📁 HR Files App Overview

Store, secure, and manage every HR document in one place — with version control, granular permissions, and a complete audit trail.

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🔍 What Is HR Files?

HR Files is a centralized document management system purpose-built for HR teams. It replaces scattered shared drives, email attachments, and filing cabinets with a secure, cloud-backed repository where every employee record, contract, policy, and compliance document lives under one roof. Files are stored on Amazon S3 with encryption at rest, every access is logged for compliance, and role-based permissions ensure only the right people see the right documents.

Core Value Proposition:

• 🔐 Secure by Default — S3 cloud storage with encryption, virus scanning, and platform-enforced security that cannot be disabled
• 📋 Complete Audit Trail — Every view, download, edit, and access change is logged with IP address, timestamp, and user identity
• 🔄 Version Control — Upload new versions of any file while keeping full history; roll back anytime
• 🤝 Cross-App Sync — Automatically pull documents from Recruiting, Onboarding Hub, Forms, and E-Signature into HR Files

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👀 At a Glance

📂 File Categories	🔒 Confidentiality Levels	📄 File Types	🔗 Sync Sources
7 (Employee Records, Candidate Docs, Contracts, Policies, Training, Compliance, General)	4 (Public, Internal, Confidential, Highly Confidential)	10 (Resume, Contract, Policy, Certificate, Review, Background Check, ID, Tax, Benefits, Other)	5 (Recruiting, Onboarding Hub, Forms, E-Signature, Employee Data)

Perfect For:

• 🏥 Healthcare & Regulated Industries — Compliance document tracking with expiry alerts and retention policies
• 🏢 Growing Companies — Centralize scattered employee files as your headcount scales
• 🌍 Global Organizations — GDPR compliance mode auto-enables for EU-based businesses
• 🏗️ High-Turnover Workforces — Bulk upload and candidate-to-employee document consolidation

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⚙️ How It Works

File Upload & Storage Flow

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        FILE UPLOAD FLOW                                  │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                          │
│  ┌──────────┐   ┌──────────────┐   ┌──────────────┐   ┌─────────────┐  │
│  │  USER     │──▶│  VALIDATE    │──▶│  UPLOAD TO   │──▶│  CREATE     │  │
│  │  Selects  │   │  File Type,  │   │  Amazon S3   │   │  HR File    │  │
│  │  File     │   │  Size, Name  │   │  (Encrypted) │   │  Record     │  │
│  └──────────┘   └──────────────┘   └──────────────┘   └──────┬──────┘  │
│                                                               │         │
│                  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┘         │
│                  ▼                                                       │
│  ┌──────────────────┐   ┌──────────────────┐   ┌────────────────────┐  │
│  │  CREATE VERSION   │──▶│  CHECK APPROVAL  │──▶│  AVAILABLE FOR     │  │
│  │  Version 1 with   │   │  Sensitive docs  │   │  ACCESS            │  │
│  │  SHA-256 hash     │   │  need approval   │   │  Based on roles    │  │
│  └──────────────────┘   └──────────────────┘   └────────────────────┘  │
│                                                                          │
│  📝 Audit log entry created automatically at every step                 │
│                                                                          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Access Control & Permissions

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     PERMISSION MODEL                                     │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ PERMISSION LEVELS                                                │    │
│  │                                                                  │    │
│  │  Read Only ──▶ View file metadata and preview                   │    │
│  │  Read + Download ──▶ View + download the file                   │    │
│  │  Full Access ──▶ View + download + edit + share + delegate      │    │
│  │  Admin Access ──▶ Full access + delete                          │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                                          │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ ACCESS TYPES                                                     │    │
│  │                                                                  │    │
│  │  Permanent ──▶ No expiration                                    │    │
│  │  Temporary ──▶ Auto-expires on set date                         │    │
│  │  Emergency ──▶ Urgent, time-limited access                      │    │
│  │  Delegated ──▶ Passed from another user (cannot re-delegate)    │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                                          │
│  Access can also be SUSPENDED (temporarily paused) or REVOKED           │
│                                                                          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Cross-App Document Sync

