Introduction
HR services are critical components of HR Case Management, covering specific employee requests like Direct Deposit Inquiries and Tuition Reimbursement. During an HR Service Delivery implementation, defining these services accurately is a foundational step that bridges HR team knowledge with technical configurations in platforms like ServiceNow.
To streamline this process, the HR Services Requirements for Implementations Workbook serves as a comprehensive template designed to guide teams in defining multiple HR services efficiently. This tool is particularly useful for capturing the key data points needed for configuration while ensuring consistency and clarity across services. This article details the components of this workbook and how to use it within workshops & stories to define HR Services.
HR Service Definition
HR services are the foundation of HR Case Management. They are the specific types of requests and inquiries that an HR team fulfills to support their employees. Some examples are Direct Deposit Inquiry, Medical Benefits Enrollment or Tuition Reimbursement Request.
During an implementation of HR Service Delivery, one of the main tasks which needs to be accomplished is to define HR Services. In order to successfully configure HR Services, a method of defining and documenting the requirements for each service is needed, essentially translating the knowledge of your HR teams into specific, configuration details that can be used by a ServiceNow developer to get the intended output.​
The act of defining services is an art. There are many nuances to service definition, everything from determining when to configure one service around a topic or break it down into multiple services to defining the individual data points which support the structure of HR services.
The HR Services Requirements for Implementations Workbook is designed to help you define services quickly and efficiently and is specifically designed for defining multiple services for implementations. The format is set up strategically to help your HR project team think through the process for each HR Service (which is how they will work within HR Case Management in the ServiceNow platform) while at the same time defining the specific data points that a ServiceNow developer would need to configure each HR Service.
Keep in mind that service definition is an exercise. ​There is a learning process that happens so the first few services you define will go really slowly. Don't get discouraged at the beginning. As you and your team practice the exercise, you'll get better and faster at defining these services. A few things that can help:​
- Start with simple services to practice defining each column of data. Move on to more complex services as you get more comfortable with the exercise.
- Practice the exercise using OOB services. Reverse the process by reviewing an HR Service that is already available OOB in a ServiceNow instance and documenting the "requirements" for that service within the workbook. This will help you relate the columns in the workbook to the configuration within the SN platform. This is especially helpful for Business Process Consultants or Business Analysts who will be guiding HR Service Definition workshops. ​
- Keep session attendance minimal and focused. Too many people giving opinions during these detailed requirement-gathering sessions can exponentially lengthen the time it takes to define services. Invite key HR BPs and SMEs, and break out sessions by COE/team.
- Determine any "global rules" you have for your services at the beginning of the project. For example, define a default Response SLA that will be used by all services, or define the group naming convention. This ensures consistency across services and decreases the number of decisions that each COE will need to make during their session.
Workbook Overview
This workbook is a template and can be adjusted as needed. It is not meant to be all-inclusive - there are simply too many configuration options to include in one workbook. What this workbook does cover are the required data points for the core of each HR Service, and the most common data points which are needed for the majority of services that customers implement.
Almost every column heading within the workbook contains terminology definitions and usage guidance to help guide the service definition process. Hover over each column name to see those details. Here's an example - the Topic Category cell is highlighted and a Note can be seen with additional guidance.
There are multiple sheets within the workbook, each of which are described below.
Workbook Instructions
An overview of what is included in the workbook and instructions on how to utilize each sheet.
HR Services
Define all HR Services in one list view. Using this format is ideal for new implementations and projects where a large number of HR Services need to be defined, as it allows for requirements to be gathered and documented quickly. It also enables requirements to be categorically reviewed by using the filter functionality - for example, you can review all topic categories that have been defined for a COE to ensure that naming is consistent and aligned with other categories within the COE.​
Define one HR Service across each row on this sheet - see an example above with the Direct Deposit Inquiry service. The columns on this sheet are arranged in a strategic order:​
- Begin by defining the categorical structure for the HR Service (COE, Topic Category, Topic Detail), which is the foundation for every service.​
- Continue by defining key data points which are needed to begin the case process, such as the short description for the case, who the case is assigned to, and what priority level the case is assigned.​
- Advance to determining the process that the case will go through – once the case is assigned, how quickly should it begin to be worked (Response SLA), is there a specific workflow that is needed (approvals or tasks which are automatically sent out), should the case have any fulfillment instructions or checklist items to help the HR Agent work more effectively, and so on, all the way through the process to case closure.​
After determining how the HR service functions within the case process, then consider how the employee may interact with the service on the Employee Center. Determine if this is a service which will be available on the Employee Center for the employee to submit their own case, and if the answer to that question is yes, then define the data points for the catalog item and record producer.​
Custom Case Fields
Define the detailed requirements for each custom case field which was identified in the "Custom Case Fields" column on the HR Services sheet while defining HR services. Each custom case field can be utilized with multiple services and only needs to be defined once on this sheet.
