Softgarden allows job postings to be automatically transmitted to the Federal Employment Agency’s job board. To use the HR-BA-XML interface, companies must first complete specific steps directly with the Federal Employment Agency. Once this is done, the interface can be activated in softgarden.
Requirements and Preparations with the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
1. Company Registration
If an employer account does not yet exist, the company must first be registered and verified via a PIN sent by mail: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/eservices-unternehmen
Important for the Interface:
The employer account must have the status "managed" (betreut) within the BA system.
If this is not the case, you can request the Employer Service (Arbeitgeberservice) by phone to mark the account accordingly in the "Verbis" system.
A designated contact person at the Federal Employment Agency must be listed in the system.
2. Requesting a Cooperation Agreement for the HR-BA-XML Interface
A cooperation agreement is required to use the interface. You can request this via email at: [email protected]
Template text:
Dear Sir/Madam,
We would like to transmit our job advertisements via the HR-BA-XML interface in the future. Please send us the necessary cooperation agreement (Agreement on the use and utilization of data, information, and services of the Federal Employment Agency via an XML interface). Our employer number is: [XXXX]
Contact person at the Federal Employment Agency: [XXXX]
Contact details/address: [XXXX]
Kind regards, [XXXX]
3. Signing the Contract and Receiving Access Credentials
After the signed contract is returned, the Federal Employment Agency provides the data required for the interface:
Certificate (.p12)
Password or certificate PIN (sent by mail)
Supplier ID
Alliance partner number
Customer number
Other technical specifications
This information will be needed later for activation in softgarden.
Notes:
The certificate is valid for a limited time and must be renewed annually.
After the contract is returned, it often takes a few days for the Federal Employment Agency to activate all the data.
To offer apprenticeship positions, the company must be registered with the Federal Employment Agency as authorized to provide training.
Note: Steps 1–3 must be completed entirely by the company itself. Softgarden cannot carry out these steps.
How the HR-BA-XML Interface Works
The interface automatically transmits job postings to the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) in encrypted form. The posting data is converted into an XML format that complies with the Federal Employment Agency's technical standards. After transmission, the Federal Employment Agency reviews the posting and returns a status update, which is displayed in softgarden.
Activating the Interface in softgarden
Once all the necessary data for the Federal Employment Agency is available, the interface can be set up.
Activation by Administrator:
Path: Settings → Job boards → Federal Employment Agency
The following information must be entered:
Allianz partner number
Customer number (10 digits)
Password or certificate PIN
Supplier ID
Certificate file
Then, set the interface to "Active".
Notes:
The interface must be activated separately for each client.
Each client can use a central certificate but otherwise requires distinct/individual interface data provided by the Federal Employment Agency.
Submitting Job Postings to the Federal Employment Agency
Publishing New Jobs
When creating a new job, the "Federal Employment Agency" tab can be activated in the final step.
Mandatory fields must be completed.
Pre-filled information should be reviewed and supplemented if necessary.
Submitting Existing Jobs Retrospectively
An already published job can be submitted to the Federal Employment Agency retrospectively via the "Post additional job ads" option.
Enable the switch for the Federal Employment Agency under ‘Other channels’.
Changes to Existing Job Postings
If a job posting transmitted to the Federal Employment Agency is modified within softgarden, the relevant data is re-transmitted to the Federal Employment Agency via the HR-BA-XML interface. The Federal Employment Agency processes this data as an update to the existing posting.
Deactivating a Job Posting
Deactivating the posting for the Federal Employment Agency within softgarden also deactivates the posting at the Federal Employment Agency.
Common Reasons for Rejection by the Federal Employment Agency
The Federal Employment Agency rejects job advertisements if mandatory information is missing, implausible, or does not comply with official specifications. Common causes include:
Inconsistent work location — The work location and the specified federal state do not match.
Lack of authorization to train — An apprenticeship position is advertised, even though the company is not authorized to provide training.
Implausible contract details — The contract start date is later than the contract end date.
Incomplete mandatory fields — Mandatory information is incomplete, contradictory, or incorrect.
Error Message: "JobboardListPanel.posting.information.FLR_JCValid_O:
The combination of country, region, postal code, and location does not constitute a valid address. The combination of DE (CountryCode), XX (Region), XXXXX (PostalCode), XXXXXXXX (Municipality) in the JobPositionLocation tag is not permitted."
Address validation for the Federal Employment Agency interface is not based on the location lookup used by Google Maps. Instead, it utilizes Deutsche Post’s postal code registry.
Only the entries in the official postal code server are authoritative: https://www.postdirekt.de/plzserver
Additionally, it must be verified that the federal state is correctly recorded.
Address validation is therefore strictly based on the postal code data stored there.
Error Message: "Please select at least one additional job board where your advertisement should appear."
Re-booking the Federal Employment Agency interface via the posting menu is only possible if the existing Federal Employment Agency posting for that job has first been deactivated.
The reason: Only one active Federal Employment Agency posting can exist per job at any given time. If a posting is already active, the menu indicates that another job board must be selected, as the Federal Employment Agency cannot be booked again in this state.
This prevents multiple simultaneous postings with the Federal Employment Agency for the same job.
Troubleshooting "Invalid Certificate" Error
An error message stating that the certificate is invalid appears when adding the certificate for the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) integration.
1. Check Certificate and Password
First, ensure that both the certificate and the corresponding password are valid.
Import the certificate according to the official instructions from the Federal Employment Agency:
https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/datei/bezuegestellenservice-anleitung-zertifikate-windows_ba030800.pdf
After a successful import, you can verify the certificate's validity on the following test page: https://cert-test.arbeitsagentur.de/
If the certificate is successfully accepted there, both the certificate and the entered password are valid.
2. Clear Browser Cache
If the certificate has been successfully validated:
Clear your browser cache.
Log in to softgarden again.
Then, try uploading or adding the certificate again.
3. Remove Certificate from the Windows Certificate Store
After completing the test, the certificate should be removed from the Windows certificate store.
Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
Type `certmgr.msc` and press Enter.
In the left-hand menu, navigate to "Personal" (or "Eigene Zertifikate") and then to "Certificates".
Locate the Federal Employment Agency certificate.
Right-click the certificate and select "Delete" (alternatively, click the red X in the toolbar).
Confirm the security prompt by clicking "Yes".