Microsoft StaffHubFAQs
Updated: October 2017
GENERAL FAQs
What is Microsoft StaffHub?
Microsoft StaffHubis a purpose-built app for the Firstline Workforce in Office 365. It is specifically designed to deliver the capabilities, tools and information that Firstline Workers need to work effectively and perform at their peak. This service combines scheduling, task management, documents, people and tools in one secure place – with the ability to connect to other work-related apps and resources.
Which devices or platforms is StaffHub available on?
Microsoft StaffHub is currently availableon the Web, iOS and Android.
How do I get StaffHub?
Microsoft StaffHub is currently available as part of the following Office 365 business plans: F1, E1, E3 and E5. If a customer is already on one of these plans they can start using Microsoft StaffHub today. Getting started is easy, Firstline managers can sign in with their Office 365 work account at From there, they can create and manage schedules for their teams, upload and share important resources and company news, and invite Firstline Workersto download the application.
Is StaffHub also available as a standalone product?
StaffHub is currently not available as a standalone product – customers need to purchase one of following Office 365 business plans to get StaffHub: F1, E1, E3 or E5.
Is there a free or trial version of StaffHub?
Customers need to purchase one of following Office 365 business plans to get StaffHub: F1, E1, E3 or E5. Customers interested in trialing the app can get a trialsubscription of Office 365, which would include access to StaffHub for the duration of the trial subscription.
Where can I learn more about Microsoft StaffHub?
Additional information on Microsoft StaffHub is available on and on the Microsoft 365 Partner site.
Who is the target user for Microsoft StaffHub?
Microsoft StaffHub is designed to be a single app for Firstline Workers. Firstline Workers represent the more than two billion people[1] in roles that make them the first point of contact between a company and the outside world. They are the people behind the counter, on the phone, in the clinics and on the shop floor. They form the backbone of many of the world’s largest industries - include retail, restaurants, hospitality, travel, manufacturing and construction. In this role, they are often the first to engage customers, the first to represent a company’s brand and the first to see products and services in action.
Who are Microsoft StaffHub’s competitors?
We consider the primary “competitors” to be a collection of tools and processes that workers and their managers have used to help them manage their work day. For examples, Team Managers may have manually created shift schedules using a spreadsheet program, printed out the schedule and placed it in an employee break room. Workers may have shared messages with each other via phone calls, text messages or other consumer messaging apps. StaffHub makes this easier by including these capabilities in a single app experience.
I am currently a StaffHub Preview customer. Do I need to do anything now that StaffHub is generally available?
Customers who currently have StaffHub preview licenses assigned to end-users should ensure that each user is covered with a license from a qualified Office 365 plan: F1, E1, E3 or E5.
Does each worker need to have an Office 365 account (or Azure Active Directory account)?
Yes, each worker and manager using Microsoft StaffHub must have an Office 365 (Azure Active Directory) account. To note,IT admins can enable an option in StaffHub that will provision users with an account if they don’t already have one. Learn how to enable this option in this support article.
Are there major differences between the iOS app and the Android app?
The core functionality is the same between iOS and Android. There are minor UI differences between the two apps.
Are there differences between the Web app vs. the mobile apps?
For FirstlineWorkers (e.g. team members), there are differences in what can be done in the Web app vs. the mobile apps, however we are working on feature parity.
For Firstline Managers (e.g. team managers), the web app is used to create Teams, add team members, build and publish schedules, and share content with the team. Team Managers use the mobile app to approve requests andsend quick messages to the team.
Which browser versions does the Web app work on?
StaffHub works on the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox and Mac Safari.
Which languages is Microsoft StaffHub available in?
Microsoft StaffHub is available in the following languages: Chinese-Simplified, English (U.S.), Spanish, Russian, Japanese, French, Brazilian-Portuguese, German, Korean, Italian, Chinese-Traditional, Dutch, Turkish, Swedish, Danish. We plan to add support for additional languages in the future.
Does this change the price of the qualified Office 365 plans: F1, E1, E3 or E5?
StaffHub is included in these plans at no additional cost.
Who can create a team in Microsoft StaffHub? Anybody?
Anybody with a subscription plan that contains StaffHub can create a team in the StaffHub web app.There are no special permissions needed to create a team.
Is there a limit to how many total Teams can be created? Is there is a limit to how many teams an individual can create?
