Glossary · Moves & change

What is the joiners, movers and leavers (JML) process?

Short answer

Joiners, movers and leavers (JML) is the process that keeps access, equipment, seating and records in step with an employee's lifecycle: when someone joins, changes role or team, and leaves. HR, IT, security and workplace teams run it together, usually triggered by the HR system, so people get what they need and lose what they no longer should.

Also called JML, starters and leavers, onboarding and offboarding seating.

How it works

The HR system is the trigger. A joiner is created with a start date, role, team and location; a mover gets a new team, role or site; a leaver gets an end date. Each event starts a set of tasks across teams.

IT and security handle identity and access: accounts, groups, licenses, badges and the removal of rights that no longer fit. Workplace teams handle the physical side: a seat or neighborhood for joiners and movers, equipment and lockers, and releasing desks and lockers from leavers. Identity providers and SCIM usually automate the account part.

The risk is in the gaps. A mover who keeps old access, a leaver who still holds a desk, or a joiner with no seat on day one are all JML failures. Triggering the tasks from the HR system, rather than relying on emails between teams, closes most of them.

How to measure it

  1. Track the share of joiners with account, equipment and seat ready on day one.
  2. Measure the time from a leaver's end date to account deactivation and seat release.
  3. Count assigned seats held by people who have left.
  4. Check movers whose access still includes their old team's systems or areas.

Examples

  • A joiner's record in the HR system creates their account through the identity provider and puts them in the workplace team's queue to seat before day one.
  • An engineer moves to the data team: their neighborhood changes, their old team's access is removed, and their desk follows the new team.

Common mistakes

  • Handling JML by email between HR, IT and facilities, so tasks are missed.
  • Treating movers as low risk; they are where excess access builds up.
  • Removing a leaver's account but leaving their assigned desk and locker in place.

How Kadence helps

With the Kadence HRIS integration (WorkOps Pro), new starters, leavers and leave dates sync from Workday, BambooHR or HiBob. Move Manager seats joiners and relocates movers, and leavers are removed from their seats automatically. SCIM directory sync and SSO, available on all plans, keep accounts and sign-in current.

Move management software · Pricing · Integrations

Frequently asked questions

What does JML stand for?

JML stands for joiners, movers and leavers: the three lifecycle events that change what an employee needs. Joiners need accounts, equipment and a seat; movers need their access and location updated; leavers need access removed and their equipment and seat returned.

Who owns the JML process?

HR owns the trigger, because the HR system records who joins, moves and leaves. IT and security own identity and access, and workplace or facilities teams own seating, lockers and equipment. The process works best when one team is accountable for the end-to-end result.

What is a mover in JML?

A mover is an existing employee who changes role, team, manager or location. Movers need new access and often a new seat, and they need old access removed. Because the removal step is easy to miss, movers are a common source of excess access.

How do you automate joiners, movers and leavers?

Make the HR system the single trigger and connect it to the identity provider and workplace platform. SCIM or directory sync creates and deactivates accounts, and an HRIS integration feeds start and leave dates so seats are assigned before day one and released on the leaving date.

How do I manage seating for new hires and reorgs without spreadsheets?

Let the HR system drive it. When someone joins, changes team or leaves, the change reaches the workplace team with the person's team and start date, so a seat can be assigned before day one and released when they leave. That replaces email chains and keeps seating, access and records in step.

  • HRIS integration A connection that syncs joiners, leavers, teams and leave dates from the HR system into workplace software automatically.
  • Move management Planning, sequencing and carrying out workplace moves, from one desk change to a whole-team relocation.
  • Additions Preparing a seat, equipment, access and records for a new occupant such as a new hire, contractor or team.
  • SCIM provisioning An open standard that creates, updates and deactivates user accounts in apps automatically from the company directory.

Kadence editorial team · Last reviewed

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