This guide is designed to address any questions you may have about the retirement of the legacy HR experience

Use the quick links to go to a specific area or press Ctrl and F together to bring up a word search in the top right of the screen.

• The new HR experience
• What is the new HR experience?
• Roll out advice and support
• New experience toggle
• Navigation
• In-app guidance
• HR security
• Further help and resources

If your query is not listed here, then please see the Further help and resources section for details on how to contact Customer experience who will be happy to help.
 

The new HR experience

Important: The legacy interface will be retired after December 2025, so it's recommended to try out the new experience by turning on the version switcher as soon as possible.  The current timeline of events is: Starting from Monday evening (17th November): The version switcher will be available for all users. By default, users will land in the old experience, but they can use the toggle in the top-right corner to explore the new experience Week commencing 1st December: All users will by default land in the new UI when signing in. The version switcher will still be available, allowing users to temporarily switch back to the old experience. However, whenever users sign out or time out of the system, they will return to the new experience on their next login After December 2025: The legacy experience will be retired. All users will only have access to the new experience, and the version switcher will no longer be available.

What is the new HR experience?

HR has a new look and isn’t just about design – it’s about making things easier for you and your people. It features:

• An intuitive layout and improved navigation for faster access to what you need
• In-app help to guide you every step of the way
• A cleaner, modern interface designed for simplicity and efficiency
   

And that’s just the beginning...

Switching will ensure a unified, cross-product user experience as further product refreshes are released.

The new user experience also unlocks the ability to access upcoming features, including:

• Refreshed onboarding and LMS experience
• Updated mobile-friendly interface launching in December
• Powerful analytics functionality
• AI-driven HR tools
   

Roll out advice and support

How should the HR team prepare for the switch?
Start with getting your HR team, system admins, and key users familiar with the new experience right away. Their confidence with the updated interface will be essential to helping your employees transition smoothly.

Here are some recommended steps:

• Explore the new interface early: Switch to the new experience and review key features your team uses most
• Identify changes that impact HR processes: Note any differences in the menu and update internal guides if needed (remember in-app guidance will be available too)

How do we prepare our employees for the switch?
Recommended steps for end-users:

• Plan communications for employees: 
  Prepare clear instructions on how to switch and what’s new - see our example editable download emails to get started:
  1. Example email advising version toggle will soon be enabled
  2. Example email - version toggle is now available
  3. Example email - new experience now default
  4. Example email - legacy experience will be retired soon

• Encourage hands-on practice: Ask employees to switch to the new interface ahead of the deadline and utilise the in-app guidance so they have time to get familiar before the old interface is retired

   

New experience toggle

What is the new experience toggle?
We’ve introduced the ‘try the new experience toggle’ to give our users the ability to use the new interface whilst the old one is still available.

We encourage you to enable the new interface toggle as soon as possible to take full advantage of this flexible transition period, with the comfort of knowing at this stage it is optional for your users. This gives you the time to adjust and enable a smooth changeover.

The feedback from customers who have already made the switch has been positive. Many have shared success stories about how much quicker and easier it is to get things done. We’re confident you’ll find it just as impactful. 

Adopting the new HR experience unlocks access to advanced features including enhanced analytics and AI tools. Plus further functionality as it becomes available, including a new mobile experience launching in December. 

How do I enable the new experience toggle for the new UI?
The new experience toggle is enabled by user role, by activating it on the Details Page in Role Management by a system administrator. Once activated, users in that role will be able to toggle between the old and new UI of Ciphr.  See linked guide for more details or watch the video below:

Can I switch back to the old UI after trying the new one?
Yes, as long as the new experience toggle is enabled you’ll be able to toggle between the old and new interface versions. 

When I enable the new experience toggle will users see the new interface by default? 
Not yet. When you turn on the new experience toggle, users will still see the old interface first. They can switch to the new interface manually, and once they do, the system will remember their choice for future sign-ins. However from the w/c 1st December all users will see the new experience by default. 

What’s changing in December 2025? From December, the new experience toggle will be enabled by default although users will still be able to switch between new and legacy experiences during that month.

Can I force users to only use the new interface?
Yes we're aware that many customers are eager to fully embrace the new interface as soon as possible ahead of it's formal retirement. If that’s the case for you, and you want your users to only use the new experience, it’s a straightforward change you can make in your system configuration settings. It makes onboarding new employees so much easier with the in-app guidance that takes them through the basics.

The system configuration setting Disable Old UI will remove the new experience toggle if enabled. See linked guide for details on how to apply this or watch the video below:

How long will the old interface remain available?
The old interface will remain available until the end of 2025, after December it will be retired.  Please see timeline for more details.

We encourage you to start preparing now so your teams are ready before the legacy experience is retired. Our goal is to make this change as smooth as possible, and we’ll provide support throughout the process.

