HR Choice Table in ServiceNow

In the fast-paced world of Human Resources, agility and independence are key.
HR teams often find themselves needing to update or manage dropdown choices within ServiceNow. Typically, this involves reaching out to the IT department to make changes to the sys_choice table. However, this dependency on IT can slow down processes and create unnecessary bottlenecks.


A better approach is to empower HR teams by creating a custom table specifically designed for HR purposes. This allows HR to maintain their own choices without having to rely on the IT team for updates. By giving HR control over their dropdown options, you streamline operations, reduce delays, and improve overall efficiency.

Designing a Custom HR Choice Table:

When designing a custom HR Choice table, it's important to consider the fields that will be necessary for HR to manage their options effectively. Below are some generic fields that are typically included in an HR

Choice Custom table:

Column Label Column Name Type Reference Max Length Default Value Display
Active u_active True/False 40 TRUE
Dependent field u_dependent_field String 40
Dependent value u_dependent_value String 60
Field u_field Field Name 80
HR table u_hr_table Table Name 80
Key u_key String 40
Label u_label String 60 TRUE
Language u_language String 40
Sequence u_sequence Integer 40
End Date u_end_date Date 40
Start Date u_start_date Date 40
Value u_value String 60

These fields provide a solid foundation for an HR Choice Custom table, allowing HR to maintain their choices easily while ensuring the data is organized and accessible.

Access Control Lists (ACL) Considerations

When it comes to securing the HR Choice Custom table, it's essential to set up appropriate Access Control Lists (ACLs) to manage who can create, update, and delete records.

Create, Write, Delete: It’s recommended to assign these permissions to the role "sn_hr_core.manager". This ensures that only authorized HR managers can make changes to the table, safeguarding against unauthorized modifications.

Read: No restrictions should be placed on read access. Restricting read access could lead to dropdown choices being invisible to users, which would defeat the purpose of having these choices available in the first place.
By carefully managing ACLs, you can strike a balance between security and accessibility, allowing HR to maintain control over their choices without compromising data visibility or integrity.

Conclusion

Building a custom HR Choice table in ServiceNow is a smart move that empowers HR teams to be more self-sufficient. By reducing their dependency on IT, HR can maintain and update their dropdown choices quickly and efficiently. With the right design and ACLs in place, this approach can significantly enhance the agility and responsiveness of your HR operations.