Response Templates
Define the detailed requirements for each response template which was identified in the "Response Template(s)" column on the HR Services sheet while defining HR services. Each Response Template can be utilized with multiple services and only needs to be defined once on this sheet.
SLAs
Define the detailed requirements for each SLA which was identified in either the "Response SLA" or "Resolution SLA" columns on the HR Services sheet while defining HR services. Each SLA can be utilized with multiple services and only needs to be defined once on this sheet.
Record Producer - Template
Use when needed to define more detailed requirements than can be captured in the "Record Producer Fields" column on the HR Services sheet. Unlike the previous sheets (which document requirements for multiple services in one list), only one record producer is defined on each sheet. To use:
- Duplicate the "Record Producer - Template" sheet.
- Rename the new sheet to reflect the name of the Record Producer which will be defined.
- Document the new sheet name in the "Record Producer Fields" column within the applicable HR service row on the HR Services sheet. This will ensure the developer knows where the record producer requirements have been documented.
- Repeat for all record producers which require more complex requirements (in general, if the form requires more than 5 questions or any unique conditions, it is worth utilizing this sheet).
Workflow - Template
Use when needed to define more detailed requirements than can be captured in the "Workflow" column on the HR Services sheet. This is ideally used for more complex services where approvals, tasks, or unique notifications are automatically sent out at key moments throughout the case process.​ It is also helpful to have a process flow diagram to go along with this section of the workbook as a visual guide​.
Similar to the "Record Producer - Template" sheet, only one workflow is defined on each sheet. To use:
- Duplicate the "Workflow - Template" sheet.
- Rename the new sheet to reflect the name of the HR Service whose workflow will be defined.
- Document the new sheet name in the "Workflow" column within the applicable HR service row on the HR Services sheet. This will ensure the developer knows where the workflow requirements have been documented.
- Repeat for all HR Services which require more complex requirements (in general, if the workflow requires more than 3 items or any unique conditions, it is worth utilizing this sheet).
How to Use the Workbook
Introduce the workbook and the exercise of Service Definition to all workshop participants. Create one workbook for each COE and utilize it during HR Service Definition workshops. Show the workbook on the screen during the workshop so that all participants begin to understand the exercise and how the requirements are being documented. Once a few services have been defined within a workshop setting, the workbook can be sent to the team as "homework."
Once all services have been defined, create a "Master HR Services List" and use the filters to check for consistency across services.
How to Utilize the Workbook in Stories
Once all requirements have been documented within the workbook, it is easy to attach the applicable parts of the workbook to each story to be used by developers. It is recommended to only include those requirements which apply to each specific story to avoid confusion during the development stage.
Create each story and attach the workbook(s) to the story, ideally removing all services which don't apply to the story or filtering the list for the appropriate service, and removing any sheets which don't apply to the story.
Recommended Stories
- One story per HR service (include the HR Services sheet and the Workflow sheet for that service, if applicable)
- One story per record producer (include the HR Services sheet and the Record Producer sheet for that service, if applicable)
- One story per COE for custom case fields
- One story per COE for response templates
- One story per SLA
Ensure there is agreement within the project team (TA, BPC/BA, Developers) for how this workbook will be referenced for requirements and how the stories will be documented. There needs to be a balance between having a current master list and having a static version for developers, and a way to manage updates to requirements and development iteration.
Resources
HR Services Requirements for Implementations Workbook
