2 currently supports categorizing employees into folders. However, this is purely a cosmetic way to organize employee data, and does not allow you to restrict access to employee behavioral data.
In the spirit of decoupling folders from employees, we plan to deprecate employee folders entirely in the near future. (See: Why the changes?)
Restricting employee behavioral data access in PI2
We understand that many clients used folders in Legacy to control access to employee behavioral data. With the changes to folders in PI2, you might wonder how this works in the new experience.
In PI2, we have added a new software setting, Behavioral Data Permissions ("BDP"), which allows organization admins to control BA access without the need to organize people into folders.
This setting is accessible by clicking the People tab within Administration, then "Behavioral Data Permissions" on the left-hand side.
Here, you will be able to select the level of behavioral data permissions that work best for your organization. There are two high-level options---"Open" and "Restricted"---with additional permission toggles available under Restricted based on your software needs. Learn more about how behavioral data permissions work.
Important: Behavioral data permissions are implemented using manager data. Before implementing restricted BDP settings, please ensure you have updated employee and manager data in PI2. Learn how to add/update manager data for BDP.
Why the changes?
There are two main reasons why we're deprecating employee folders in PI2:
Data hygiene: While companies with impeccable organization skills were able to take full advantage of folders, many other clients felt the old system was cumbersome and confusing. In extreme cases, it added hours if not days of annual admin upkeep for clients.
New features: With PI2, we want to bring even more value to your day-to-day work. The legacy folders system may be comfortable, but it prevents us from developing new features that revolve around organization structure and manager reporting lines.
With the new "Behavioral Data Permissions" setting, you will now be able to set permissions without having to manually move employees between folders and/or set folder access. Select your desired settings on the BDP page, and the permissions will update accordingly whenever you update reporting lines with new manager data. Learn how to upload an org file with fresh manager data.
As you and other clients acclimate to these new settings, our Product team will be listening closely to your feedback so we can build on this functionality and bring you more exciting features in the future. We encourage you to vote for your favorite feature ideas here.
How to prepare for PI2
We recognize that many clients have complex folder architecture from the legacy PI experience. We also don't expect the new changes to click overnight.
To support the transition, we are importing your existing folder architecture into PI2. If you organized folders by department, you will see them by department in PI2. The same goes if you organized folders in a different fashion.
That said, to ensure a smooth upgrade experience, here are a few recommended actions:
Follow our data hygiene best practices prior to your upgrade date.
Review our support article on how behavioral data permissions work in PI2.
Decide as an organization whether you'd prefer to set "open" or "restricted" behavioral data settings in PI2.
Once your account is upgraded, follow our steps to set/modify your behavioral data permissions accordingly.
Upload an organization file containing updated employee data and manager names. (This is the easiest way to upload manager data in bulk, and thus ensure BDP settings apply accurately across your organization.)
We also recommend reviewing employee access levels for PI users in your organization. While you are free to continue using folders to control job access (if applicable), we have made it easier to limit who can see candidate data without the need for folders.
Only those with access to PI Hire will be able to view jobs.
Limited users will only be able to see jobs they create. (The ability to create a job can also be restricted.)
Admins, meanwhile, will be able to see/edit all jobs.
FAQs
I'm "X" user role in legacy PI. Will I be able to set folders/BA access in PI2?
I'm "X" user role in legacy PI. Will I be able to set folders/BA access in PI2?
The answer depends on your specific user role in legacy PI.
If you were an Account Owner, you will become an organization admin in PI2. This grants you the ability to create folders, set folder access (and, by extension, job/candidate access), and set Behavioral Data Permissions (i.e., employee BA access).
If you were an Account Admin, you will become a product admin in PI2 (e.g., a Hire admin). Unlike in legacy, you will not be able to create folders or manage folder access. Likewise, you will not be able to set Behavioral Data Permissions.
Similarly, if you were a Power User, you will become a limited user in PI2 and won't be able to interact with folder access or BDP settings.
How can I become an organization admin in PI2?
How can I become an organization admin in PI2?
To become an organization admin, request that an existing organization admin promote you to org admin.
Not sure who your organization admin is? Here's how to find out.
Do I have to use folders in PI2?
Do I have to use folders in PI2?
No, you do not. By design, we are moving away from folders in PI2 and providing alternative ways to restrict access to employee and candidate data.
Candidate data: Folders will continue to exist, mainly as a way to organize jobs and limit/grant access to particular jobs. That said, you can ignore folders entirely and limit access to jobs/candidates by setting employee access levels.
Employee data: Folders can no longer be used to limit/grant access to employee behavioral data. Instead, you can set access restrictions from the Behavioral Data Permissions page.
How do I limit access to other forms of data (e.g., teams, surveys)?
How do I limit access to other forms of data (e.g., teams, surveys)?
You can limit access to team data and survey data by setting employee access levels. By default, only users with limited access or above will be able to access data within a specific PI product.
What do employees see when Behavioral Data Permissions are set to "Restricted"?
What do employees see when Behavioral Data Permissions are set to "Restricted"?
The answer depends on how many restriction settings you toggle. By default, users will not be able to see any behavioral data aside from their own data and their direct reports' data.
That said, you can toggle any of the following settings to widen those permissions:
"Managers of managers can view everyone who reports up to them"
"Users can view their direct manager's behavioral data"
"Team members who report to the same manager can view each other's behavioral data"
Note: If you'd prefer an environment where any PI user can look up any employee's behavioral data, we instead recommend setting your BDP settings to "Open."
What's the easiest way to transition from folders and take advantage of Behavioral Data Permissions?
What's the easiest way to transition from folders and take advantage of Behavioral Data Permissions?
The best first step is to upload a fresh organization file containing updated employee data and manager names. Doing so will ensure BDP restrictions apply accurately across your entire organization.
We also recommend reviewing employee access levels for PI users in your organization. While you are free to continue using folders to control job access, we have made it easier to limit who can see candidate data without the need for folders.
Only those with access to PI Hire will be able to view jobs.
Limited users will only be able to see jobs they create. (The ability to create a job can also be restricted.)
Admins, meanwhile, will be able to see/edit all jobs.