FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We’ve recently updated our systems, so you’ll notice many changes. If you can’t find the answer to your questions here, please contact us, we’re happy to answer your questions.

Membership Information

How do I join as an organizational member?

Organizational membership is available based on the size of your company. You can explore the full member benefits here. For more information contact our Executive Director, Kim Bartkus, kim@hropenstandards.org

How do I know if my company is an organizational member of HR Open Standards?

The easiest way to know if your company is an organizational member is to look for your company on our member's page. If your company is an organizational member, you can sign-up for free with the full range of your company’s respective membership level.

I work outside the United States; can I still participate?

HR Open is a global consortium with participants worldwide. We work with all members to find times and tools to accommodate everyone. We host a Community Meeting in Europe every year that is a great opportunity to collaborate with other European members for HR Technology solutions.

Participation

How can I use HR Open Standards to connect with other technologists?

As a membership-based community, we provide the only collaborative environment for HR technology creators. Participation in our workgroups, conferences, and webinars provide great forums to discuss technology, implementation, and strategy solutions. We also have a LinkedIn page where you can connect with other HR Open enthusiasts.

Do I need to have a technical background to contribute to the Consortium?

We welcome all skill levels! The workgroups include technical experts, business analysts, and leaders. Our Meeting Planning Committee (MPC) is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing Consortium events. Individuals with an interest in event planning are encouraged to join. The Business Steering Committee (BSC) executes marketing strategies as directed by the Board of Directors. This includes website management, conferences, marketing directives, and social media strategy. The BSC is best for individuals with marketing or website/graphic design experience. Contact Kelly Berntson, kelly@hropenstandards.org, to learn more.

I have a new product/service I want to share with your community, how do I do it?

We don’t solicit our members and always keep their information private. However, we do provide opportunities for organizational members to share case studies or white papers through our blog, emails, or webinars. There are also sponsorships available for many of our meetings and events. We’re always looking for opportunities to provide education and knowledge to our community and partner with organizations that improve the HR industry. If you have information you’d like to share with our members contact Kelly Berntson.

Standards

I'm looking for a standard that's not provided on your website.

We continually update our existing standards and consider new projects as requested by the industry. Reach out to us with your suggestions; review our Project Methodology slides to learn how to start a new workgroup. We welcome all organizations into the Consortium and look forward to accommodating your needs!

Are your standards backward compatible?

Each release within a major version is backwards compatible. All versions within 3.X XML are backwards compatible as are the standards within 4.X. JSON and XML. However, the major version 4.X is not backwards compatible with 3.X. HR Open moved to a JSON in 4.X to allow better flexibility and to simplify the integrations based on feedback from our community.

I want to use your standards but don't know where to start.

HR Open Standards has many resources to help you get started. The standards come with documentation that provides overviews, terminology, use cases, and sample data for each standard. We also offer basic and specialized XML classes to teach you the standards at a variety of skill levels. The LinkedIn group is a great place to post questions about not only the standards but to find industry solutions. Our staff is always available to answer questions about the standards and options for implementations.

Project Methodology

What are HR Open projects and how do I start a workgroup?

HR Open projects are established to develop vocabularies and other deliverables with the purpose of simplifying system integrations.

The project methodology provides a set of rules and instructions to ensure the project will be successful.