Head of Personnel

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Head of Personnel

Superiors: Captain
Difficulty: Medium
Guides: Standard Operating Procedure, Space Law, Guide to Paperwork, Standard Operating Procedure (Supply)
Access: Civil (Full), Supply (Full), Security (Basic), Research Division (Basic), Medbay (Basic), Engineering (Basic), Maintenance, Tech Storage, EVA, AI Upload, Bridge, Vault, HoP, Personal Lockers, ID computer.
Duties: Administration, IDs, managing personnel numbers, running the station when the captain goes AWOL.

Supply Department

Departmental Head
Head of Personnel

Supply Roles
Supply Guides
Supply Areas
CargoMining Station
Service Department

Departmental Head
Head of Personnel

Service Roles
Service Guides
Service Areas
BarbershopCustodial Closet
Command Department

The Head of Personnel is in charge of assigning and reassigning crew members correctly and making sure station departments are well-staffed and running optimally (and stay that way). They are on the same level as all of the other heads of staff and do not outrank any of them; however, you are the only one besides the Captain who has access to the Identification Card Modifier.

Required Skill

Patience is a virtue A lot of the time you will be asking or answering a lot of questions. A lot of the newcomers on the station will head your way, to find someone to teach them a job. At this point, it would be a good idea to ask what kind of job the newcomer is interested in, and then try to find someone willing to take on a trainee in that line of work. Most people usually use radio communication to make this happened.

Basic department knowledge It is strongly recommended that you know the basics of what each department do, and what access they should have. It will make your job a lot easier.

Basic paperwork Not as much a requirement as a playstyle. Sometimes you encounter the type of Head Of Personnel that demands that you fill in the required forms, get the stamps needed for the transfer. Sometimes people even come asking for permits for various things. It can add a lot of immersion in many cases, and you can find example paperwork on this wiki as well as the basics in how to create your custom paperwork. It is recommended that you at least have read through these guides, or know how to find them. In case you decide to immerse yourself in the world of paperwork.

Your Own Department

As a Head of Staff, you have your department to watch out for. You're in charge of coordinating the support personnel and supply staff on the station. This also includes the Quartermaster and Cargo Technicians. Usually, you can let the station's various Bartenders and Librarians run around and take care of themselves. They are technically under your direct command, but their jobs are usually simple and not particularly vital to the running of the station.

Tools of the Trade

You are the Head of Personnel. You get access to just about everything, including basic access to every department on the station. While you can also give yourself full access, this is a major breach of your powers and job. Your main responsibility is to manage the crew and make sure each department is fully staffed and working efficiently.

You are issued an energy pistol and armour for the protection of yourself and your office. The fact that you are not security cannot be overstated. The responsibility to keep track of your weapon and armour is one that you would do well to take seriously. As you are, at the end of the day, a civilian official on a research installation, your protective gear is best kept in storage. Your telescopic baton and flash, however, feel free to keep on you, as your job means dealing with masses of irritable unemployed or soon-to-be-unemployed persons.

You have had a box of PDAs in your bag, as does the Captain. Persons losing their PDAs should probably buy a new one from the dispenser in cargo(assuming they still have their ID), saving your precious spares for the odd Diona gestalt or Golem. You have spare IDs, which you can expect to use often given the common occurrence of ID theft. Using their entry on the Crew Manifest, input their name and rank, and input the appropriate account number. If they do not have an existing account, you will have to create one. More on making new crew entries below.

You have access to the all-powerful Identification Modification Console, it has three functions: Access modification (for modifying IDs), Job Management (opening jobs for new players joining the round), and displaying the Crew Manifest (useful so you don't have to constantly open your PDA).

Your lockers contain other assorted goodies: An extra mining equipment voucher, a collar for Ian (which acts as a doggie death alarm), various stylish(ish) uniforms and more.

A Full Department Is a Happy Department

When a department is lacking in crew members, you are expected to take the initiative to hire more crew members for that department. Offering pay raises, reimbursements, or recommending people into certain departments are all good ways of convincing people to transfer to a department that needs more staff members. Denying (or "strongly discouraging") crew members a transfer into a fully-staffed department is a good way of getting staff in the places you need them as well.

A Happy Department Is a Productive Department

Now that a certain department is staffed, it also falls under your and Internal Affairs' jurisdiction to make sure that all of the departments are running smoothly. Check up with all of the other department heads frequently to make sure that there aren't any inter-department problems or any major problems between crew members.

The Reassignment: A Way of Life

Your other job is reassigning people when they come to your desk with one or more access requests. Make sure that he or she has a good, justified reason to want a job change. A Chef who suddenly wants to become a Geneticist is a good example of someone who should be heavily scrutinized.

Feel free to deny someone's transfer request if you get a poor explanation as to how someone suddenly came into possession of his or her sudden inter-department knowledge (My uncle was in a war/I read it in a book/I just know, are all pretty bad reasons). Alternatively, set them up with a subservient, or assistant position, until they've proven that they can do the job correctly (custom assignment titles are useful for this!).

