Overview
Positions allow you to define and organize roles within your organization, creating the foundation for skills management. You can create multiple positions with different seniority levels and assign employees to these positions.
Before You Begin
Required Permissions
HR Administrators: Full access to create, edit, and delete positions
Group HR: Can set employee positions within their assigned groups
Managers: View-only access to positions (cannot create or modify)
Employees: Can view their assigned position on their profile
Prerequisites
HR permissions for position management
At least one active employee account (for position assignment)
Creating and Managing Positions
How to Create a New Position
Navigate to Settings in the main menu
Select Positions from the settings submenu
Click the Add New Position button
Enter the position name (e.g., "Product Manager", "Backend Developer")
Click Save to create the position
💡 Tip: You can create positions with different seniority levels by including the level in the position name (e.g., "Junior Product Manager", "Senior Product Manager"). This creates a clear career progression path.
Managing Existing Positions
From the Positions page, you can:
Search positions: Use the search bar to quickly find specific positions
Edit position names: Click on the … and the edit option next to any position to rename it
View assigned employees: See how many employees are assigned to each position
Manage employee assignments: Add or remove employees from positions
Assigning Positions to Employees
Method 1: From the Positions Page
Go to Settings > Positions
Find the position you want to assign
Click on … and Manage Employees next to the position
Search and select employees to add to this position
Click Save to confirm assignments
Note: You can assign multiple employees to the same position, making it easy to manage teams with similar roles.
Method 2: From the Employee Profile
Navigate to People section
Select the employee whose position you want to change
Click Edit Profile
In the Position field, select or search for the desired position
Click Save to update the employee's position
⚠️ Important: When you change an employee's position, this may affect their skill mapping assignments.
Working with Seniority Levels
While positions in Tellent are organized as a flat list, you can effectively manage seniority by creating separate positions for each level:
Recommended Naming Convention:
Entry Level: Junior [Role Name] (e.g., "Junior Backend Developer")
Mid Level: [Role Name] (e.g., "Backend Developer")
Senior Level: Senior [Role Name] (e.g., "Senior Backend Developer")
Lead Level: Lead [Role Name] (e.g., "Lead Backend Developer")
Example Structure for Development Team:
Frontend Development:
├── Junior Frontend Developer
├── Frontend Developer
├── Senior Frontend Developer
└── Lead Frontend Developer
Backend Development:
├── Junior Backend Developer
├── Backend Developer
├── Senior Backend Developer
└── Lead Backend Developer
Permissions and Access Control
Who Can Create and Modify Positions?
User type | Create positions | Edit positions | Assign Employees | View positions |
HR | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Group HR | ✅ | ✅ | ✅* | ✅* |
Manager | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅** |
Employee | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅*** |
* Within assigned groups only
** For people they manage
*** For themselves only
Best Practices
1. Start Simple, Scale Gradually
Begin with broad position categories and add more specific roles as your organization grows.
2. Maintain Consistency
Use standardized naming conventions across departments to ensure clarity in reporting.
3. Regular Position Audits
Review positions quarterly to:
Archive unused positions
Update position names to reflect current roles
Ensure all employees have assigned positions
4. Connect to Skills Mappings
After creating positions, set up skill mappings to define expected competencies for each role.
Troubleshooting
Common Issues and Solutions
Can't find the Positions option in Settings
Can't find the Positions option in Settings
Verify you have HR Admin permissions
Unable to assign an employee to a position
Unable to assign an employee to a position
Ensure the position exists and the employee's profile is active