How to Define Searches for Employee ID (“Empl ID”)

Processing Time:
Delayed processing times are commonly being caused by searches that have not been properly defined. If adequate search criteria are not input by the user the system tries to search through the entire database to find the record(s) you wish to retrieve. This could lead to the system sifting through hundreds of thousands of records, which would slow down even the most robust system.

On any page where a field asking for an Empl ID* is present:

In the Standard/Simple search field from a page always ensure that you enter either the entire Empl ID that you are searching for or at least 5 leading zero's in the text box. You may also use a single letter which will make the advanced search appear faster.

[Since at present EVERY Empl ID in IQCS begins with four zeros (0000xxxxxxx), anything less than 5 zeros will cause a search of the ENTIRE database, UNLESS you fool the system and use a single letter. The letter brings the Advanced Search page almost instantaneously because the system recognizes that NO Empl ID contains alphabetic characters.]

After entering the text or string of zeros, click the magnifier icon (aka “Prompt”) to be zipped right to the advanced lookup search page. You will have to clear the letter you used to get here, because no Empl ID begins with a letter; as long as the letter is there you’ll get NO MATCHING VALUES WERE FOUND, no matter what other criteria you enter in the other fields. (See illustration below.)

Don’t forget to clear the letter. It’s a number field.

Now you have many possibilities for ways to filter the search. In the Advanced Search page enter as much data as you know to narrow down the search as far as possible. The more fields you populate or partially populate the faster and more accurate your search will be.

In the example below only employees with a last name beginning with "McCl" in Set ID beginning with “FS” and in an Idaho Forest Service office will be returned.

Don’t forget that each search field can be set to filter searches differently.

You can choose “contains” in the drop-down list to include a partial string when you’re not sure of the entire name, Empl ID, or whatever other criteria you’re looking for. (See the illustration below.)

Usually you’ll only see folks in YOUR accounts that match this criterion, so the list will likely be fairly short using this technique. (You may find people in the INAC Org Code—the IQCS equivalent to SACS’ FAIS—fantasy island—in some pages when you search this way, but don’t worry.)

If you choose “between”, the adjacent text box will become two so you can enter strings of text or numbers to define the beginning and end of the range you are looking for. This is handy if your search yields a list of 300 results and the one(s) you’re looking for aren’t included in the list.

Go ahead, experiment and try to search using some of the available methods. You may find the best tip for searching.

SUPER SECRET HOT TIP OF THE MONTH

See the “Save Search Criteria” hyperlink in the above screen shot? You can do a search for everyone in an Org ID or Unit ID. (Simply look up your Org ID or Unit ID in the advanced search page, as pictured) Once the Search Results have appeared, click that Save Search Criteria hyperlink. A new screen will appear. (See next page.)

Give that search a name (in my example I might call it “Persons with 038 in their empl ID”, but you’ll do a more realistic search and give it a better name.)

Click the button. You’ll be told the search was saved.

The next time you return to any menu search page, a new box should appear at the top of your search page: “Used Saved Search:”

If you highlight a saved search in that box, the results will appear automatically.

* Empl ID may have other labels on some screens, such as “Authorizing Official”, “Certifying Official”, “Evaluator ID”, “Instructor ID”, etc. Any field that requires a person to be identified is looking for the Empl ID of that employee.

*^ On many screens clicking the “prompt” by an Empl ID without entering any text in the field may instantly take you to the Advanced Lookup. However, there are definitely screens where this will begin an endless search loop that will cause you to be ‘kicked out’ by timing out during the search. It’s better NOT to risk it and just try the techniques of “00000”  (5, count ‘em) or any alpha character as instructed above.

*^# Even 5 zeros may slow down the search a bit, as any newly added employees are going to have low Empl IDs. I  STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING THE ALPHA CHARACTER to speed this up.