Which HRMS API can be used to hire a Contact?

Question

In either 11i and/or R12.1.3, who knows which HRMS API(s) can be used to hire a contact? That is, a "person" that exists in the system but is not an ex-employee, e.g., someone's spouse, or child. This is a person that exists in PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F, with a SYSTEM_PERSON_TYPE of OTHER. We are not using iRec or any applicant functionality, so I cannot create an application for the Contact and then hire the Applicant. Instead, my requirement is to directly hire the Contact.
I am using the following APIs for other scenarios, but haven't figured out the Contact hire yet:
HR_EMPLOYEE_API.CREATE_US_EMPLOYEE - using this API for brand new hires that do not currently exist in the database
HR_EMPLOYEE_API.RE_HIRE_EX_EMPLOYEE - using this API for rehiring ex-employees that already exist as a person in the database
One more note, I am able to accomplish this task with no problems from the front-end, so I expect there must be a way to do the same from the back-end.
e.g.,
1) Navigate to Person Form
2) Find Contact
3) Change Action to "Create Employment"
4) Choose Person Type "Employee"
5) Save, which successfully hires the Contact and creates the employee record
Please help!
Thanks,
Jason Genovese

Answer 1

Ahhh! I just took another look Clives suggestion for using at HR_EMPLOYEE_API.HIRE_INTO_JOB. While the Oracle iRep only shows the 1 HIRE_INTO_JOB procedure, a look in the database at the package uncovers a second, overloaded, HIRE_INTO_JOB procedure that should address my requirement. I believe this will work, but I'll test this out and post back with my results. Here are excerpts from the 2 signatures. The second (new) overloaded procedure should work:
-- |------------------------------< hire_into_job >---------------------------|
-- {Start Of Comments}
* This API hires an applicant as an employee.
* This API converts a person of type Applicant to a person of type Employee
* (EMP).
* <p><b>Prerequisites</b><br>
* The applicant must exist in the relevant business group and must have an
* applicant assignment with the assignment status Accepted. If person_type_id
* is supplied, it must have a corresponding system person type of EMP and must
* be active in the same business group as the applicant being changed to
* employee.
* <p><b>Post Success</b><br>
* The applicant has been successfully hired as an employee with a default
* employee assignment.
* <p><b>Post Failure</b><br>
* The applicant is not hired as an employee and an error is raised.
-- {End Of Comments}
PROCEDURE hire_into_job
(p_validate IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE
,p_effective_date IN DATE
,p_person_id IN NUMBER
,p_object_version_number IN OUT NOCOPY NUMBER
,p_employee_number IN OUT NOCOPY VARCHAR2
,p_datetrack_update_mode IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
,p_person_type_id IN NUMBER DEFAULT NULL
,p_national_identifier IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
,p_per_information7 IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL --3414274
,p_effective_start_date OUT NOCOPY DATE
,p_effective_end_date OUT NOCOPY DATE
,p_assign_payroll_warning OUT NOCOPY BOOLEAN
,p_orig_hire_warning OUT NOCOPY BOOLEAN
-- |----------------------------< hire_into_job - new >------------------------|
-- {Start Of Comments}
-- Description:
-- This business process converts a person of type EX_APL, EX_EMP or OTHER to a type of EMP.
-- This is achieved by:
-- o Setting the person type to EMP
-- o Creating a period of service
-- o Creating a default employee assignment
-- o Repopulating the security lists
-- Post Success:
-- The API updates the person and application and set the following out
-- parameters:
-- Name Type Description
-- p_per_object_version_number number If p_validate is false, set to
-- the new version number of the
-- person record. If p_validate is
-- true, set to the value passed in.
-- p_employee_number number If p_validate is false, set to the
-- employee number of the person. If
-- p_validate is true, set to the
-- value passed in.
-- p_assignment_id number If p_validate is false, set to the
-- assignment_id for the person.
-- p_effective_start_date date If p_validate is false, set to
-- the effective start date of the
-- updated person record. If
-- p_validate is true, set to null.
-- p_effective_end_date date If p_validate is false, set to
-- the effective end date of the
-- updated person record. If
-- p_validate is true, set to null.
-- p_assign_payroll_warning boolean Set to true if the person's date of
-- birth has not been set. Set to
-- false if the date of birth has been
-- entered. Indicates if it will be
-- possible to set the payroll
-- component on any of this person's
-- assignments.
-- p_orig_hire_warning boolean Set to true if the original date of
-- hire is not null and the person
-- type is not EMP, EMP_APL, EX_EMP or
-- EX_EMP_APL.
-- Post Failure:
-- The API does not update the person and period of service and raises an error.
-- Access Status:
-- Public.
-- {End Of Comments}
PROCEDURE hire_into_job
(p_validate IN BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE
,p_effective_date IN DATE
,p_person_id IN NUMBER
,p_object_version_number IN OUT NOCOPY NUMBER
,p_employee_number IN OUT NOCOPY VARCHAR2
,p_datetrack_update_mode IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
,p_person_type_id IN NUMBER DEFAULT NULL
,p_national_identifier IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL
,p_per_information7 IN VARCHAR2 DEFAULT NULL --3414274
,p_assignment_id OUT NOCOPY NUMBER -- Bug#3919096
,p_effective_start_date OUT NOCOPY DATE
,p_effective_end_date OUT NOCOPY DATE
,p_assign_payroll_warning OUT NOCOPY BOOLEAN
,p_orig_hire_warning OUT NOCOPY BOOLEAN
);