Today’s OrgPlus Tip shows you how to use conditional profile formats, with a real-life example.

Vacant Profiles for Vacant Positions

Take a look at our sample organisation below: The marketing manager has left.

Highlighted vacancies on the org chart

A conditional format called “Vacant” has been set up to highlight this position: The conditional format uses the condition “Full-Name is equal to Vacant”, and formats these boxes in Red.

Conditional format to display vacancies on the org chart

A good solution, however what about the Profile tab? This organisation view displays detailed profiles – Yours may be more detailed still. For vacant positions, these will be empty (or maybe contain incorrect information!). In a perfect solution these would be hidden from view, so using profile conditional formats that’s what we’ll do.

Vacant profiles are messy unless treated

1. Click the “Edit Current Profile” button (located above the profile tab)
2. Click the “Conditions…” button (located under “Selected Fields”)

Since the chart already has a condition set to highlight vacancies on the org chart, we can use this same condition for vacancies on the profile.

3. Select the conditional format “Vacant” on the left to activate it for the Profile tab

Click Edit Current Profile; then Conditions... to access Profile Conditional Formats

4. Click the “Format Fields” button
5. Select the fields you want to hide (in this instance all except Full Name)

Select the fields to hide

6. Click the “Advanced” tab
7. Select “Hide Field” (if multiple fields are selected you may need to click twice in order to select it), then click “OK”

Click Advanced and select Hide Field

SUCCESS! Click “OK” in all open windows and you’re done: You have a perfect Vacant Position organisation chart. When any vacant profile is viewed, only Full Name is shown; all other profile details are hidden.

SUCCESS! Your vacant position on the org chart now has a vacant profile

Other uses

There are many other uses for profile conditional formats, this is just one. Profile formats are nearly as extensible as the conditional formats on your organisation view.

Consider changing the font, colour, alignment, or adding labels to the profiles of people with particular information. Try these ideas out on your own charts, and if you discover a particularly exciting use for this feature, please come back and share your findings as a comment below.