How to build a company organisation chart and keep it up to date

How do you build an organisation chart step by step?

Building a chart means gathering data before drawing: units, job titles and each employee's line manager go into one list. Once checked, the chart is generated from it and refreshed from it after every staff change.

1. Pick a structure. Functional, branch-based or matrix.
2. List the units. Write down branches, departments and sub-departments with their codes and heads.
3. Define positions separately. Create each job title as a record independent of the person, and do not repeat a title within one unit.
4. Link people to positions and managers. Give every employee exactly one direct manager.
5. Check for loops and gaps. List units attached to themselves, employees with no manager and positions with nobody in them.
6. Connect approvals and visibility. Leave approval and team views should follow this hierarchy, not named individuals.
7. Write down update triggers. Hiring, exits, promotions and team moves should update the chart on the same day.

What is the difference between a person-based and a position-based chart?

A person-based chart shows who reports to whom. A position-based chart shows how job titles relate and then places people in those boxes. When someone leaves a position-based structure, the box stays, the vacancy is visible and the hiring need can be read from the record.

A matrix complicates the approval chain: unless you write down which manager receives a request, the answer varies from person to person. Whatever model you choose, naming one direct manager for every employee gives approvals a fixed basis.

Where does an org chart kept in a slide deck break down?

A chart kept in a slide or drawing file lives apart from employee records and waits for someone to remember it after every change. After a few hires and promotions it no longer matches reality, while approval and permission rules keep running on the old version.

• Out-of-date chart: A promotion made while the file's keeper is away stays invisible.
• Lost headcount: When someone leaves, their box is deleted and nobody remembers the role needs filling.
• Rules tied to names: "Leave is approved by so-and-so" quietly goes to the wrong person once the manager changes.
• Conflicting copies: The HR chart and the leadership deck show different numbers.

How do you set up an organisation chart in Sora İK?

In Sora İK, the chart is never drawn by hand; it is generated from the department tree, the positions and the direct manager on each employee card. A new hire, a manager change or a completed exit shows on the chart automatically, and only active employees appear.

Departments nest as deep as you need, each with its own code and head, and circular links such as placing a department under itself are refused. Positions can belong to a department or stand alone. A position that still has staff cannot be removed; when its holder leaves, it stays listed with an active headcount of zero. During an employee import you can let the system add departments and positions missing from your file.

This reporting line decides two things: which manager receives a leave request first, and which employees' cards, leave and puantaj (monthly attendance ledger) records a manager can open. The scope covers direct reports and the teams beneath them. For an extra step, the flow in the HR approval workflow guide uses a "manager's manager" step rather than a named person.

Know today's limits before you build: the Sora İK chart comes from each person's manager field, not from positions linked to each other, and every employee has a single direct manager. Branch or location levels, parent positions, norm staffing with a "vacant" label, job descriptions, matrix approvers, future-dated restructures, chart search and historical charts are on the roadmap. For all modules, see Sora İK. Product details: Org Chart & Positions — full feature list.

What should IT and management check in an organisation chart?

An organisation chart is more than a picture; it is the source of the permission and approval chain. An employee linked to the wrong manager sends leave requests to the wrong person and opens team data to them. Limit chart changes to authorised roles and keep them logged.

• Visible fields: In Sora İK, an employee's name, department, position and manager appear on the chart for every user in the default roles, while identity number, contact details and pay do not. A custom role without organisation view permission keeps the chart hidden from selected users.
• Team scope: A user in the manager role sees only the employees linked to them and those employees' teams; when an employee's manager changes, the former manager loses access to their data.
• Change log: The audit log shows who changed departments, positions and cards, and when.
• Monthly check: List employees whose manager has left or who have no manager at all, so approvals do not stall.
• Role design: Plan the chart and permissions together. See the HR software security guide.

Modules that work with the organisation chart

The reporting line on the chart feeds approval flows, team views and headcount reports. The guides below cover the processes that rely on this hierarchy.

• HR approval workflow guide: Designing leave and document approval flows with steps, roles, conditions and delegation rules.
• HR software security guide: A vendor-neutral IT checklist for role-based access, two-step verification and audit logs.
• Onboarding and offboarding checklist: Paperwork, SGK notification, account and equipment steps for joiners and leavers, with owners and timing.
• HR metrics guide: Formulas and worked examples for employee turnover and absenteeism, plus a set of HR metrics to track regularly.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an org chart and position management?

An organisation chart is the view of which units and people report to whom. Position management keeps job titles as records independent of the person: which titles are open in which unit, how many people hold them and which are vacant. The chart is the output; position management is the headcount data behind it.

How often should an organisation chart be updated?

Update it when something happens, not on a calendar. Hiring, exits, promotions, unit moves and manager changes should reach the chart on the same day. If the chart is generated from employee records, this happens automatically; if you keep it by hand, add a chart update task to every staff change and run a full check once a month.

How are vacant positions shown on an org chart?

On a position-based chart, a leaver's box is not deleted; it is marked vacant and compared with planned headcount. In Sora İK today, a position with no remaining staff stays on the list with an active headcount of zero; a "vacant" label on the chart and norm staffing comparison are on the roadmap. Recruitment for open roles runs in the applicant tracking system.

How does the org chart affect approval workflows?

When approval flows draw on the chart's reporting line, a request goes to the current direct manager rather than a named person, so a manager change needs no rule rewrite. In Sora İK, if no flow is defined, the employee's direct manager approves leave; extra steps can add the "manager's manager" or a role. A wrongly linked employee means a wrong approver.

How do you build an org chart for a company with several branches?

First decide where branches sit: as top-level arms or as a split under departments. Make each branch manager the direct manager for that branch, and keep shared functions at head office. A separate location or branch layer in Sora İK is on the roadmap; today the department tree nests to any depth, so branches can be set up as top-level departments.