1. Implementing Career Section
  2. Fundamental Data Structure: Organization-Location-Job Field (OLF)

Fundamental Data Structure: Organization-Location-Job Field (OLF)

The data structure enables each customer to customize Oracle Taleo Enterprise Edition products such that they reflect how the customer does business. Each customer's organization is defined as a combination of three main elements: Organizations, Locations, Job Fields (OLF). OLF is also referred to as contextualization.

Organization describes the hierarchical structure of an organization. Up to 20 organization levels can be created. The system proposes the following organization structure, but other terms may be chosen to better reflect the hierarchical structure of a company:

  • Company

  • Sector

  • Department

  • Division

Location represents a geographical area, such as a country or state. Locations are listed in a hierarchical order, from the broadest geographical area (often a country) to increasingly specific areas (work location). Up to 5 location levels can be created. Locations must be associated to network locations used for various purposes, mainly integration with external systems, using a common and standard universal structure. Oracle strongly recommends defining a zip code for the location. A common location structure is:

  • Country

  • State/Province

  • Region

  • City

  • Work Location

Worker locations can be mapped to the Location structure. The worker location is used as an employee (post-hire) function whereas the location (in OLF) is meant for recruiting purposes. For example, a location could be 100 Main Street and a worker location could be "Sector 44" or "Cubicle A". Worker locations are not created in Configuration. Worker locations are typically imported from an external HRMS system. Once worker locations are imported, worker locations can be mapped to the Location structure via Integration or by the system administrator in Configuration. Any Location element can be given the Worker Location and the Worker Location Address properties. System administrators can then configure worker locations to appear in requisitions, offers, correspondences, requisitions lists, and candidates lists just like any other fields. For details, see Worker Location.

Job Field represents the employment sectors or domains. Up to 4 job field levels can be created. Job fields must also be mapped to the network job fields, again to have a common language with the external world, be for posting or integrations. This mapping also serves to inherit existing classification for competencies. The system proposes the following job field structure, but other terms may be chosen to better reflect the structure of a company:

  • Category

  • Function

  • Specialty

Contextualization, that is the Organization-Location-Job Field structure associated to an element, represents the framework the application uses to organize, classify, link, match or search for information in the application. Although Organization-Location-Job Field structures are configured with the help of an Oracle representative during the implementation phase, modifications to structure elements can be done in maintenance mode at any time. It is possible to customize the system to reflect a company's unique structure and make modifications to Organization-Location-Job field elements in real time so that the data accounts for any changes in the structure.

There are several key elements of the Oracle Taleo Enterprise Edition products that are tied to the Organization-Location-Job field structure such as candidate selection workflows, requisitions and requisition templates, message templates, user management, prescreening, approvals, etc.

The purpose of contextualizing an element is to make the element relevant according to a specific context. Below is an example of contextualization with candidate selection workflows. The CSW1 would not be available to the user for this requisition, because the last level of its Location does not match that of the requisition. The CSW2 could be available to the user for this requisition. The parent element of the lowest level of the requisition for each dimension (Organization, Location or Field) must be the same as the lowest level of the workflow for each dimension.

Example:

Requisition:

  • Organization: Urban transportation

  • Location: United States/California/Los Angeles

  • Job Field: Bus driver

CSW1:

  • Organization: Urban transportation

  • Location: United States/California/San Jose

  • Job Field: Bus driver

CSW2:

  • Organization: Urban transportation

  • Location: United States

  • Job Field: Bus driver

When using contextualization, the system applies the AND operator between Organizations, Locations and Job Fields entities. However, the OR operator is applied between elements of the same entity.

In the following example, a field would be displayed if Canada (or any of its children) AND Architecture were selected.

  • Location: Canada

  • Job Field: Architecture

In the following example, a field would be displayed if Canada AND Architecture were selected, or if United States AND Architecture were selected.

  • Location: Canada

  • Location: United States

  • Job Field: Architecture