Process-driven approach to HR management

This thesis examines the application of a process-driven approach to Human Resource Management, with employee onboarding selected as the representative HR enterprise function for detailed analysis. The aim is to demonstrate how Business Process Management and the Modeling Method for Analyzing and Building Processes can support the modelling, analysis, and prototype implementation of an HR process. The research is based on a qualitative, design-oriented single-case study. The onboarding case is constructed as a simulated scenario based on academic literature, general HR practices, and typical organizational structures. The thesis applies MMABP through several complementary models, including a global process model, BPMN model, data flow diagram, class diagram, and state chart. A functional prototype is then developed in Camunda Process Engine to demonstrate event-driven execution, user tasks, support processes, timer events, and message correlation. The findings show that a process-driven approach can improve transparency, coordination, traceability, and structural clarity in HR processes. In the onboarding case, it helps identify responsibilities, information flows, business objects, process states, decision points, and exception paths. The thesis also identifies challenges such as model complexity, the need for consistency between conceptual and implemented models, technical configuration effort, and the limitations of using simulated data. Although the results cannot be statistically generalized, they provide analytical insights into how process-driven modelling and prototyping can support HR management and potential workflow automation.