Automate New Hire Onboarding and User Provisioning with Real-Time HRIS Data Sync

Implementation: Sync New Employee Data from Any HRIS

Step 1: Configure Employee Data Sync from HRIS

Start by configuring a data sync that pulls comprehensive employee information from your customer's HRIS platform. Knit's sync API supports 16 employee data models covering everything from basic profile information to organizational structure, compensation, benefits, and identification documents.

API Endpoint: POST https://api.getknit.dev/v1.0/sync.start

Request Body:

{
  "dataType": "employee",
  "models": [
    "employee_profile",
    "employee_orgStructure",
    "employee_contactInfo",
    "employee_location"
  ]
}

Key considerations:

• Model selection: Request only the models your provisioning workflows require
• Initial vs. delta syncs: First sync returns all active employees, subsequent syncs return only changes
• Sync frequency: Configure intervals (6hr, 12hr, 24hr) based on detection speed requirements

Step 2: Extract Critical Identity and Organizational Information

When sync data arrives, extract the specific fields required for user provisioning and access control setup. Knit standardizes employee data across all 30+ HRIS platforms, so your code processes the same structure regardless of source system.

Critical fields for security and compliance:

• employmentStatus: Filter for ACTIVE employees
• workEmail: Primary identifier for user accounts
• startDate: Verify employees haven't started before access is provisioned
• department and designation: Map to role-based access control policies
• manager: Enable approval workflows and organizational hierarchies
• work_country: Apply location-based compliance rules (GDPR, data residency)

Step 3: Provision User Accounts and Configure Access Controls

With standardized employee data extracted, trigger your platform's user provisioning workflows. Use organizational context (department, job title, location) to automatically assign appropriate access levels.

Access control mapping strategies:

• Department-based RBAC: Map departments to predefined role templates
• Job title policies: Use designation to identify high-privilege roles
• Manager relationships: Configure approval workflows
• Location compliance: Apply region-specific controls based on work country

Key Employee Data Models and Sync APIs

Model ID	Data Category	Key Fields
employee_profile	Core identity and employment	id, employeeNumber, firstName, lastName, workEmail, startDate, terminationDate, employmentStatus, employmentType
employee_orgStructure	Organizational hierarchy	designation (job title), department, manager (id and workEmail)
employee_contactInfo	Contact methods	personalEmails (list), phones (list with type and number)
employee_location	Geographic and address data	workAddress, permanentAddress, presentAddress (with country Alpha-2 code)
employee_compensation	Salary and benefits	Fixed (salary, allowances), Variable (bonuses, commissions), Stock (equity plans)
employee_identification	Identity documents	National ID, license, passport with subType field
employee_customFields	Platform-specific fields	Unmapped custom attributes configured via dashboard

Wrapping Up: Streamline New Hire Provisioning and Compliance

Automated employee data synchronization transforms new hire onboarding from a manual, error-prone process into a systematic, audit-ready workflow. By pulling comprehensive employee data directly from the HRIS source of truth, your GRC platform eliminates data entry errors, accelerates user provisioning, and creates demonstrable evidence of control operation for SOC2 and compliance audits.

Key capabilities unlocked:

• Unified HRIS integration: Single API integration supports 30+ HRIS platforms—no custom connectors required
• Comprehensive employee data: 16 standardized data models provide everything from basic identity to organizational structure, location, compensation, and identification documents
• Real-time sync with delta updates: Initial sync provides complete employee roster; delta syncs detect new hires within hours
• Attribute-based access control: Use organizational context to automatically assign roles and permissions, enforcing least privilege from day one
• Audit-ready documentation: Timestamped sync events create clear audit trails showing access provisioning decisions were based on verified HRIS data