diff --git a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/agent-tools.ts b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/agent-tools.ts
index 5365559d..1708dd77 100644
--- a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/agent-tools.ts
+++ b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/agent-tools.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
 import { RISK_LEVEL, TASK_PRIORITY, TASK_STATUS, type RiskLevel } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { ORGANIZATION_DEPARTMENTS } from "./org-governance-service";
 import type { OrganizationService } from "./organization-service";
 import type { ChatService } from "./chat-service";
 import { writeDeliverable } from "./deliverable-writer";
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ export const AGENT_TOOLS: ToolDefinition[] = [
       properties: {
         name: { type: "string", description: "Full name of the new agent." },
         role: { type: "string", description: "Their role/title, e.g. 'Growth Marketer'." },
-        department: { type: "string", description: "Department, e.g. 'Marketing' or 'Operations'." },
+        department: { type: "string", enum: [...ORGANIZATION_DEPARTMENTS], description: "The company department the hire belongs to." },
         model: { type: "string", description: "Optional model id; defaults to your own model." },
       },
       required: ["name", "role", "department"],
diff --git a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
index 84198b1a..73793aab 100644
--- a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
+++ b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/org-governance-service.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { createId } from "../../shared/ids";
 import { AuditService } from "./audit-service";
 import { OperationsService } from "./operations-service";
 
-const DEFAULT_DEPARTMENTS = ["Executive", "Engineering", "Product", "Design", "Marketing", "Operations", "Support"] as const;
+export const ORGANIZATION_DEPARTMENTS = ["Executive", "Engineering", "Product", "Design", "Marketing", "Operations", "Support"] as const;
 const RISK_RANK: Record<RiskLevel, number> = { low: 0, medium: 1, high: 2 };
 
 export class OrgGovernanceService {
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export class OrgGovernanceService {
   }
 
   seedOrganizationGovernance(orgId: string, boardEmployeeId: string, now: string): void {
-    for (const department of DEFAULT_DEPARTMENTS) this.seedDepartmentPolicy(orgId, department, now);
+    for (const department of ORGANIZATION_DEPARTMENTS) this.seedDepartmentPolicy(orgId, department, now);
     this.db.prepare(`
       insert into approval_routing_rules(id, org_id, kind, minimum_risk, route_to_type, route_to_id, created_at)
       values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
@@ -27,14 +27,19 @@ export class OrgGovernanceService {
   }
 
   enforceHiringPolicy(input: CreateAgentInput): HiringPolicyDecision {
-    const departmentName = input.department.trim();
-    if (!departmentName) throw new Error("Department is required.");
+    const requested = input.department.trim();
+    if (!requested) throw new Error("Department is required.");
     const policy = this.db.prepare(`
-      select max_headcount, monthly_budget_limit_cents, require_approval_above_cents
+      select department_name, max_headcount, monthly_budget_limit_cents, require_approval_above_cents
       from hiring_policies
-      where org_id = ? and department_name = ?
-    `).get(input.orgId, departmentName) as HiringPolicyRow | undefined;
-    if (!policy) throw new Error("Hiring policy is required for department.");
+      where org_id = ? and lower(department_name) = lower(?)
+    `).get(input.orgId, requested) as HiringPolicyRow | undefined;
+    if (!policy) {
+      const known = this.db.prepare("select department_name from hiring_policies where org_id = ? order by department_name asc")
+        .all(input.orgId) as Array<{ department_name: string }>;
+      throw new Error(`Unknown department "${requested}". Departments: ${known.map((row) => row.department_name).join(", ")}.`);
+    }
+    const departmentName = policy.department_name;
     const usage = this.db.prepare(`
       select count(*) as headcount, coalesce(sum(budget_cents), 0) as budget_cents
       from agents
@@ -44,7 +49,7 @@ export class OrgGovernanceService {
     if (usage.budget_cents + input.budgetCents > policy.monthly_budget_limit_cents) {
       throw new Error("Department monthly budget limit has been reached.");
     }
-    return { reviewRequired: input.budgetCents > policy.require_approval_above_cents };
+    return { reviewRequired: input.budgetCents > policy.require_approval_above_cents, departmentName };
   }
 
   routeApproval(input: { orgId: string; approvalId: string; kind: string; risk: RiskLevel }): void {
@@ -121,6 +126,7 @@ export class OrgGovernanceService {
 }
 
 interface HiringPolicyRow {
+  department_name: string;
   max_headcount: number;
   monthly_budget_limit_cents: number;
   require_approval_above_cents: number;
@@ -128,6 +134,8 @@ interface HiringPolicyRow {
 
 interface HiringPolicyDecision {
   reviewRequired: boolean;
+  /** Canonical department name from the policy table (the input may differ in case). */
+  departmentName: string;
 }
 
 interface ApprovalRoutingRuleRow {
diff --git a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/organization-service.ts b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
index 1c442a0d..dd9891b6 100644
--- a/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
+++ b/AgentCompany-New/src/main/services/organization-service.ts
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
       input.orgId,
       input.name.trim(),
       input.role.trim(),
-      input.department.trim(),
+      hiringPolicy.departmentName,
       input.modelProviderId,
       input.modelId,
       input.budgetCents,
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
       actorType: "system",
       actorId: null,
       action: "created",
-      payload: { role: input.role, department: input.department },
+      payload: { role: input.role, department: hiringPolicy.departmentName },
     });
     this.addAgentToWorkspaceSpaces(input.orgId, id);
     this.identityAccess.createAgentServiceIdentity(input.orgId, id, input.name, now);
diff --git a/AgentCompany-New/tests/unit/domain-services.test.ts b/AgentCompany-New/tests/unit/domain-services.test.ts
index 36d2e61d..f4481d49 100644
--- a/AgentCompany-New/tests/unit/domain-services.test.ts
+++ b/AgentCompany-New/tests/unit/domain-services.test.ts
@@ -707,4 +707,46 @@ describe("domain services", () => {
     expect(ownedKickoff.assignee_agent_id).toBe(ownerId);
     connection.close();
   });
+
+  test("hiring normalizes department case and rejects unknown departments with guidance", () => {
+    const connection = createConnection();
+    const organization = new OrganizationService(connection.db);
+    let orgId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      orgId = organization.createOrganization({
+        organizationName: "Acme Operations",
+        employeeName: "Dana Lee",
+        mission: "Coordinate agents with auditable approvals.",
+        goal: "Ship a verified control plane.",
+      });
+    });
+
+    let agentId = "";
+    connection.transaction(() => {
+      agentId = organization.createAgent({
+        orgId,
+        name: "Zhang Hao",
+        role: "Algorithm Lead",
+        department: "engineering",
+        modelProviderId: null,
+        modelId: null,
+        budgetCents: 25000,
+        managerAgentId: null,
+      });
+    });
+    const hired = connection.db.prepare("select department from agents where id = ?").get(agentId) as { department: string };
+    expect(hired.department).toBe("Engineering");
+
+    expect(() => connection.transaction(() => organization.createAgent({
+      orgId,
+      name: "Chen Wei",
+      role: "Research Lead",
+      department: "general",
+      modelProviderId: null,
+      modelId: null,
+      budgetCents: 25000,
+      managerAgentId: null,
+    }))).toThrow(/Unknown department "general"\. Departments: .*Engineering.*Executive/);
+    connection.close();
+  });
 });