You're Hired, Welcome Aboard

If someone's job transfer request isn't completely ridiculous, then it's time for you to do some background checks. Make sure the crew member knows what they're (going to be) doing inside of his or her new department. Once you've determined someone is a potential candidate for a job transfer, it's a good idea to grab one of several versions of job transfer form. Pick out one that you like and give the form to the guy waiting for his job change; ask him to fill it out. Keeping a record of all of the access changes you give out is key to keeping everyone else informed about what you're doing and keeping you out of the brig.

Here comes the hard part. Now that you have a filled out form, you should get it signed and stamped by an appropriate head of staff. Usually, this involves getting the department head's attention in one way or another, be it talking to them over the radio or sending your man to the department itself. Again, keeping a record of a department head's consent on file is usually one of the best ways to prove that your access change wasn't completely illegal. The shorthand version of this process would be to inform the head of staff in question about the transfer over the Command radio channel and get quick consent from there.

Finally, when everything is signed, stamped, and filled out, you can sign the form yourself. Ask the man for his Identification Card so that you can officially give them the requested job title and access. Unless someone would like a specific job title, make sure to use the generic job titles near the top of the screen so that Security can identify that person much more easily with their fancy SecHUDs.

One thing to bear in mind is that you are also able to open additional slots in various job roles for crew members to take when joining the round. While there's no major harm in adding that Security Officer slot that the Head of Security asked for, it would be unwise to mass-open slots of any kind (but especially those with potential to HONK cause chaos). It is recommended that you ask Central Command for permission before opening multiple slots.

Karma's a bitch

Several roles are limited due to Central Command wanting to only send approved personnel to partake in them. In OOC terms, karma roles. There are the Barber, Brig Physician, NanoTrasen Representative, Blueshield, Security Pod Pilot, Mechanic and Magistrate. Job transfers to the occupations of NanoTrasen Representative, Blueshield and Magistrate are never to be conducted, as there is the potential threat of undermining the independent oversight these jobs are meant to provide by hiring crew members loyal to the current captain. If someone comes to the HoP line and requests a transfer to one of the other roles (Barber, Brig Physician, Security Pod Pilot and Mechanic) they may be promoted if the job is lit up green while the crew member's ID is inserted in the ID Modification Console (this depends on whether or not they already unlocked this role). See Standard Operating Procedure.

You're Fired

As well as handing out job transfers, it's also well within your authority to demote people and take those jobs away.

If someone falls asleep on the job or messes something up, you are well within your rights to demote them to a lower position after consulting the appropriate head of staff. Demoting a head of staff, however, is something that should not be done without the Captain's written consent.

Occasionally, a head of staff will request that a crew member be demoted for varying reasons. All heads of staff are within the right to demote members of their department so long as they fill out the necessary Access Change Order for that crew member. A head of staff cannot remove a crew member from the station entirely and only has the power to demote the crew members in his or her department.

Rarely will a crew member be removed from his or her position as a NanoTrasen employee entirely. Only the Captain has the power to authorize such a procedure and it is seldom practised. However, it has happened on numerous occasions. When a crew member is removed from the station, he or she is essentially "fired": that person is given no job, pay, or privileges and is removed from the station on the next Crew Transfer Shuttle pending further review by NanoTrasen at Central Command.

In Case of Emergency, Break Glass

Sometimes people need access to certain departments in an emergency, and the AI isn't up to the task of opening doors for people. Feel free to hand out emergency access to people such as Security Officers if the situation calls for it. Once the crisis has been averted, however, make sure to call them all back so you can revert them to their standard access. A number of people do not like it when crew members go walking into their department for no real reason just because they have access to it. Handing out unapproved and unjustifiable access is one of the fastest ways to get you demoted.

The Five Points of Human Resources Management

The Head of Personnel can be a rather varied job. He can savour the prestige or feel shackled to the ID computer. If you find yourself wearing teal, make the most of it by doing your job correctly.

  1. Support the Captain. Be sure to work as a team to lead the crew. Earn this trust by making frequent use of command chat (:c) and deferring to him on matters of great importance, like assigning new heads or calling the shuttle. You do not outrank the other heads, but you have the unique position of being able to assign people. You are the one who will take over should the Captain need to step down, so it'd be a good idea to look like a good leader in front of him.
  2. Uphold the Rights of Crewmen. Security often commits excesses and the Captain is either dead or personally involved in a case. Rarely, you will be forced to do the impromptu job of a pseudo-Captain and make difficult decisions about the fate of a crewman should the Captain be missing, dead, or personally involved. In these situations, remember to consider every side of the story before making a decision and try to follow Space Law while still giving out a fair sentence. Almost always, a weak Captain and Head of Personnel will result in bad Security.
  3. Follow the Principle of Least Privilege. When assigning new access levels or creating new jobs, ask yourself just how much access is needed to perform the task. If a hardworking engineer wants EVA access, consider if he needs access, or just for you to open the door for him while he gets a suit. If the Counselor is being proactive about finding bodies but often needs people to open doors, maybe the risk of giving him more access is less than gain from increasing his effectiveness. Decisions like these keep the station more secure and cut down on the number of accidental arrests made by Security for assumed trespassing. Remember to write their increased access or privileged items on a sheet of paper and give it a good stamping so the Janitor will be able to show why he's mopping the Medbay floors.
  4. Talk to the Crew. The Captain is often too busy dealing with who knows what. The Head of Security is usually trying to keep his department in check. The Research Director is on fire, the Chief Medical Officer is up to his elbows in injured people, and the Chief Engineer is trying to keep everyone warm and breathing in a vacuum. You're the only Head able to take time and listen to the crew. Invite crewmen to talk to you when there are conflicts. Defuse the interpersonal and interdepartmental problems you discover during these conversations, and prevent grievances from becoming grief. Advocate on behalf of the beaten to security, and generally reduce the frequency and intensity of mutinies.
  5. Manage your Department First. While technically you can demote everyone's ID you seize to Assistant, managing support workers not under another head is your immediate responsibility. Keeping janitors on task, directing the Chef to throw a pizza party, and getting the records up to date is the first thing to do after assigning job and access changes. Demoting bad Security Officers or stepping in for an absent department head also falls on your desk, but going into other departments to micromanage in front of their head is both bad form and likely to make you reviled. Always clear a demotion with their department head, or ideally, have all the heads aware they can send troublesome employees your way to being sent to the mining base. This lets you focus on your immediate underlings and avoid stepping on toes.