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   CONTINUOUS DOCUMENT SYNC                                │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                          │
│  SOURCE APPS                        SYNC ENGINE           HR FILES       │
│  ──────────                         ───────────           ────────       │
│                                                                          │
│  ┌──────────────┐                                                        │
│  │ Recruiting   │──── on hire ──────┐                                   │
│  │ (resume,     │                   │                                   │
│  │  offer, bg)  │                   │    ┌────────────┐   ┌─────────┐  │
│  └──────────────┘                   ├───▶│ Sync       │──▶│ HR File │  │
│  ┌──────────────┐                   │    │ Service    │   │ Created │  │
│  │ Onboarding   │── on sign/verify ─┤    │            │   │ + Audit │  │
│  │ Hub          │                   │    │ • Validate │   │   Log   │  │
│  └──────────────┘                   │    │ • Resolve  │   └─────────┘  │
│  ┌──────────────┐                   │    │   employee │                  │
│  │ Forms App    │── on submit ──────┤    │ • Upload   │                  │
│  │              │                   │    │   to S3    │                  │
│  └──────────────┘                   │    │ • Log sync │                  │
│  ┌──────────────┐                   │    └────────────┘                  │
│  │ E-Signature  │── on complete ────┤                                   │
│  └──────────────┘                   │    Config per source:             │
│  ┌──────────────┐                   │    • Enabled / disabled           │
│  │ Employee     │── on approve ─────┘    • Trigger events              │
│  │ Data         │                        • Category filters             │
│  └──────────────┘                        • Document type filters        │
│                                                                          │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

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🗂️ Key Features

File Management

Feature	Description	Who Can Use
Upload Files	Upload individual documents with metadata (category, type, confidentiality, expiry date, tags)	All users
Bulk Upload	Upload up to 50 files at once with shared default metadata	Admins
Version Control	Upload new versions of existing files; system tracks SHA-256 hashes and version numbers	File owners, Admins
File Preview	Preview files directly in the browser via presigned S3 URLs (5-minute expiry)	Users with view access
File Download	Download files with access tracking and download count logging	Users with download access
Archive / Restore	Archive inactive files to reduce clutter; restore them anytime	File managers, Admins
Soft Delete	Delete files with a required reason; files are soft-deleted for recovery	File managers, Admins
Search & Filter	Search by name/description; filter by category, type, confidentiality, status, approval, expiry, size, compliance	All users

Supported File Formats

HR Files supports a wide range of document and media formats:

Format Group	Extensions	Max Size
Documents	PDF, DOC, DOCX	100 MB
Spreadsheets	XLS, XLSX, CSV	100 MB
Images	JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF	100 MB
Text	TXT	100 MB
Video	MP4, MOV, AVI, WEBM, MPEG	500 MB

File Types and Categories

File Category	Example Document Types	Typical Use
Employee Records	Resumes, ID documents, tax forms	Core employee documentation
Candidate Documents	Resumes, cover letters, background checks	Pre-hire documentation from recruiting
Contracts	Employment contracts, NDAs, amendments	Legal agreements
Policies	Company policies, handbooks, guidelines	Organization-wide documents
Training Materials	Certifications, course completions, licenses	Skills and learning records
Compliance	Regulatory filings, audit documents	Compliance-critical records
General	Miscellaneous HR documents	Catch-all category

Confidentiality Levels

Level	Visibility	Example Documents
Public	Accessible to all employees	Company policies, employee handbook
Internal	Business-internal only	Training materials, org charts
Confidential	Restricted access; triggers approval workflow	Performance reviews, salary documents
Highly Confidential	Strict access; triggers approval workflow	Background checks, medical records, legal docs

Access Control

Feature	Description
Grant Access	Assign specific users view, download, edit, delete, share, or delegate permissions
Revoke Access	Immediately remove a user’s access with a recorded reason
Suspend Access	Temporarily pause access without revoking (e.g., during an investigation)
Restore Access	Re-activate previously suspended access
Access Delegation	Users with full access can delegate their permissions to another user; delegated access cannot be further delegated
Time-Based Expiry	Set access to automatically expire on a specific date
Usage Limits	Configure maximum access and download counts per user
Time Restrictions	Limit file access to specific hours of the day (supports overnight windows)
Access History	View full audit trail of access changes for any file and user combination

Approval Workflow

Feature	Description
Automatic Triggering	Files with confidential/highly confidential levels or sensitive types (background checks, ID documents, tax documents, performance reviews) automatically require approval
Approve / Reject	Admins can approve or reject pending files with notes
Approval Status Tracking	Files show pending, approved, rejected, or review-required status
Configurable Sensitivity	Admins control which confidentiality levels and file types trigger the approval workflow