Each user can only be in 250 Groups/Teams, but there is no limit on the tenant level.
Is there any integration between Microsoft StaffHub and the Outlook calendar? Can I export a schedule to a calendar?
Firstline workers can see their entire work schedule at a glance within the app. We are working on native integration with Outlook calendar, but in the meantime, customers can use Flow to set up integration with StaffHub and Outlook and Google calendars.
If an employee doesn’t have permissions to create Groups, can they still create a Team in StaffHub?
Yes, if an employee doesn’t have permissions to create Groups in Office 365, they can still create a Team in StaffHub, and can create schedules, manage the team and use the mobile app to message with their workers. However, without permissions to create Groups they won’t be able to share files with their team.
When an Office 365 Group is created when a StaffHub team is created, is there a way to make the Group private instead of public?
By default Groups created by StaffHub are set to Public, we will soon release an update whereby groups will be created as private by default. It is important to note that any group can be converted to Private using PowerShell: How to change Group to private via PowerShell.
What powers the file sharing capability? Where is it stored?
The file sharing capability (i.e. ability for a team manager to distribute files to their workers) is powered on the backend by SharePoint Online – an Office 365 Group is automatically provisioned for each Team in the background when that team is created.
What powers the StaffHub chat backend?
StaffHub chat is powered by the same chat service that powers Microsoft Teams.
Can shift schedule information be exported?
Shift schedule information can be exported to a .csv file from within the web app. Customers can import this information into their own systems and tools.
Where is Microsoft StaffHub data stored?
StaffHub schedule data is currently stored inAzure in datacenters in North America and Western Europe.Sharepoint content leverages Office 365 Groups and follows the same storage and support provided there.
What kind of IT admin controls will companies have to manage whether or their employees can use Microsoft StaffHub?
IT admins can turn StaffHub on or off at the tenant level (i.e. turn off/on for all users). IT admins can also assign/unassign StaffHub licenses to users in the Office 365 admin portal and turn on license enforcement in the StaffHub admin portal. This will ensure that only users who have the StaffHub license will be able to log into the service.
Can I audit or access a log of messages sent within the app? Where can I find the messages?
The messages are stored in Azure DocumentDb and can be retrieved if we know the StaffHub userId of the user. Our API is currently private, but are open to feedback on what IT admins would like to have access to in the future.
Can StaffHub be managed via Intune MAM?
We are pleased to announce Intune MAM integration at Ignite. We will be enabling this functionality for users in the coming months.
How long is schedule information stored?
All prior schedules can be accessed within the app as long as the tenant is active. Managers can access past schedules by logging in to the web app and clicking on the Go tobutton to view the calendar.
Is StaffHub Compliant?
Microsoft StaffHub adheres to the same set of international and regional standards and certifications as other Office 365 products that have achieved level C compliance, which is covered by the Office 365 Compliance Framework for Industry Standards and Regulations. In areas where we verify the security controls that standards mandate, StaffHub has been included in the most recent SOC 1 audit, which concluded in mid-Sept 2017. As part of our commitment to transparency, we expect to publish the final audit reports by the end of this calendar year in the Service Trust Portal.
Is StaffHubHIPAA Compliant?
In areas where we verify the security controls that standards mandate, StaffHub has been included in the most recent SOC 1 audit, which concluded in mid-Sept 2017. As part of our commitment to transparency, we expect to publish the final audit reports by the end of this calendar year in the Service Trust Portal.We have implemented all the controls that give us confidence we have appropriate safeguards to protect electronic protected health information. SOC is an audit standard that provides independent verification that the umbrella set of policies and controls that we have implemented to support Microsoft’s contractual commitments under the HIPAA BAA are effective.
With regards to remote wipe capabilities:
We recently announced plans to provide MAM integration. This integration will enable tenant admins to do remote wipe of StaffHub data. We will be enabling this functionality for users in the coming months.
Where can I provide feedback?
Within the mobile app, if you tap on the “hamburger” icon in the upper left of the screen, it will pull down a menu with a “Help and Feedback” option. You can also visit our UserVoice forum here or email .
EXTENSIBILITY & 3RD PARTIES FAQs
Is there an API? Is there an SDK available to integrate into existing systems, such as HR, payroll or Workforce Management systems?
We recently announcedthat we have APIs available as part of a private preview. These APIs will provide access to teams, members and shift data, and can be used to integrate with HR, payroll or workforce management systems.
