Hybrid Work Policies requires clear manager-employee relationships. This guide explains the available options to define manager relations, how to review them, and what to consider when using them with group assignments or policy conflicts.
What is a Manager Relationship?
A Manager Relationship in deskbird is a 1-to-1 link between a user and their manager.
It is independent of groups and ensures that any action requiring approval (like policy confirmation) is routed to the correct person.
Example:
If three groups are assigned to a policy and a user in one of the groups has a manager relation, the approval request will go to the assigned manager, regardless of the group.
Options to Set Up Manager Relations
There are 3 ways users can set manager relations in deskbird:
1. SCIM (Azure or Okta)
- Azure: Manager relations are synced via SCIM v2 (not supported in SCIM v1).
➡️ See our SCIM 2.0 setup guide for Entra ID
Okta: Okta does not natively support manager attributes. You need to:
-
- Create a custom attribute (e.g., manager)
- Map it in your SCIM config
- Reference Okta help: Add custom attributes
2. HRIS Integration
- Enable “Organization Sync” in the HRIS section of the Admin Portal.
- Manager relationships defined in your HRIS will be transferred automatically.
➡️ Related article: HRIS – Sync users, groups & managers
3. Manual Setup
Admins can manually define a manager relationship:
- Go to Admin > Users
- Click Edit on the relevant user
- Assign a manager from the dropdown menu
How to Review or Edit a Manager Relationship
Admins can review or edit relationships by navigating to:
- Admin > Users
- Use the "Edit" button on a user to see or change their assigned manager or direct reports.
What Happens With or Without Manager Setup
With Manager Relations Setup
- Users assigned to a policy with manager validation will send approval requests to their assigned manager.
- This enables the Team View for managers to approve or reject schedules.
Without Manager Relations
- Manager validation is not enforced.
- Policies requiring approval will only work if a manager is assigned to the user.
- We will prompt users to set this up in future updates.
Using Manager Relations with Groups
- Manager relations work independently of group assignments.
- You can assign policies via:
- Individuals
- Groups
- If a user belongs to multiple groups in the same policy, there is no conflict warning — they get the same rule.
- If a user is assigned multiple policies, deskbird will display a conflict warning.
Need help setting up manager relations? Reach out to support@deskbird.com — we're here to assist!