# Adding an employee Every employee record starts here, whether they will use BlueOneHR themselves or the record exists purely for HR and payroll purposes.

Add your first employee

## Before you begin You need permission to create employees, which your administrator grants through **user groups** (see [Roles and permissions](https://docs.blueonehr.com/books/employees/page/roles-and-permissions)). Have on hand: the person's legal name, a work email, phone number, and date of birth. Department and job position are easiest to set if they already exist under **Settings**; if not, create them first — see [Company setup](https://docs.blueonehr.com/books/company-settings/page/company-departments-and-job-roles). ## Steps 1. Go to **Employee → Employees**. 2. Select **Add Employee**. 3. BlueOneHR proposes the next **Badge ID** automatically, using your organisation's badge prefix (set once under **Settings → General**). You can change it before saving if you need to. 4. Enter **First Name** and **Last Name**, and optionally a profile photo. 5. Enter **Email** and **Phone** — both required. 6. Fill in address, country, state, city and postal code if you track them. 7. Confirm the **date of birth** and **gender**. 8. Optionally record qualification, experience, marital status, number of children, and an emergency contact (name, number and relation). 9. Select **Create Employee**. ![The Add Employee form, with Badge ID pre-filled and the fields described above](https://docs.blueonehr.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-10/sQ0employees-adding-add-employee-form.png) ## What happens next The employee appears in the directory immediately, with the status **Active**. Creating the record does **not** by itself: - assign a department, shift or work type — those are set from the employee's profile once created; - tell the person how to sign in — HR passes on the address and first-password arrangements (see [First login and getting access](https://docs.blueonehr.com/books/first-steps/page/first-login-and-getting-access) for what is and is not confirmed); - create a payroll contract — payroll only computes for an employee with an **active contract**, set up separately under **Payroll → Configuration → Contract**. ## Notes - The Badge ID prefix and whether badge numbering is active are organisation-wide settings, not something you choose per employee. - Required fields are marked with an asterisk on the form; everything else can be filled in later from the employee's profile. ## Troubleshooting **The email is already in use.** Each employee needs a unique email. Check the directory search before assuming the person has no existing record — a re-hire or a previously deactivated record can collide. ## Related - [The employee directory](https://docs.blueonehr.com/books/employees/page/the-employee-directory) - [Roles and permissions](https://docs.blueonehr.com/books/employees/page/roles-and-permissions)