Administrator Setup Path

This guide walks you through the exact sequence for configuring Ligo HRM for your organisation. Follow this order - especially during first-time setup - to avoid dependency errors.

Prerequisites

Confirm the following with your IT/DevOps team before starting:

✅ The backend server is running and the database migrations have been applied
✅ S3 storage is configured (required for Document Management)
✅ Your Super Admin credentials are provisioned
✅ The frontend URL is accessible to your HR team

Admin Workflow

Phase 1 - Core Organizational Scaffolding

Estimated time: 30–60 minutes

This is the foundation. Every other module depends on data you create here.

1.1 Create Locations

Navigate to: Settings → Organization → Locations → Add Location

Create one record per physical office or remote hub. Required fields:

Name (e.g. Headquarters – Mumbai)
Timezone (e.g. Asia/Kolkata)
Latitude & Longitude (for geofenced attendance)
Geofence Radius in meters (100–200m is a good starting point)

1.2 Create Departments

Navigate to: Settings → Organization → Departments → Add Department

Create each organizational division (e.g. Engineering, Finance, HR, Sales). Set a Department Head once employees are created.

1.3 Create Designations

Navigate to: Settings → Organization → Designations → Add Designation

Define all job titles used in your organization with a Job Code and Grade Level.

Phase 2 - Employee Onboarding

Estimated time: Varies by headcount

2.1 Create Employee Records

Navigate to: Employees → Onboard Employee

For each employee you need:

Employee Code (unique, e.g. ENG001)
Official Email (used for activation and notifications)
Date of Joining
Department, Designation, Location
Role (EMPLOYEE, HR_ADMIN, or ACCOUNT_ADMIN)

The system automatically creates a user account and sends an activation email.

2.2 Assign Reporting Managers

Navigate to: Employee Profile → Employment Tab → Assign Manager

Set a PRIMARY manager for each employee. This drives leave approval, expense approval, and performance review routing.

Phase 3 - Attendance Configuration

Estimated time: 15–30 minutes

3.1 Create Shifts

Navigate to: Attendance Settings → Shifts → Add Shift

Define start/end times and the minimum hours thresholds for HALF_DAY and PRESENT status.

3.2 Create Attendance Policies

Navigate to: Attendance Settings → Policies → Add Policy

Assign shifts to employee groups by scope: per-employee, department, location, or all. Link geofence zones if needed.

3.3 Import Holiday Calendars

Navigate to: Attendance Settings → Holiday Calendars → Import

Load your location-specific holiday lists. These are used by both the attendance and leave modules when calculating working days.

Phase 4 - Leave Configuration

Estimated time: 30–45 minutes

4.1 Create Leave Types

Navigate to: Leave Settings → Leave Types → Add Leave Type

Configure each category: Earned Leave, Sick Leave, Casual Leave, Maternity Leave, etc. Set accrual rates, carry-forward rules, and encashment settings.

4.2 Create Leave Policies

Navigate to: Leave Settings → Leave Policies → Add Policy

Group your leave types into policies (e.g. Full-Time Staff Policy, Contractor Policy).

4.3 Assign Policies to Employees

Navigate to: Leave Settings → Leave Policies → select policy → Assign Employees

Bulk-assign the policy to all relevant employees. Employees without a policy cannot apply for leaves.

Phase 5 - Projects & Finance Setup (if applicable)

Estimated time: 15–30 minutes per project

5.1 Configure Expense Settings

Navigate to: Settings → Expense Settings

Set your base currency (e.g. INR) and any auto-approval rules.

5.2 Create Expense Categories

Navigate to: Settings → Expense Categories → Add Category

Create GLOBAL categories (available to everyone) and PROJECT_SPECIFIC categories (tied to specific projects).

5.3 Create Approval Workflows

Navigate to: Settings → Workflows → Create Workflow

Configure routing rules for expense claims, leave applications, regularizations, and remote work requests. Define approval steps with the appropriate approver type (REPORTING_MANAGER, DEPARTMENT_HEAD, ROLE, etc.).

5.4 Create Projects

Navigate to: Projects → Create Project

Add each active project with a manager, status, and start date. Then add team members with their hourly billing rates.

Phase 6 - Performance Setup (if applicable)

Estimated time: 30–60 minutes

6.1 Build the Master KRA Library

Navigate to: Appraisals Settings → Master KRAs → Add KRA

Create KRAs for each department or global areas. Add KPIs with measurable targets.

6.2 Configure Rating Bands

Navigate to: Appraisals Settings → Rating Bands

Define score thresholds for each rating label (e.g. Exceeds Expectations = 4.0–5.0).

6.3 Create a Review Cycle

Navigate to: Appraisals Settings → Review Cycles → Create Cycle

Set deadlines for self-review and manager review. Activate the cycle when ready - the system automatically creates review records for all active employees.

Phase 7 - Document Types (if applicable)

Navigate to: Settings → Organization → Document Types → Add Document Type

Create records for each document category (Aadhaar, PAN, Passport, etc.). Set requiresVerification: true for compliance-critical documents.

Ongoing Admin Tasks

After setup, your regular admin responsibilities include:

Task	Frequency	Where
Approve leave requests	As needed	Approvals → Leaves
Review expense claims	As needed	Approvals → Expenses
Verify uploaded documents	As needed	HR Portal → Pending Verifications
Adjust leave balances	As needed	Leave Settings → Balance Adjustments
Grant comp-off credits	As needed	Leave Settings → Comp-Offs
Run offboarding for exits	As needed	Offboarding
Assign KRAs for review cycles	Per appraisal cycle	My Team Reviews
Close review cycles	Per appraisal cycle	Appraisals Settings → Review Cycles

Employee Workflow

For the employee-facing guide, refer to the Employee Self-Service Path.