Audit & Compliance

Feature	Description
Comprehensive Audit Log	Every file action is logged: create, view, download, edit, delete, archive, restore, approve, reject, share, access changes
Per-File and Global Views	View audit history for a single file or across all files in the business
Filter & Search	Filter audit entries by action type, user, and date range (today, week, month)
Security Intelligence	Automatic detection of suspicious activity: repeated failures, off-hours access, unusual locations
Compliance Reports	Generate reports for compliance-critical documents with risk assessment
Export Options	Export audit logs as CSV, JSON, or PDF with date range filtering

Document Sync & Consolidation

Feature	Description
Continuous Sync	Automatic background sync from 5 source apps based on configurable trigger events
Sync Configuration	Per-source enable/disable, trigger event selection, category and document type filtering
Pause / Resume	Globally pause all sync with a reason; resume when ready
Sync History	Full log of every sync attempt with status (success, failed, skipped), skip reasons, and retry capability
Failed Sync Retry	Retry individual or all failed syncs (up to 3 attempts with exponential backoff)
Candidate Consolidation	Transfer all recruiting documents to a hired candidate’s employee HR file record
Bulk Consolidation	Consolidate documents for multiple hired candidates at once

Sync Source Details

Each source app has configurable rules governing what documents sync and when:

Source App	Default Trigger Events	Document Scope
Recruiting	Candidate hired	Resumes, cover letters, offer letters, background checks
Onboarding Hub	Document signed or verified	All onboarding documents (includes existing employees)
Forms App	Form submitted	Onboarding, HR, compliance, and tax form categories
E-Signature	Signing completed	Employment, HR, compliance, and onboarding categories
Employee Data	Change approved	Approved employee data changes

Sync logs are retained for 90 days and include the source record type, employee association, processing time, error details (for failures), and skip reasons (for skipped syncs).

Platform-Enforced Security

These security features are always active and cannot be disabled by administrators:

Feature	Description
S3 Cloud Storage	All files stored on Amazon S3 with server-side encryption
File Encryption	Files encrypted at rest automatically
Virus Scanning	Uploaded files are scanned; infected files are blocked from download
Comprehensive Logging	Every action is logged regardless of configuration
SHA-256 Hashing	Each file version has a content hash for integrity verification and deduplication
Presigned URLs	Downloads and previews use time-limited presigned URLs (1 hour for downloads, 5 minutes for previews)

Configurable Settings

Administrators can customize HR Files behavior through the settings panel. Platform-enforced security cannot be changed, but these options are fully configurable:

Setting	Default	Description
Role-Based Access	On	Enable role-based access control for files
Department Isolation	Off	Restrict file visibility to the uploader’s department
External Sharing	Off	Allow files to be shared outside the organization
Approval Workflow	On	Require approval for sensitive documents
Auto-Archive	On	Automatically archive files past retention period
Retention Policy Enforcement	On	Enforce document retention schedules
GDPR Compliance Mode	Auto-detected	Enables EU data protection features; auto-enabled for businesses in EU/EEA timezones or countries
Upload Notifications	On	Notify stakeholders when new files are uploaded
Access Request Notifications	On	Notify file owners and admins of access requests
Expiry Reminder Notifications	On	Alert when documents are approaching their expiry date
Employee Profile Integration	On	Link HR files to employee profile pages

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📊 Dashboard Intelligence

The HR Files dashboard provides real-time insights through several intelligence layers:

Metrics & Statistics

• File Counts — Total files, active files, uploads this month vs. last month, growth rate
• Storage Usage — Total storage consumed with percentage indicator
• Activity Metrics — Uploads, downloads, and unique users this week
• Employee Coverage — Number of employees with associated HR files

Compliance Alerts

• Expiring Documents — Files expiring within the next 30 days with direct links to review
• Missing Compliance Documents — Employees with fewer than the required minimum documents
• Pending Approvals — Files waiting for management review

Smart Recommendations

• Storage Optimization — Alerts when large files (50MB+) may benefit from archiving
• Workflow Improvement — Suggestions to streamline approval bottlenecks
• Security Review — Flags when files are marked as public and may need reclassification

File Distribution Insights

• By Category — Breakdown of file counts across employee records, contracts, policies, and other categories
• By Confidentiality — Distribution of files across public, internal, confidential, and highly confidential levels
• Duplicate Detection — Identifies potential duplicate files by matching file names across the repository
• Largest Files — Highlights the top files consuming storage for optimization review

