It is important to note at least one piece of information held on a users profile should be unique to them. This is essential for system functionality to operate correctly such as HR Import, RPL Uploads, Bulk upload and many more. User profile fields that typically hold this unique identifier include:
- Username
- Email Address (Unless configuration to allow for duplicate emails has been enabled)
- ID Number
Username
If a username is entered that already exists for another user, the system will present the below warning.
You will simply need to enter another username. But if the username is your unique identifier for the user it might be their account already exists. To check, run a search on the user page against the username to locate the account. If you do not locate the account straight away, it may be the account has been suspended or deleted.
- To search for suspended accounts, use the User Status filter and you will find an option for 'Suspended'.
- To search for deleted accounts go to the Administration block > User data Management > Deleted user accounts. (You can find more information here on how to access deleted user accounts).
Email Address
If an email address is entered that already exists for another user, the system will present the below warning.
Same rule applies to that of the username above, if you are planning to use the email address as the unique identifier then first check if the account already exists remembering to check against both suspended or deleted accounts.
ID Number
If an ID Number is entered that already exists for another user, the system will present the below warning.
The ID number is often used to identify a user as part of the HR Import process. The ID number can also be mapped to automatically match another field during the HR Import process depending on individuals setup. But as above if the ID Number is your unique identifier then first check if an account already exists remembering to check against both suspended or deleted accounts.
Considerations:
Note: if you have a HR Import process in place that makes regular updates to your data, then any edits you make manually outside of this process may get overwritten on the next import. So it is recommended that the data being imported is accurate at source.