Add custom expressions to a dynamic group

Overview

This article is for managers and administrators who need to automatically group employees based on attributes, such as pay type or employment type. You will see how to add custom expressions to a dynamic group so the system checks for matching employees and updates the group automatically.

What are custom expressions?

Custom expressions are rules that automatically add employees to a dynamic group based on their attributes. Instead of assigning employees manually, you set conditions, such as employee type = regular and pay type = hourly. The system then checks for matches on a schedule and updates the group automatically. This keeps employee groups accurate without extra manual work.

What is a dynamic group?

A dynamic group is an employee group that updates automatically based on rules you define. Instead of adding or removing employees manually, the system checks employee data on a schedule and adjusts group membership for you. For example, you could create a dynamic group for all employees classified as hourly, and the system will always keep that group current as employees are added or updated in the system.

Prerequisites

Before adding custom expressions, you must first create a dynamic group structure.

Instructions

Once you’ve created the Dynamic Group, follow these steps:

Go to Global Settings > Group Values, and select Dynamic Group.
Click the ellipsis, and select Add.
Fill in the group rule settings (see table below).

Note: For Custom expression, add at least one condition employees must match. You can use AND/OR to combine or refine conditions.

Required vs. optional fields

Field	Status	Description
Name	Required	Names the group rule, such as Hourly Employees.
Update daily at	Required	Sets the time of day the system checks for matches.
Keep updated ahead	Required	Defines how far in advance to check (for example, 1 day).
Time zone	Required	Ensures the updates run at the correct local time.
Groups	Optional	Adds another filter, such as location or department.
Custom Expression	Required	Defines who is included, such as Pay Type = Hourly.
Priority	Optional	Resolves conflicts when employees match more than one group.

Example configuration

This table shows an example of a dynamic group rule for regular hourly employees.

Field	Example value
Name	Regular Hourly Employees
Update daily at	12:00 AM
Keep updated ahead	24:00 (1 day in advance)
Time zone	(UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)
Groups	None
Custom Expression	Employee Type = Regular Pay Type = Hourly
Priority	1 (default)

Tip: Use both Employee Type and Pay Type together to prevent pulling in contractors or interns who may also be hourly.

Important! For hours to calculate correctly, make sure the weekday selected for First day of the work week matches the Beginning on date.

If you have questions, call us at (888) 783-1493, email [email protected], or submit a ticket.