Fountain can automatically identify and link worker profiles that belong to the same person, and flag returning workers as rehires. This feature is configured in two places: Workforce Settings, where you define your matching and rehire criteria, and Automation Center, where you set up the automation that runs the profile check.
When configured, Fountain checks for matching profiles whenever the automation is triggered, associates matched profiles, and flags returning workers as rehires based on your settings. You can then view all profiles for the same person from a single worker view.
Linked profiles remain separate records
Associating worker profiles lets you identify profiles that belong to the same person and switch between them from the worker view. It does not merge the profiles or keep them continuously in sync.
Each associated profile keeps its own worker status, portal URL, assigned tasks, segments, worker attributes, documents, and compliance history. Updating one associated profile — including changing its worker status — does not automatically update the other associated profiles.
Rehire Links Can't Be Undone
Once a worker's profile is associated with another profile, that link is permanent. Fountain doesn't support manually changing or removing it afterward.
Set matching details before the worker starts their I-9 or W-4
For reliable matching, make sure all matching attributes — and any custom attribute used to force a rehire — are added before the worker profile is created. If that isn’t possible, add them before the worker starts their I-9 or W-4 task. Once the worker begins the form process, the profile’s matching status may be locked and may no longer update automatically.
Overview
Setting up Worker Profiles Matching & Rehire requires completing two parts:
Part 1: Workforce Settings — Define which attributes to use for matching profiles, when to flag a worker as a rehire, and which worker attributes to protect
Part 2: Automation Center — Create an automation that triggers the profile check based on worker events
Required: Automation with "Check if the worker is a rehire"
The settings you configure in Workforce Settings only take effect when an Automation Center rule with the "Check if the worker is a rehire" action is triggered. Complete both parts of this setup for the feature to work.
Configure Workforce Settings
Step 1: Access Workforce Settings
Click your company logo in the bottom left corner
Click Settings
Scroll to the Workers section and click Workforce Settings
Step 2: Configure Associate Matching Worker Profiles
The Associate matching worker profiles section defines how Fountain identifies that two profiles belong to the same person. In Fountain, the same person can appear under multiple worker profiles if they apply or are added to your system multiple times. You can link these profiles by choosing which attributes must match exactly to confirm it's the same person. When associated, you can switch between profiles from the worker view.
Select your matching logic:
All selected attributes must match — Every attribute you select must have identical values to associate profiles. This is a stricter method that reduces false positives.
At least one selected attribute must match — Any single matching attribute will associate profiles. This is a more flexible method that catches more potential matches.
Select the attributes that must match to associate profiles:
Social Security Number (SSN)
Personal email
Date of birth
Personal phone number
External ID
You can select multiple attributes. The matching logic you choose determines how those attributes are evaluated together.
Example: If you select All selected attributes must match and choose SSN and Personal email, both values must be identical for profiles to be associated. If you select At least one selected attribute must match with the same attributes, matching either SSN or Personal email will associate the profiles.
If you use I-9 Center:
Personal email must be a matching attribute. Email is used as the primary key in the WorkBright E-Verify system. If it isn't one of your selected matching attributes, two different people who happen to share an email address could get blocked for duplication reasons inside WorkBright. Fountain recommends selecting At least one selected attribute must match, with Personal email and SSN as your matching attributes.
Enable Restrict matching to same EIN. A worker's I-9 is tied to a specific WorkBright subdomain (EIN), so matched profiles can never span different EINs. This setting enforces that: when enabled, two profiles are only ever associated if they belong to the same EIN, even if their other matching attributes are identical. Fountain recommends keeping this setting enabled.
Click Save after making your selections.
Step 3: Configure Flag Rehires
The Flag rehires section determines when a worker is flagged as a rehire based on the status of the matched profile. Rehire flagging is separate from worker status syncing: this setting determines whether Fountain labels a new matched profile as a rehire, but it does not sync worker status between associated profiles.
Select a rehire flagging option:
Flag as rehire if the new profile matches any existing profile — Any match triggers the rehire flag, regardless of the existing profile's status. Use this to capture all returning workers.
Flag as rehire only if the matched profile is terminated or has a known future termination date — Only workers whose previous profile is terminated are flagged. Use this to track workers who left and returned to your organization.
Don't flag rehire (not recommended) — Profile matching still occurs and profiles are associated, but workers are not flagged as rehires. This option is not recommended as it limits visibility into your rehire population.
If you select "Don't flag rehire," the automation will still associate profiles but will not populate rehire indicators on worker profiles.
Force rehire via a custom attribute
You can also force a worker to be flagged as a rehire regardless of whether a matching profile is found. Use the Force rehire via custom attribute field at the bottom of this settings page to select a boolean custom attribute (name it however you like — for example, Force Rehire).
