diff --git a/addons/hr/static/src/views/fields/many2one_avatar_employee_field/many2one_avatar_employee_field.js b/addons/hr/static/src/views/fields/many2one_avatar_employee_field/many2one_avatar_employee_field.js
index aa475f05bb0..fb3f520e758 100644
--- a/addons/hr/static/src/views/fields/many2one_avatar_employee_field/many2one_avatar_employee_field.js
+++ b/addons/hr/static/src/views/fields/many2one_avatar_employee_field/many2one_avatar_employee_field.js
@@ -11,7 +11,14 @@ import { EmployeeFieldRelationMixin } from "@hr/views/fields/employee_field_rela
 
 export class Many2OneAvatarEmployeeField extends EmployeeFieldRelationMixin(
     Many2OneAvatarUserField
-) {}
+) {
+    get many2OneProps() {
+        return {
+            ...super.many2OneProps,
+            relation: this.relation,
+        };
+    }
+}
 
 export const many2OneAvatarEmployeeField = {
     ...many2OneAvatarUserField,
@@ -31,7 +38,14 @@ registry.category("fields").add("many2one_avatar_employee", many2OneAvatarEmploy
 
 export class KanbanMany2OneAvatarEmployeeField extends EmployeeFieldRelationMixin(
     KanbanMany2OneAvatarUserField
-) {}
+) {
+    get many2OneProps() {
+        return {
+            ...super.many2OneProps,
+            relation: this.relation,
+        };
+    }
+}
 
 export const kanbanMany2OneAvatarEmployeeField = {
     ...kanbanMany2OneAvatarUserField,
diff --git a/addons/hr/static/tests/m2x_avatar_employee_tests.js b/addons/hr/static/tests/m2x_avatar_employee_tests.js
index 24fe8c75122..697c423b8db 100644
--- a/addons/hr/static/tests/m2x_avatar_employee_tests.js
+++ b/addons/hr/static/tests/m2x_avatar_employee_tests.js
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { dom } from "@web/../tests/legacy/helpers/test_utils";
 import { contains } from "@web/../tests/utils";
 import { registry } from "@web/core/registry";
 import { makeFakeUserService } from "@web/../tests/helpers/mock_services";
+import { selectDropdownItem } from "@web/../tests/helpers/utils";
+import { makeView, setupViewRegistries } from "@web/../tests/views/helpers";
 
 const serviceRegistry = registry.category("services");
 
@@ -217,6 +219,63 @@ QUnit.test("many2one_avatar_employee with relation set in options", async functi
     );
 });
 
+QUnit.test("many2one_avatar_employee without hr.group_hr_user", async function (assert) {
+    assert.expect(2);
+
+    setupViewRegistries();
+    serviceRegistry.add(
+        "user",
+        makeFakeUserService((group) => group !== "hr.group_hr_user"),
+        { force: true }
+    );
+
+    await makeView({
+        type: "form",
+        resModel: "m2x.avatar.employee",
+        serverData: {
+            models: {
+                "m2x.avatar.employee": {
+                    fields: {
+                        employee_id: {
+                            string: "employee", type: "one2many", relation: "hr.employee"
+                        },
+                    },
+                    records: [],
+                },
+                "hr.employee": {
+                    fields: {
+                        display_name: { string: "Displayed name", type: "char" },
+                    },
+                    records: [
+                        { display_name: "babar" },
+                    ],
+                },
+                "hr.employee.public": {
+                    fields: {
+                        display_name: { string: "Displayed name", type: "char" },
+                    },
+                    records: [
+                        { display_name: "babar" },
+                    ],
+                },
+            },
+            views: {
+                "hr.employee.public,false,list": `<tree><field name="display_name"/></tree>`,
+                "hr.employee.public,false,search": `<search></search>`,
+                "hr.employee,false,list": `<tree><field name="display_name"/></tree>`,
+                "hr.employee,false,search": `<search></search>`,
+            }
+        },
+        arch: `<form><field name="employee_id" widget="many2one_avatar_employee"/></form>`,
+        mockRPC: function (_, { model, method }) {
+            if (method === "name_search" || method === "web_search_read") {
+                assert.strictEqual(model, "hr.employee.public");
+            }
+        }
+    });
+    await selectDropdownItem(document, "employee_id", "Search More...");
+});
+
 QUnit.test(
     "many2one_avatar_employee: click on an employee not associated with a user",
     async function (assert) {