Does StaffHub integrate with other workforce management or scheduling systems?
We are investing in 3rd party integration and making it easy to connect to popular line of business applications. To start, we will support connections to Kronos, a leading provider of workforce management and human capital management cloud solutions. Initially, this integration will enable managers to import individual and team schedule information from Kronos directly into StaffHub. In addition to importing data into Microsoft StaffHub, users will have the ability to write schedule data back to Kronos, gain clock in/out functionality and manage accruals for employees. Thesecapabilities will be in private preview with a small group of Office 365 and Kronos customers. Stay tuned for more information and timing.
When will the integration with Kronos be available for customers?
We will be piloting this in private preview with a few customers before making it broadly available. Stay tuned for more details on timing.
Can customers test or participate in a beta of the integration with Kronos or the planned APIs?
There are a small number of customers in private preview, but customers can send a message to if interested in learning more or participating in an early preview.
Are more partnerships coming soon?
We are always evaluating potential partnerships and integration opportunities based on customer feedback and assessment of the market. We don’t have any additional information to share at this time, but stay tuned. Note: if you have an integration you’d like to see, please submit feedback via UserVoice or by sending an email to .
Are the APIs in Microsoft Graph?
Not at this point in time, but we will make the APIs available in MS Graph in the future.
Can anyone use the Flow templates you’ve created?
While anyone can use the pre-defined StaffHub flow templates, several of them are currently only optimized for the team manager and will not work well for employees. We are working on improvements that will come soon.Additionally, users will also need the correct licensing to create a Microsoft Flow and/or PowerApps. Users on Office 365 F1 have consumption rights only.
How do I get code samples for your APIs? Is there a GitHub repository?
Code samples are currently restricted to customers in our private preview. We are looking into the best options to share out these samples.
What is the roadmap for your APIs?
We do not have anything to announce at this point, but feedback from the private preview will greatly influence our future investments.
You announced an integration with Dynamics 365. What happened with that?
Our Dynamics 365 integration is still in the implementation phase. We do not have any timeline to announce at this time.
Are the Microsoft StaffHub APIs free?
Yes, the Microsoft StaffHub APIs are free.
When are these features available?
The APIs and Kronos integration are available right now in a private preview. Admin support for the APIs will come in later this calendar year. Connections between Microsoft Flow and StaffHub are available now in production on
When will you add API support for Tasks?
We expect to add support for Task entities in the Microsoft StaffHub APIs later this calendar year.
Does messaging in the app leverage Microsoft Teams?
Yes. Microsoft StaffHub is built on the same chat service that powers Microsoft Teams.
How does StaffHub relate to Yammer?
Yammer is for Enterprise Social. Microsoft StaffHub is intended for Firstline Workers and their teams to manage schedules, share information connect and collaborate. You can also use Microsoft StaffHub to create Azure Active Directory accounts for your employees. They can use this account to log into other products, like Yammer, if desired. In the coming months, Firstline Workers will be able to view key Yammer feeds in the StaffHub mobile app.
Is this WhatsApp for the Enterprise?
We’re committed to investing in great experiences for workers. Sending messages and sharing information is a very important part of this.StaffHub makes it easy for workers to easily share work-related information with everyone on their team. You can send and receive quick messagesfrom your coworkers without needing to know or expose any personal information like email or phone.
What about Windows Phone? Universal app?
Microsoft StaffHub is currently available for iOS, Android, and on the Web. We’re always evaluating different platforms based on feedback and serving the needs of our customers. We don’t have any information at this time for Universal Windows App (UWP) app for Windows Phone.
Is there a Kiosk mode for StaffHub?
Microsoft StaffHub supports a web experience that anyone can use to see their schedule. Microsoft StaffHub is designed for individual use, so employees should log in with their own accounts to see the content relevant to them, rather than having a shared login for multiple people on the team.
How is Microsoft StaffHub related to Microsoft Teams? Aren’t both trying to help teams communicate with each other?
Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace, that brings together people, conversations and content. Microsoft StaffHub is apurpose-built app for the Firstline Workforce to manage their workday. We know that communication is important for both and recently announced the integration of StaffHub messaging and Microsoft Teams to allow Firstline Workers to connect and collaborate with all employees.
[1]Source: Gartner, Firstline Worker global TAM, Office 365 Industry Addressability Study, 2017