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Team Management

Invite team members, manage permissions, and configure your organization.

Understanding Your Organization

Your organization is your shared workspace where all team members, skills, job roles, and check-ins live. Think of it as your company's skills management hub.

Key concepts:

  • Organization: Your company or department's dedicated space
  • Team Members: Everyone who has access to your organization
  • Roles: Permission levels (Owner, Admin, Skills Manager, Member)
  • Hierarchies: Who manages whom for check-ins and development tracking

Permission Levels Explained

Owner

Full control over everything. Can manage billing, delete the organization, and perform all admin functions. Usually the person who created the organization or the ultimate decision-maker.

Admin

Can manage team members, create/edit skills and job roles, configure organization settings, and access all features except billing and deletion. Trusted lieutenants who help run the organization.

Skills Manager

Can create and edit organizational skills and job roles. This role is focused on organizational design - defining the skills framework and job role structures. Skills Managers can also conduct check-ins with their direct reports (if assigned).

Member

Can view their own profile, see skills and job roles, and participate in check-ins. If a Member has direct reports assigned to them, they can conduct check-ins and view their team's skills. Standard permission for individual contributors being tracked and developed.

Adding Team Members for Check-ins

For Owners and Administrators:

You can add team members to your organization in two ways:

Option 1: Add for Check-ins (No Invitation)

Use this when you want to start tracking someone's skills immediately through check-ins, but they don't need to log in yet:

  1. Go to Settings → Team Members
  2. Click "Invite Member" and select "Add for Check-ins"
  3. Enter their name and email address
  4. Select their role (Skills Manager or Member)
  5. Optionally assign them a manager
  6. Click "Add Member"

This creates their profile immediately without sending an email. You can conduct check-ins with them right away. They'll appear in the members list with a "Not invited" indicator.

Option 2: Send Invitation Email

Use this when the person needs to log in and view their profile:

  1. Go to Settings → Team Members
  2. Click "Invite Member" and select "Send Invitation Email"
  3. Enter their email address
  4. Select their role (Owner, Admin, Skills Manager, or Member)
  5. Optionally assign them a manager
  6. Send the invitation

They'll receive an email with a link to accept the invitation. Once they create an account or log in, they'll have full access to your organization with the role you assigned.

💡 Converting Check-in Users: Team members added for check-ins can be invited later to log in and view their profile. When they accept the invitation, they become a regular user with full access - all their existing check-ins and skill data remain intact. They're the same user, just with login capability enabled.

✨ Best Practice: Start with minimal permissions (Member) and elevate as needed. It's easier to grant more access than to revoke it! For new hires or contractors who don't need system access yet, use "Add for Check-ins" to start tracking skills immediately.

Managing Existing Members

For Owners and Administrators:

From the Team Members page, you can:

  • Change Roles: Promote someone to Skills Manager or Admin, or demote if needed
  • Update Managers: Reassign who manages whom for check-ins
  • View Activity: See last login and engagement
  • Remove Members: Revoke access to the organization
  • Resend Invites: If someone didn't receive the original email

⚠️ Important: Removing someone deletes their check-in history and skill assessments. Only remove people who have truly left the organization. For temporary leave, consider keeping them with Member access.

Configuring Manager Hierarchies

Manager relationships (often called "line managers" or "direct reports") determine who can conduct check-ins with whom. This is separate from the Skills Manager role - anyone with direct reports can conduct check-ins, regardless of their role:

  • Each team member can have one manager assigned (their line manager)
  • Anyone with direct reports sees them in "My Team" page
  • Only the assigned manager can create check-ins for their direct reports
  • This applies to all roles: Members, Skills Managers, Admins, and Owners
  • Admins and Owners can view everyone's data regardless of hierarchy

Key Point: The Skills Manager role is about managing organizational skills and job roles (organizational design), not about managing people. Any team member can be a line manager if they have direct reports assigned to them.

Update manager assignments as your organization structure changes - promotions, team transfers, or reorganizations.

Organization Settings

For Owners and Administrators:

Configure your organization from Settings:

  • Organization Name: Update your company or team name
  • Organization Slug: The unique identifier in URLs (usually can't change)
  • SSO Configuration: Set up SAML single sign-on for enterprise auth
  • Branding: Customize appearance (logo, colors, etc.)

Single Sign-On (SSO)

For enterprise organizations:

SSO allows your team to log in using your company's identity provider (like Okta, Azure AD, or Google Workspace):

  • Centralized authentication - one password for all tools
  • Enhanced security with your organization's policies
  • Automatic provisioning and deprovisioning
  • Compliance with enterprise security requirements

To set up SSO, navigate to Settings → SSO Configuration and follow the setup wizard. You'll need your IdP's metadata URL or certificate.

Team Management Best Practices

  • Start Small: Invite a pilot group before rolling out organization-wide
  • Assign Admins: Don't shoulder all admin work alone - delegate to trusted colleagues
  • Keep Hierarchies Updated: Review manager assignments quarterly or when org changes happen
  • Regular Audits: Periodically review active members and remove those who've left
  • Clear Onboarding: Send new members a welcome email explaining how to use Skilly
  • Security First: Enable SSO if available, use strong passwords, review API key usage
  • Communicate Changes: Tell the team when you add new skills, roles, or change settings

Common Questions

When should I use "Add for Check-ins" vs sending an invitation?

Use "Add for Check-ins" when you need to track someone's skills but they don't need to log in - like new hires still onboarding, contractors with limited engagement, or team members who prefer not to manage their own profile. Use "Send Invitation" when the person needs to view their skills, update their profile, or access the system.

What happens when I invite a check-in user to log in?

When you send an invitation to someone who was added for check-ins, they become a regular user with login access. All their existing check-ins, skill assessments, and profile data remain exactly the same - they're the same person in the system, just with the ability to log in now. Nothing is lost or duplicated.

Can check-in users log in before being invited?

No. Team members added for check-ins cannot log in until you send them an invitation and they accept it. This ensures you have full control over who can access the system and when.

Can we have multiple Owners?

Yes! You can promote multiple people to Owner. This is a good idea for business continuity - if one Owner leaves, others can still manage billing and critical settings.

What happens if I remove someone's manager?

They'll no longer appear in that manager's "My Team" view. Past check-ins remain intact. You should assign them to a new manager or leave them unmanaged if they're leaving the organization.

Can someone manage themselves?

Not directly - check-ins require a manager and team member to be different people. However, self-assessments and development planning features may be added in future updates.

How do I transfer ownership to someone else?

First promote the new person to Owner, then you can demote yourself to Admin if desired. Both of you will have full access to organization management.

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