diff --git a/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.html b/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.html
index bdd903e8f2..71356436a3 100644
--- a/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.html
+++ b/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.html
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
                data-automation-id="adf-people-search-input"
                type="text"
                [id]="field.id"
-               [(ngModel)]="value"
-               [formControl] ="searchTerm"
+               [formControl]="searchTerm"
                placeholder="{{field.placeholder}}"
                [matAutocomplete]="auto">
         <mat-autocomplete class="adf-people-widget-list" #auto="matAutocomplete" (optionSelected)="onItemSelect($event.option.value)">
diff --git a/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.ts b/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.ts
index c54f766bfb..15e06ad3cc 100644
--- a/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.ts
+++ b/lib/core/form/components/widgets/people/people.widget.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ export class PeopleWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnInit {
                 );
         }),
         map((list: UserProcessModel[]) => {
-            let value = (this.input.nativeElement as HTMLInputElement).value;
+            let value = this.searchTerm.value;
             this.checkUserAndValidateForm(list, value);
             return list;
         })
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ export class PeopleWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnInit {
 
     ngOnInit() {
         if (this.field) {
-            this.value = this.getDisplayName(this.field.value);
+            this.searchTerm.setValue(this.getDisplayName(this.field.value));
             if (this.field.readOnly) {
                 this.searchTerm.disable();
             }
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ export class PeopleWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnInit {
 
     checkUserAndValidateForm(list, value) {
         const isValidUser = this.isValidUser(list, value);
-        if (isValidUser) {
+        if (isValidUser || value === '') {
             this.field.validationSummary.message = '';
             this.field.validate();
             this.field.form.validateForm();
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ export class PeopleWidgetComponent extends WidgetComponent implements OnInit {
     onItemSelect(item) {
         if (item) {
             this.field.value = item;
-            this.value = item;
+            this.searchTerm.setValue(item);
         }
     }
 }