Can I switch to the new UI before the deadline? 
Yes it's easy to disable the old UI for everyone with the flick of a switch whenever you are ready.  See linked guide for details on how to apply this or watch the video above. 

Will there be any downtime when the old UI is removed?
No, once you disable the old UI in system configuration, all users will be on the new UI and the version switcher will disappear.

If you haven’t turned off the old experience before it’s retired, the update will still happen smoothly with no downtime.

Is there an option to extend access to the old UI?
No, there won’t be an option to extend access beyond the end of 2025. We’ve provided a transition period to help you plan and prepare, and our goal is to make the move to the new interface as smooth as possible.

If you need any advice on managing the transition, please reach out to the Customer Experience team - see Further help and resources section. They’ll be happy to guide you through the next steps and share best practices.

What happens if we’re not ready by the deadline?
From the start of 2026, the old interface will no longer be available. All users will automatically move to the new interface. To avoid disruption, we recommend completing your transition before the end of 2025. If you need support or guidance, please reach out to the Customer Experience team - see Further help and resources section.  

What happens after the old interface is retired?
After December 2025, the old interface will no longer be accessible. All users will automatically use the new interface and have access to the benefits such as in-app guidance, streamlined menu and search options. Please see timeline for more details.

Navigation

Can I customise (rename or reorder) the navigation in the new user interface (UI)?
No, the navigation in the new interface cannot be customised, including renaming or reordering the navigation.

Why can’t navigation be customised?
The navigation is designed to be consistent for all our customers. This ensures consistency in how the system is used and supported. Customising navigation could lead to confusion, inconsistent user experiences, and make it more difficult for our support team to assist our customers effectively.

What are the benefits of a standardised navigation?
a) Action-orientated menu

• Menu names have been changed to make it clearer for the user what they relate to
• Configuration and administration menu items have been moved to the relevant section where possible, making it more logical how to administer your system

b) In-app guidance and support: Ciphr now provides end users with in-app guidance and support:

• Step-by-step instructions within HR to help users complete tasks
• Product guides tailored to the standardised navigation, ensuring users know where to find key features and how to use them
• Real-time support within the product itself, reducing the need for our customers to create bespoke guidance for their users
• Offer more efficient training and documentation that applies universally to all users

c) Consistency for Ciphr Support: A consistent navigation means that the Ciphr care team can:

• Provide faster, more accurate responses to queries, as all users will be following the same navigation structure
• Troubleshoot issues more effectively, as Ciphr support are aligned with the standard navigation

d) Easier Onboarding for New Users:

• Standardised navigation reduces learning curves for new users as they can follow universal guides and tutorials provided in product.

How does in-app guidance enhance my user experience?
Our new in-app guidance improves the overall user experience by providing proactive assistance and guidance while in the application to find information they need. It helps users find their way around the system to learn and understand new features.

How do I find pages where the name or menu location has changed?
You can use the search feature in the top left corner of the navigation. The search function is designed to recognise page names from the old version, allowing you to search using familiar names. It will then display the new page name and allow you to click the label to access.

Can I suggest improvements to the new navigation?
Absolutely, we welcome feedback to improve the overall user experience. If you have suggestions how we can improve the navigation please let us know by submitting feedback via the experience toggle or Customer Care.

In-app guidance

Will users see all support and guidance? 
No. Users will see guides relevant to their user role; however, the General Library has a wide range of guides and users may experience an ‘access denied’ message if trying to view a guide for an area of the system they don’t have access to.

Will different users (employee, manager, HR) see different content? 
Yes. The support content varies by user role.  All users will have access to the Getting started module containing recommended guides as shown in the image. 

Users with access to subordinate records will also see some additional guides that employees won't see.

Will Academy content be available in the in-app guidance? 
Quick links to Academy are included in HR user topics for further learning.

What if the in-app guidance is not showing?
If you find that in-app guidance is not displaying properly then you may need to add some extra entries to the Allow-list. Click here for further guidance.

HR security

Do I need to make any changes to security in HR? 
No, your HR user role configuration will remain exactly as it is configured today in the old interface, but you will need to grant access to some new pages and give yourself access to the new experience toggle (guidance will be provided at the appropriate time on how to do this or you can view it here: New HR experience post-update actions). You will also need to determine who will have admin access to the Sign-In area.

Further help and resources

My question is not covered here, where can I get more help?

Please review the detailed guidance is available to walk you through the process step by step and answer most questions:

• In-app guidance when you sign in, click the ? help icon bottom left of the menu
• New HR experience post-update actions
• Try the new HR experience slider
• Disabling the old HR experience
• New HR experience - end user resources

You can also visit the Customer Care Hub and raise a support request if you still have outstanding queries:

Go to https://customercare.ciphr.com/hc/en-gb and sign in

• Click Submit a Request
• Select I’d like to contact the customer experience team from the dropdown menu
• Complete your details and select customer experience as the Contact Reason
• HR as the Subscription
• Provide as much detail as possible of what you’d like help with