Sage People is a cloud-based HCM platform built on Salesforce that supports global HR teams across recruiting, core HR, and workforce management. It helps organizations manage complex, multi-region people operations through configurable workflows, role-based access, and integrated people data.
Project Summary
Time-off requests were handled through emails and manual follow-ups, creating delays and frustration for both employees and managers. Managers often missed approval emails or had to interrupt their work to log into Sage People just to approve a request. At the same time, limited visibility into who was out of the office made it difficult to plan coverage and manage team capacity.
This project focused on embedding Sage People directly into Microsoft Teams—bringing HR and payroll actions into the place where employees already spend most of their time. The goal was to reduce friction, eliminate context switching, and make time-off requests, approvals, and team availability effortless and transparent.
Managing time off without leaving Teams
Employees can request time off through a conversational experience in Microsoft Teams, view leave balances, and receive instant notifications when requests are approved or declined. Managers can review and approve requests directly within Teams. They will not miss any time off request via emails, having to logins to Sage People , no follow-ups.
Approved absences automatically appear in Outlook calendars, while managers gain a real-time view of who is out and when. The experience supports faster decisions, clearer communication, and better planning across teams—without disrupting daily work.
Conversational, integrated, and built for scale
The solution was built on a deep integration between Sage People, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook. A chatbot-driven workflow guides employees through requesting time off, validates inputs in real time, and reduces errors before submission.
Design decisions focused on:
In-context access to HR actions without requiring Sage People login
Conversational guidance to simplify complex or policy-driven workflows
Seamless calendar synchronization to maintain a single source of truth
Scalable patterns that could extend beyond time off to other HR tasks
This foundation ensured the experience felt native to Teams while maintaining the security, governance, and data integrity of enterprise HCM.
Less friction. More clarity. Better planning.
By moving HR actions into Teams, the solution significantly reduced approval delays and eliminated missed requests. Employees gained confidence that their time-off requests were seen and processed quickly, while managers benefited from improved visibility into team availability and fewer administrative interruptions.
The result was a more transparent, efficient, and human-centered way to manage time off, freeing managers to focus on their people and employees to stay focused on their work.