If the attribute is present and set to true on a worker, that worker is automatically flagged as a rehire, even if no matching profile is found. This is useful when adding a worker record that should be treated as a rehire regardless of matching (for example, when importing existing employment documentation).
If the attribute isn't present or isn't set, the rehire flagging option selected above applies as normal.
Forcing a Flag Doesn't Create a Link
If no matching profile exists, this only sets the rehire flag; it doesn't link the profile to anything, which affects how the worker's I-9 is handled. See Rehire Matching & I-9 Handling for the full picture.
Click Save after making your selection.
Step 4: Configure Protected Worker Attributes
The Protected Worker Attributes section allows you to hide the values of sensitive attributes. Enable the toggle for any attribute whose value should be hidden:
Social Security Number (SSN)
Date of Birth
Employer Identification Number
Hourly Pay Rate
Click Save after making your selections.
Set Up the Rehire Check Automation
After configuring your Workforce Settings, create an automation in Automation Center that runs the profile check. Your Workforce Settings only take effect when this automation is triggered.
The Automation Center must be enabled in your account before completing this step. If you don't see the Automations option in Settings, contact your Fountain representative to enable it.
Step 1: Navigate to Automations
Click your company logo in the bottom left corner
Click Settings
Click Automations
Click +Add Automation
Step 2: Select a Source
Under Source, click Choose a source
Select A worker
Step 3: Add a Trigger
Under Trigger, click +Add
Select When a worker is created
Rehire Check Triggers
"When a worker is created" is the minimum required trigger for the rehire check to run. You can click +Add again to include additional triggers — such as When a worker is updated or When a worker's attribute changes — so the check also runs when worker data changes after initial creation.
Running the rehire check after a worker is updated can create or confirm profile associations, depending on your settings. It does not sync worker status, tasks, attributes, documents, or other profile data across associated profiles.
Step 4: Select the Action
Under Action, click +Add
Select Check if the worker is a rehire
Step 5: Name and Save the Automation
Click Next in the top right corner
Enter a name for the automation and an optional description
Click Activate to enable the automation immediately, or Save to save it as a draft for activation later
Once both parts are complete, Fountain will automatically run the profile check based on your configured trigger and apply the matching and flagging behavior defined in your Workforce Settings.
What Does and Doesn't Sync Across Associated Profiles
When Fountain associates matching worker profiles, the profiles remain separate records. The association helps your team identify that multiple profiles belong to the same person and move between those profiles from the worker view.'
The following information does not automatically sync across associated profiles:
Worker status
Portal URL
Assigned tasks
Segments
Worker attributes
Documents
Compliance history
I-9 or W-4 handling, except as described in I-9 Center rehire settings
For example, if one associated profile is updated to Active or Terminated, Fountain does not automatically apply that status to the other associated profiles.
This behavior is intentional. Earlier profiles may represent previous employment periods and should remain historically accurate. Automatically overwriting prior profile data could make earlier employment, onboarding, document, or compliance records inaccurate.
If your team uses segments to assign tasks, campaigns, or onboarding flows, make sure those rules target the intended current worker profile.
Best Practices for HRIS, Integration, Import, and Data Pipeline Updates
If you use an HRIS integration, file import, or Worker data pipeline to update worker status or attributes, configure the update to target the correct current worker profile.
Do not assume that updating one associated profile will update every profile associated with that person.
Before enabling recurring updates, confirm:
Which identifiers should be used to match the worker, such as SSN, personal email, date of birth, personal phone number, or external ID
Whether a person could have more than one active profile at the same time
Whether terminated profiles should be excluded from updates
How your team should handle records with no match or multiple possible matches
For most workflows, your source of truth should update the current active worker profile, while previous profiles remain historical records.
How Matched Profiles Appear
When the rehire check automation runs and finds a matching profile, Fountain associates the new worker profile with the existing one. The new profile is labeled to indicate its rehire status, such as Profile #2 (Rehire), and appears alongside the original profile in the Worker Profiles list.
Associated profiles remain separate records. You can switch between them from the Worker Profiles list, but updates made on one profile do not automatically apply to the others.
From the worker profile view, a Worker Profiles section displays the total number of profiles found for that person. Click the dropdown to see all associated profiles and switch between them.
On the rehire profile, the following fields are populated in the profile detail panel:
Is a Rehire — Set to Yes
Rehire of — Displays the UUID of the original profile, with a link to navigate directly to it
Deduplication reasons — Shows which attribute triggered the match (for example, personalEmail.email if the match was made on personal email)
