Workforce IAM (Identity and Access Management) refers to the systems, processes, and policies used to manage employee, contractor, and partner identities and control their access to internal applications, data, and systems.

1. Identity Lifecycle Management

Managing a user’s identity from creation to deactivation:

  • Joiner: Provision accounts when a user starts

  • Mover: Update access when roles or teams change

  • Leaver: Deprovision access when a user exits

Goal: Ensure users have the right access at the right time.

2. Authentication

Verifying who the user is:

  • Single Sign-On (SSO)

  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

  • Passwordless authentication

  • Directory-based authentication (e.g., Active Directory, LDAP)

Goal: Strong security with minimal user friction.

3. Authorization & Access Control

Determining what users can access:

  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

  • Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC)

  • Least-privilege enforcement

  • Segregation of duties (SoD)

Goal: Reduce security risk and prevent excessive access.

4. Provisioning & Deprovisioning

Automated access management:

  • Just-in-time access

  • Access requests and approvals

  • Automated role assignments

  • Integration with HR systems as the source of truth

Goal: Reduce manual work and human error.

5. Governance, Risk, and Compliance

Oversight and auditing capabilities:

  • Access certifications and reviews

  • Audit trails and reporting

  • Policy enforcement

  • Compliance with standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001, SOX, HIPAA)

Goal: Demonstrate and maintain compliance.

6. Privileged Access Management (Often Adjacent)

Managing elevated or sensitive access:

  • Admin account controls

  • Session monitoring and recording

  • Time-bound privileged access

Goal: Protect critical systems from misuse or compromise.

Common Workforce IAM Use Cases

  • Employee access to internal SaaS tools (e.g., Jira, Salesforce, GitHub)

  • Secure access for contractors and vendors

  • Role changes without access sprawl

  • Meeting audit and compliance requirements

  • Reducing IT support overhead

Workforce IAM vs. Customer IAM (CIAM)

Aspect Workforce IAM Customer IAM
Primary users Employees, contractors End customers
Focus Security, compliance, efficiency UX, scale, conversion
Identity source HR systems, directories User self-registration
Access model Role- and policy-driven Profile- and consent-driven

Typical Workforce IAM Architecture

  • Identity Provider (IdP): Central authority (e.g., Okta, Entra ID)

  • Directory: User and group management

  • SSO & MFA: Authentication layer

  • Provisioning engine: Automates access

  • Governance layer: Reviews and audits

Why Workforce IAM Matters

  • Reduces breach risk from compromised or orphaned accounts

  • Improves onboarding and offboarding efficiency

  • Supports compliance and audit readiness

  • Scales access management as the organization grows