From hire to retire: Why SAP SuccessFactors customers need stronger document management

Understanding the real employee document lifecycle — and the role of PeopleHub eFile

From the first touchpoint with a candidate to the final retention period after an employee leaves, documents accumulate quickly. Employee records live across processes, systems, geographies, and business units - and HR is responsible for managing them all.

Many SAP SuccessFactors customers don’t realise the scale of the challenge until a document is missing, an auditor is onsite, or a new regulatory requirement demands evidence that simply isn’t stored in a structured way.

This growing complexity is one of the key reasons organisations implement PeopleHub eFile for SAP SuccessFactors — a digital personnel file built on SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) that centralises and governs documentation across the entire employee lifecycle.

SAP SuccessFactors manages processes - but not the full document trail

SAP SuccessFactors is excellent for:

• Capturing HR data
• Managing processes
• Enabling workflows
• Employee self-service options
• Improving the user experience

However, documents including contracts, certifications, pay-related files, performance evidence, training records, safety forms and mobility agreements often originate outside SuccessFactors and must be stored, governed, and retained independently.

Without a structured document management solution:

• Documents live in inboxes, shared drives, scanned files, and local folders
• Retrieval depends on individual naming habits
• Metadata is inconsistent or non-existent
• Audits become time-consuming
• Retention rules are hard to enforce
• HR loses visibility and control

A modern SuccessFactors landscape needs a modern approach to documentation that supports governance, self-service, compliance, and lifecycle continuity and a myriad of other business processes.

The employee document management lifecycle inside an SAP SuccessFactors environment

Even with strong digital processes, document volume continues to grow throughout employment, making effective document management a critical challenge for organisations using SAP SuccessFactors.

Below is the real-world flow of documents SAP SuccessFactors customers must track and store.

1. Recruiting & hiring

Documents commonly stored in or alongside SuccessFactors Recruiting include:

• CVs and applications
• Interview notes
• Offer letters
• Employment contracts
• Background checks
• Visa and right-to-work records

While SuccessFactors manages the process, the documents themselves often sit outside it and must be archived consistently.

2. Onboarding

Onboarding creates an immediate surge of files:

• Bank and tax forms
• Policy acknowledgements
• Induction and safety training completion
• Identity checks
• Equipment allocation documents

If onboarding tools or external checks are used, documentation quickly becomes fragmented without a centralised file.

3. Active employment

As employees progress, SuccessFactors tracks data — but documents continue to accumulate outside the system, including:

• Performance review records
• Salary change letters
• Promotion, mobility, or relocation agreements
• Medical certificates
• Leave-related documents
• Training & certification evidence
• Safety or incident documentation
• Disciplinary correspondence
• Payroll-generated PDFs

Long-tenure employees can generate 50–100+ documents, even in well-digitised organisations.

4. Offboarding & post-employment

Once an employee leaves, the documentation obligations don’t end:

• Final pay documentation
• Termination letters
• Return-of-equipment forms
• Exit interviews
• Post-employment legal or compliance records
• Retention documentation

Many organisations retain these files for years to meet legal and regulatory obligations.

Why SAP SuccessFactors customers struggle with document governance

Managing HR documents effectively is a complex challenge for organisations using SAP SuccessFactors. common issues faced in document governance and management include:

1. Documents originate everywhere

From training systems and payroll outputs to scanned documents, onboarding portals, shared drives, document originate in fragmented processes and none of them are naturally consolidated into one file.

2. Naming conventions are inconsistent

Within SuccessFactors, data is structured. Outside it, documents often aren’t. With multiple stakeholders involved, the risk of human error expands.

3. Retrieval is slow and manual

Auditors, managers, and employees frequently request documents HR must search for across multiple tools. This inhibits efficiency and blocks HR pipelines with unproductive tasks.

4. Retention and deletion are unmanaged

SuccessFactors maintains data, but not retention periods or deletion governance for documents. This can open organisations up to compliance risks under regulations such as GDPR. 

5. Audits are painful

Whether validating a pay decision, investigating a safety incident, or preparing for annual compliance, unstructured documentation is a known HR bottleneck. Audits take much longer than they should, and carry risks of errors. 

PeopleHub eFile for SAP SuccessFactors is a central hub for document management

PeopleHub eFile, built on SAP BTP, gives SuccessFactors customers the missing layer of document structure, governance, and access that SuccessFactors is not designed to handle. This centralised solution integrates seamlessly with existing HR systems, providing automated workflows and robust data management capabilities. 

It supports digital transformation initiatives by enabling organisations to securely store, manage, and retrieve employee records and documents via an intuitive cloud-based platform accessible on both desktop and mobile devices.

PeopleHub eFile provides:

• One digital personnel file per employee
• Standard folder structures aligned to HR processes
• Metadata and classification for fast retrieval
• Employee and manager self-service
• HR workspace for upload, audit, and review
• Retention rules aligned to compliance needs
• Deletion approvals for high-governance environments
• Audit logs for every action
• Secure CMIS-based storage and PDF/OCR conversion

It complements SuccessFactors by strengthening the document management processes that surround and supports every HR function.

Why now: Regulations are increasing the pressure

New legislation, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive, requires organisations to justify pay decisions using evidence such as:

• Job descriptions
• Pay range documentation
• Performance outcomes
• Training and skills records
• Salary progression documentation

This creates a direct dependency on well-governed, complete, and searchable personnel files.

Similarly, safety, compliance, industrial relations, equal opportunity, and workforce governance frameworks all require documentation to be stored securely, consistently, and with auditable traceability.

SuccessFactors stores the data. PeopleHub eFile stores the evidence. Together, they complete the compliance picture.

Modern document governance for a modern SuccessFactors landscape

As organisations grow and regulations evolve, HR documentation becomes a strategic asset — not administrative overhead. PeopleHub eFile for SAP SuccessFactors, built on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), gives HR teams the structure, control, and confidence needed to maintain accurate, complete, and compliant employee records and files across the entire employee lifecycle.

This centralised, secure, cloud-based solution transforms a fragmented document trail into a governed, easily accessible single source of truth. It integrates seamlessly with your SAP SuccessFactors landscape, automates workflows, and enhances data management capabilities, empowering organisations to perform essential HR tasks efficiently while ensuring compliance.

Explore eFile's capabilities in real-world settings: Book a demo today.