diff --git a/addons/hr/models/res_users.py b/addons/hr/models/res_users.py
index a986dfcd4c7..0a0352c2293 100644
--- a/addons/hr/models/res_users.py
+++ b/addons/hr/models/res_users.py
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ class User(models.Model):
 
     # note: a user can only be linked to one employee per company (see sql constraint in ´hr.employee´)
     employee_ids = fields.One2many('hr.employee', 'user_id', string='Related employee')
-    employee_id = fields.Many2one('hr.employee', string="Company employee", compute='_compute_company_employee', store=True)
+    employee_id = fields.Many2one('hr.employee', string="Company employee",
+        compute='_compute_company_employee', search='_search_company_employee', store=False)
 
     job_title = fields.Char(related='employee_id.job_title', readonly=False)
     work_phone = fields.Char(related='employee_id.work_phone', readonly=False)
@@ -182,10 +183,20 @@ class User(models.Model):
             return self.sudo().env.ref('hr.res_users_action_my').read()[0]
         return super(User, self).action_get()
 
-    @api.depends('company_id', 'employee_ids')
+    @api.depends('employee_ids')
+    @api.depends_context('force_company')
     def _compute_company_employee(self):
         for user in self:
-            user.employee_id = self.env['hr.employee'].search([('id', 'in', user.employee_ids.ids), ('company_id', '=', user.company_id.id)], limit=1)
+            user.employee_id = self.env['hr.employee'].search([('id', 'in', user.employee_ids.ids), ('company_id', '=', self.env.company.id)], limit=1)
+
+    def _search_company_employee(self, operator, value):
+        employees = self.env['hr.employee'].search([
+            ('name', operator, value),
+            '|',
+            ('company_id', '=', self.env.company.id),
+            ('company_id', '=', False)
+        ], order='company_id ASC')
+        return [('id', 'in', employees.mapped('user_id').ids)]
 
     def action_create_employee(self):
         self.ensure_one()