Corgi Ian.pngIan

Ian, who starts in your office, is a dog that keeps you company. You can pet him or just pull him around for fun. Please try to be sensible about him.

You can also dress Ian in a couple of different ways. As he's a dog you can give him a collar. But other than that, let your imagination flow, you can try to give Ian different types of hats and clothing and watch the magic happen.



As a traitorous Head of Personnel, you can give out 'All-Access' IDs. You can use this to make the crew's lives more difficult, this is a great way to distract security from your actions. Be aware, as one of the only people on the station with the ability to change IDs, suspicion will come your way pretty fast. You can also remove access from crewmembers who might prove to be a hindrance to you if you can get your hands on their ID of course. Being a member of Command means you're highly trusted but sadly not as much as a loyalty-implanted Command member, do not use this element of your role as a linchpin in your plans. You will, however, be expected to go to your office when someone wants something from you, and if you are absent it will bring a lot of suspicion from your fellow command.

Don't forget that in the Chain of Command, the Head of Personnel is next in line to become Captain, even if only in an acting capacity. If the original Captain were to say, go missing you would become the Captain until another arrives. If you do somehow manage to become an Acting Captain, your mission will become significantly easier.

You should give yourself an All-Access ID, to access more parts of the station than your standard ID, but watch out for nosy onlookers - especially the AI. It's a good plan to make a new ID all-access, not your primary ID to prevent suspicion.

Changeling & Cultist

Changeling or a Cult Head of Personnel is much safer than a Traitor Head of Personnel, as you can talk with your antagonist allies using your respective communication methods. You are bound to spend a lot of time outside of your office, so coming up with a good reason for that is very important.


Being a Vampire may be the toughest antagonist role for a Head of Personnel. Since you don't have communication with any potential allies, you will be forced to move around the station very carefully. Your ID computer is your greatest ally by removing access from potential targets and giving yourself access to areas you need to reach.


Blob HoPs have a unique advantage: Since you're the only person who can change ID access (besides the Captain of course), you can also give yourself an all-access ID and find someplace hidden, other crew will have a hard time getting from one restricted place to the other, making your expansion much safer.

Roleplaying Tips

  • You should have good knowledge of the Chain of Command.
  • As an example, you could play as a subservient right-hand man to the Captain, or a devious power-hungry maniac, only serving to further your own career goals. Remember, whatever you choose, try to enjoy it, and try not to ruin the round for other people.
  • You may have access to it, but you are not (read NOT) Security. Chasing and arresting criminals should be left to the likes of Security Officers and possibly the Head of Security. Your armour and weapon is for your protection only and does not give you the right to chase after criminals. If you should happen across a crime, pulling your weapon out may hinder more than help.
Roles on Paradise Station
Station Command CaptainHead of PersonnelHead of SecurityChief EngineerResearch DirectorChief Medical Officer
Cyberiad Assigned Nanotrasen Dignitaries Nanotrasen RepresentativeBlueshield Officer
Legal Internal AffairsMagistrate
Security WardenSecurity OfficerSecurity Pod PilotDetectiveBrig Physician
Engineering Station EngineerMechanicAtmospheric Technician
Medical Medical DoctorParamedicChemistGeneticistVirologistPsychologistCoroner
Research ScientistRoboticist
Cargo and Supply QuartermasterCargo TechnicianShaft Miner
Service JanitorChefBartenderBotanistBarberClownMimeChaplainLibrarian
Miscellaneous CivilianGhostAnimalGolem
Synthetic AICyborgPersonal AI
Antagonists TraitorGuardianChangelingNuclear AgentXenomorphWizardCultistConstructShadowlingVampireVox RaiderCortical BorerRevenantBlobSITTerror SpiderAbductorsSwarmer
Special Central Command OfficerEmergency Response TeamDeath CommandoSol TradersSpace NinjaHonk SquadSuper HeroesHighlander