Navigating the HR Platform
The Employee Self Service Portal
Most employees will interact with the HR platform primarily through the Employee Self Service (ESS) portal — a clean, browser-based interface designed for everyday HR tasks. You don't need to know your way around Dynamics 365 to use ESS; it surfaces exactly what's relevant to you.
What ESS Looks Like
When you log into ESS, you'll land on a personalised home page built around tiles and workspaces. Each tile represents a feature or task area — such as your profile, your assigned questionnaires, or your onboarding checklist. Clicking a tile takes you directly into that area.
Key Areas in ESS
| Area | What you'll find there |
|---|---|
| My Profile | Your personal details, identification documents, addresses, contacts, certifications, and skills |
| My Tasks / Onboarding | Checklists of tasks assigned to you, with completion tracking and any dependencies |
| Questionnaires | Surveys and forms assigned to you by HR, such as intention surveys or onboarding questionnaires |
| Approvals | Requests waiting for your review and approval, such as skills submissions or HR requests |
| Company Directory | A searchable list of colleagues, showing name, job title, department, and location |
| Organisational Hierarchy | A visual view of your team structure and reporting lines |
Notifications
ESS will surface notifications when action is needed — for example, if one of your documents is approaching its expiry date, or if a new questionnaire has been assigned to you. Clicking a notification takes you directly to the relevant record to update it.
Note: ESS is accessible via any web browser — there is no separate app to install. You log in using your existing Dynamics 365 account credentials. Any updates you make in ESS are reflected in the HR system in near real time.
Basic Navigation
When you first log into Dynamics 365 HR, the interface might feel unfamiliar, but once you understand the layout it becomes a straightforward and consistent workspace. The key to getting around lies in the left-hand sidebar, known as the navigation pane.
The Navigation Pane
Located on the left side of the screen, the navigation pane is your central hub for accessing everything in the system. At the top, you'll see the hamburger menu icon (☰) — clicking this expands the full menu.
Modules
This is where you'll find all the functional areas of the platform, including Human Resources, Employee Self Service, and others relevant to your role. Each module contains a structured set of submenus that organise tasks and features by category. Clicking into a submenu reveals specific pages or actions, such as viewing employee records, managing leave, or accessing onboarding checklists.
How to Navigate
Whenever you need to perform a new task or switch to a different area of the system:
Click the hamburger menu (☰) to open the navigation pane.
Select Modules to view all available functional areas.
Drill down into the relevant module and submenu to find the page you need.
Note: You can return to your dashboard at any time by clicking the Home icon at the top of the navigation pane. You can also search for any module, form, or page directly using the search bar at the top of the screen.
The Toolbar
Once you've navigated into a module or opened a specific record — such as an employee profile, leave request, or onboarding checklist — you'll see a toolbar at the top of the screen. This is called the Action Pane, and it's where most of your interaction happens.
At the far left of the Action Pane, three key buttons are always present, regardless of which page you're on:
| Button | Function | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Back | Returns you to the previous page or list view | Keeps navigation smooth without losing your place |
| Save / Edit | Toggles between editing mode and saving your changes | Lets you make and commit updates without hunting for controls |
| New | Creates a new record (e.g., a new leave request, identification document, or skill) | Starts a fresh entry without needing to re-navigate |
These buttons stay anchored in place — they won't shift or disappear as you move through tabs or sections within a form. That consistency helps you stay oriented, especially when working across multiple records.