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👥 User Roles & Permissions

What Each Role Can Do

Action	Employee	Manager	HR / Admin	Super Admin
View dashboard	✅	✅	✅	✅
Browse files (with access)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Upload files	✅	✅	✅	✅
Download files (with access)	✅	✅	✅	✅
Edit own files	✅	✅	✅	✅
View audit log	—	✅	✅	✅
Manage file access	—	—	✅	✅
Approve / reject files	—	—	✅	✅
Bulk upload	—	—	✅	✅
Configure settings	—	—	✅	✅
Manage sync settings	—	—	✅	✅
Document consolidation	—	—	✅	✅
Export files & audit logs	—	—	✅	✅
Reset settings to defaults	—	—	✅	✅

Sidebar Navigation by Role

Tab	Visible To	Description
Home	Everyone	Dashboard with metrics, compliance alerts, and recent files
Files	Everyone	Full file listing with search, filters, and pagination
Audit Log	Managers and above	Activity history with filtering by action, user, and date
Admin	Admins only	Settings, sync configuration, bulk upload, and document consolidation

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🚀 Getting Started

For Employees

1. Open HR Files — Navigate to the HR Files app from the marketplace sidebar
2. Browse Your Files — Use the Files tab to see documents associated with you
3. Upload a Document — Click “New File,” select a category and confidentiality level, attach your file, and submit
4. Download or Preview — Use the preview button for quick viewing or download for offline access
5. Check Version History — Open any file to see its version history and access logs

For Managers

1. Review the Dashboard — Check compliance alerts for expiring documents or missing employee files
2. Monitor the Audit Log — Use the Audit Log tab to review file activity across your team
3. Filter by Employee — Use the employee filter on the Files tab to see a specific person’s documents
4. Track Pending Approvals — Review files marked as pending approval from the dashboard

For Administrators

1. Configure Settings — Go to Admin → Settings to set file categories, approval workflows, GDPR compliance, and notification preferences
2. Set Up Document Sync — Go to Admin → Sync Settings to enable automatic document flow from Recruiting, Onboarding Hub, Forms, and E-Signature
3. Perform Bulk Uploads — Use Admin → Bulk Upload to upload multiple files at once with shared defaults
4. Consolidate Candidate Documents — Use Admin → Document Consolidation to transfer recruiting documents to hired employees’ HR file records
5. Export Audit Logs — Use the audit log export feature (CSV, JSON, or PDF) for compliance reporting
6. Review Sync History — Monitor sync success/failure rates and retry failed syncs from Admin → Sync History

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✅ Best Practices

• ✅ Set confidentiality levels thoughtfully — Mark sensitive documents as Confidential or Highly Confidential to trigger the approval workflow automatically
• ✅ Use expiry dates on time-sensitive documents — Certifications, licenses, and contracts should have expiry dates so the system alerts you before they lapse
• ✅ Enable the approval workflow — Even if you start with it off, turning it on for sensitive file types prevents unauthorized uploads from becoming immediately accessible
• ✅ Review compliance alerts daily — The dashboard highlights expiring documents and employees missing required files
• ✅ Configure document sync early — Set up cross-app sync from Recruiting and Onboarding Hub so documents flow into HR Files automatically when candidates are hired
• ✅ Use temporary access with expiration — When sharing sensitive files with external reviewers or temporary staff, set an access expiry date
• ✅ Export audit logs regularly — For regulated industries, export audit logs on a quarterly or monthly cadence and store them externally
• ✅ Tag files consistently — Use tags to add searchable metadata beyond the category and type fields
• ✅ Archive instead of deleting — Archiving preserves the document and its audit trail; deletion should be reserved for true removals
• ✅ Monitor sync failures — Check Admin → Sync History periodically and retry any failed syncs to avoid missing documents

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📤 Export Capabilities

HR Files supports exporting data for external reporting and compliance needs:

Export Type	Formats	Contents
File List Export	CSV, JSON	File name, display name, category, type, size, status, confidentiality, uploader, upload date, associated employee, description
Audit Log Export	CSV, JSON, PDF	Timestamp, user, action, file, result, description, IP address

All exports support the same filters available in the UI, so you can export exactly the subset of data you need. CSV exports include injection protection — cell values starting with =, +, -, or @ are automatically prefixed to prevent formula injection in spreadsheet applications.

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🔗 Related Resources

• Employee Data Management Overview — Manage the employee profiles that HR Files attaches documents to
• Onboarding Hub Overview — Onboarding documents sync automatically into HR Files when signed or verified

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Every employee document, secured and auditable — HR Files keeps your organization compliant and your records organized.