What’s New in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central : 1H 2025

[nageshpolu]

In the series of 1H 2025 release blogs, my next talks about SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central. The 1H 2025 release brings a fresh wave of enhancements to Employee Central, focused on simplifying HR processes, enhancing mobile usability, improving benefits handling, and strengthening document management.

From event-driven automation in Position Management to AI-powered support through Joule, and important upgrades in Benefits and Document Templates, this release continues SAP’s commitment to delivering a more intelligent, efficient, and people-centered HR experience.

Whether you're an administrator optimizing core HR, or an HR leader improving employee services, these updates are built to support your goals.

1. A Smoother Mobile People Profile Experience

Feature: Enhanced People Profile in Mobile
Why it matters: Employee data is now easier to browse on mobile.

Image Source: SAP

The People Profile in the mobile app has been improved for faster navigation and better usability. Accessing and managing employee data on the go is now simpler and more efficient.

Few Use Cases: With the basic integration between SAP SuccessFactors and Microsoft Teams enabled, users can now initiate a Teams chat directly from the Profile Preview. Additionally, an indicator displaying job title and employment status is now available for contingent workers — a feature that was previously limited to individuals with multiple employments.

2. More Insights, Fewer Clicks in Full Profile

Feature: Expanded Full Profile View
Why it matters: See the full picture of your workforce.

Additional cards are now available in the Full Profile, giving users more visibility into employee details from a single screen. This update supports deeper insight and quicker decision-making.

3. Event-Based Position Updates

Feature: Position Follow-Up After Imports
Why it matters: Automation reduces manual data maintenance.

An event-based solution now handles updates triggered by Job Information and Termination imports. This ensures cleaner data and reduces manual follow-up work in Position Management.

⚠️Note: The follow-up processes after importing Job Information with the Termination event are the same as after a Termination Details import.

4. Smarter Admin Alerts for Position Management

Feature: Admin Alerts for Import Issues
Why it matters: Stay proactive with position-related errors.

 Image Source: SAP

Admins can now track issues in Position Management imports via Admin Alerts. This helps catch and resolve errors early to maintain data accuracy.

5. Digital Signature Placeholders in Document Templates

Feature: Placeholder Support for Digital Signatures
Why it matters: Enable signing workflows directly in templates.

You can now embed digital signature placeholders in Document Templates. This makes it easier to trigger signing processes automatically — a big step forward for digital document management and paperless HR operations.

Permissions Needed:

• View, Edit, and Import/Export permission under Manage Permission Roles  Miscellaneous Permissions  Configure Digital Signing for Document Generation.
• View, Correct, Create, Adjust Order, Delete, and Import/Export permission under Manage Permission Roles  Miscellaneous Permissions  Configure Digital Signing for Document Generation.Signers (Signers).

⚠️Note: In the previous release 2H 2024, the feature was under restricted availability. In the 1H 2025 release, it is generally available.

6. Enabling Benefit Level Workflow in the Latest Enrollment Process

Feature: Benefit-Level Approval Workflow
Why it matters: More precise control over benefit changes.

The latest benefit enrollment process now supports workflows at the individual benefit level, allowing you to route changes for approval based on the specific benefit selected. This adds a new layer of flexibility and control in benefits management.

⚠️Note: The new field allows you to control the triggering of workflows for benefit enrollment requests more efficiently, during open enrollment. This field has two dropdown options:

• Group Specific: Choosing this will allow you to trigger a single workflow for all the benefits. This is the current behaviour.
• Benefit Specific: Choosing this will allow you to trigger workflows configured at the benefit level.

7. Recording the Waive Action by the Employee for Benefits

Feature: Track Benefit Waivers
Why it matters: Gain visibility into declined benefits.

Image Source: SAP 

When employees choose to waive a benefit during enrollment, that action is now recorded in the system. This improves compliance and gives HR a clearer understanding of employee benefit preferences.

8. Benefit Summary in the Group Enrollment Workflow Request

Feature: Summary View in Group Enrollment
Why it matters: Approvers see the full picture.

A benefit summary is now included in the Group Enrollment Workflow Request, making it easier for approvers to quickly review and validate employee elections before approval.

Images Source: SAP 

⚠️Note: This feature is only applicable for the latest benefits enrollment experience. Benefits summary details is not visible when the benefits enrollment happens through the legacy experience.

9. Generative AI Empowers HR on the Go

Feature: Joule in SAP SuccessFactors Mobile
Why it matters: AI assistance just got mobile.

SAP’s AI copilot, Joule, is now available in the SAP SuccessFactors Mobile app. Users can interact with HR systems using natural language to get quick answers, complete tasks, and navigate employee data — all from their smartphones.

Final Thoughts

The 1H 2025 release for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central delivers powerful improvements across mobile, workflows, position management, benefits, and documentation. From AI-driven efficiencies to compliance-ready benefits features, these updates continue to support a more flexible and intelligent HR landscape. Be sure to review these enhancements in your preview environment, configure where needed, and communicate key changes with your teams to maximize adoption.

For full technical documentation, visit the SAP SuccessFactors What's New Viewer or connect with your SAP support representative.