Skip to main content
Your org chart is the backbone of Windmill. It determines who can see what information and ensures managers have access to their team’s data.

​
Why the org chart matters

Windmill uses your org chart to control visibility throughout the platform: Access control Only managers and higher-level leaders can access their team’s data. Individual contributors can only see their own information. Reporting structure The org chart defines who reports to whom. This powers Recaps, Feedback, 1-on-1s, and all reports in Windmill. Team insights Managers see aggregated data about their direct reports and teams based on the org chart structure. Without an accurate org chart, Windmill can’t function properly. Keep your org chart up to date as people join, leave, or change roles.

​
Org chart data sources

​
If you have an HRIS connected

If you have an HRIS connected (BambooHR, Rippling, Gusto, Paylocity, Justworks, ADP, Workday, etc.), your org chart automatically syncs from your HR system. What syncs automatically:
  • Employee roster (who’s on your team)
  • Reporting structure (who reports to whom)
  • Job titles and departments
  • Manager assignments
Sync timing: Your org chart syncs daily from your HRIS. Changes typically appear in Windmill within 24 hours.
If you have an HRIS connected, don’t edit your org chart manually in Windmill. Make changes in your HRIS instead—they’ll sync automatically and won’t be overwritten.

​
If you don’t have an HRIS

If you don’t have an HRIS connected, you need to manage your org chart manually in Windmill. Data sources without HRIS: Windmill can pull partial org chart data from:
  • Google Workspace (email directory)
  • Slack (team members)
However, these systems don’t provide complete reporting structures. You’ll need to manually assign managers and update the org chart as your team changes.

​
Maintaining your org chart

​
Editing the org chart manually

If you don’t have an HRIS connected, you can edit your org chart directly in Windmill. To edit a single employee:
  1. Go to Settings > Org Chart
  2. Click on the employee’s name
  3. Update their information:
    • First and last name
    • Email address
    • Job title
    • Department
    • Manager
    • Access level
  4. Click Save
Changes take effect immediately in Windmill. To bulk update managers: If you’re restructuring teams or adding a new manager, you can update multiple employees at once:
  1. Go to Settings > Org Chart
  2. Select multiple employees (check the boxes)
  3. Click Bulk Update
  4. Assign their new manager
  5. Click Save
This is helpful when onboarding a new manager or reorganizing teams.

​
Adding new employees

If you don’t have an HRIS and need to add someone to Windmill, see Inviting Team Members for detailed instructions.

​
Org chart accuracy

Check for employees without managers Employees without assigned managers won’t appear in reports or team views. Regularly review your org chart to ensure everyone has a manager assigned (except your CEO or top-level leader). Update when people leave When someone leaves your organization, make sure they’re removed from the org chart (or archived in your HRIS). This prevents them from appearing in active team lists. Reflect organizational changes When someone changes roles, gets promoted, or moves to a different team, update their manager and title promptly. This ensures reports accurately reflect your current structure.

​
Viewing your org chart

To view your org chart:
  1. Go to Settings > Org Chart
  2. You’ll see a list of all employees in your system
This list shows:
  • Employee names
  • Email addresses
  • Managers
  • Job titles
  • Access levels (Admin or Team Member)
  • Invitation status
Only team members with assigned managers appear in Windmill’s reports and insights. If someone doesn’t have a manager assigned, they won’t be included in data aggregation.

​
Org chart visibility

Admins can view and edit the entire org chart across your organization. Team Members can view their own information and their direct reports (if they manage anyone), but they can’t edit the org chart. Only Admins can make changes to reporting structures and manager assignments.

​
Archived employees

When an employee leaves your organization: If you have an HRIS connected:
  • Archived employees automatically sync from your HRIS
  • They’re removed from the active org chart within 24 hours
  • Historical data (Recaps, feedback) is preserved but archived
If you don’t have an HRIS:
  • Admins must manually archive employees
  • Click the employee’s name and select Archive
  • They’re immediately removed from active team lists
Archived employees:
  • No longer have access to Windmill
  • Don’t appear in current reports
  • Have their historical data archived (not deleted)
Keep your org chart up to date as people join and leave. An accurate org chart ensures the right people have access to the right data.

​
FAQs

Fix it in your HRIS, not in Windmill. The next sync will bring the corrected structure into Windmill. If you edit it in Windmill while an HRIS is connected, your changes will be overwritten on the next sync.
No, Windmill supports one direct manager per employee. If your organization uses matrix reporting, choose the primary manager for Windmill purposes.
Your CEO or top-level leader typically won’t have a manager in Windmill. That’s expected. However, everyone else should have a manager assigned for visibility and reporting to work correctly.
Add them to the org chart like any other employee. Assign them to their manager so they appear in team reports. If needed, use job titles or departments to distinguish contractors from full-time employees.