Workflow Rules
Workflow Rules are a powerful automation tool designed to streamline and optimize your recruitment processes. They empower you to automate repetitive tasks, manage candidate and client interactions, and ensure a seamless recruitment experience.
Understanding Workflow Automation
Workflow automation simplifies complex recruitment processes by defining a series of actions triggered by specific events or criteria. You can create logical sequences of actions that execute automatically, reducing manual intervention and saving valuable time.
Benefits of Using Workflows
- Efficiency
Automate routine tasks like sending emails, updating candidate statuses, and assigning follow-up reminders. - Consistency
Ensure standardized processes across your recruitment team, minimizing errors and discrepancies. - Enhanced Engagement
Personalize candidate and client interactions based on predefined criteria and timelines. - Time-Saving
Focus on high-value tasks while workflows handle repetitive actions in the background.
Workflow Components
Triggers
Triggers are events or conditions that initiate the workflow. These can range from simple events like record creation or status change to more complex conditions such as specific field updates or time-based triggers. For instance, a trigger could be the creation of a new job opening or a candidate reaching a certain stage in the recruitment process.
Actions
Actions define the tasks or operations to be performed when the trigger conditions are met. Examples include sending emails, updating record fields, assigning tasks to team members, or generating notifications. For instance, upon a candidate's application, an action could be to schedule an interview or send a follow-up email.
Field Updates
Field updates involve changing specific data fields within records automatically. This can include updating a candidate's status, altering the job opening's details, or modifying any relevant information based on predefined criteria or triggers.
Time-Based Actions
Time-based actions allow for actions to be scheduled or triggered at specific intervals after a trigger event occurs. For instance, sending a follow-up email one week after an initial application submission or setting reminders for team members to review candidate profiles after a certain period.
Use Cases and Examples
Automated Candidate Follow-Up
Triggered by a candidate's application, send an acknowledgment email immediately and schedule a follow-up email a week later if no response is received.
Record Updates
When a candidate progresses to the particular stage, automatically update a field in the candidate record.
Deadline Reminders
Set reminders for recruiters to review pending applications after a specified timeframe.
Configuring Workflow Rules
Creating a workflow rule involves defining triggers, specifying actions, and configuring conditions that govern when the workflow should execute. For instance, a trigger could be the creation of a new candidate profile, while the action might involve sending an automated email to the candidate acknowledging their application.
You can configure a workflow rule in just 3-simple steps.
Step #1: Enter the basic details of the rule
- Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules and click Create Rule. In the Create New Rule pop-up, do the following:
- Select the Module to which the rule applies from the drop-down list.
- Fill-in the Rule Name and Description (optional).
- Click Next when you're done.
Step #2: Specify WHEN the rule must be triggered
In this step, you are required to specify WHEN the workflow rule must be triggered. You can either choose a Record Action (create, edit, delete, etc.) or a particular Date (or) DateTime. Once you're done, click Next.
Step #3: Specify CONDITIONS & ACTIONS
In this step, you can further narrow down which records the workflow must be executed for using criteria based filters. If you're working with multiple criteria, you can edit the Criteria Pattern to dictate the filter order and conditions. Click Next when you're done.
You can create multiple conditions in a workflow rule. Each condition consists of two elements. One is specifying which records should be triggered i.e. all records or the records that match the criteria. Another is adding the criteria based on which it should be triggered and what action must be triggered/scheduled.
Using the Add another condition button, you can create multi conditional workflows to cover multiple cases with one rule. When there are multiple conditions, records will be validated against the criteria mentioned in each condition and when it meets a criteria, the other conditions that follow will be ignored for validation.
For each rule, you can add a maximum of 10 conditions in the Enterprise Edition and 5 conditions each in the Standard and Professional Editions.
To add multiple conditions to your workflow rule;
- Choose one of the following:
- Records Matching the Conditions: Rule will be triggered only for those records that match the given criteria.
- All Records: Rule will be triggered for all the records.
- Records that do not meet any of the above conditions: This option will be replace the All Records option from the second condition onwards.
- Specify the criteria. You can click the Add icon to add multiple criteria.
- When you add more than one criterion, you will get an option to Edit the Criteria Pattern.
- Click Next and add instant actions or scheduled actions.
- Click the Add another condition button to include another workflow condition and repeat the steps mentioned above.
- You can also add a common condition for records that do not fit any of your previously specified conditions and associate an action with it. The rule must have at least 2 conditions for this option to be available.
Note: The Add another condition button will be available only when at least one action (instant or scheduled) is added to the condition.
Workflow Actions
You can associate Actions for each Condition you specified in the rule. Workflow actions come in two types, namely;
Instant Actions
Instant Actions enable immediate actions or follow-ups within the system when a record meets predefined conditions set in the workflow's trigger and condition sections.
Configurable instant actions include;
- Notifications: Send instant emails and messages on Slack & Zoho Cliq.
- Webhooks: Send instant updates and notifications to third-party apps based on changes in Zoho Recruit data.
- Custom Functions: Execute program scripts to add, update, and remove data from Zoho Recruit or third-party apps.
- Color-coded Tags: Categorize records using colored tags for easy access and viewing.
Scheduled Actions
Scheduled Actions allow automation of tasks and reminders at specific times and dates. Recruiters can ensure important activities are not overlooked or delayed.
Configurable scheduled actions include:
- Notifications: Schedule emails and messages and Slack & Zoho Cliq.
- Webhooks: Schedule updates and notifications to third-party apps based on changes in Zoho Recruit data.
- Custom Functions: Schedule the execution of program scripts to manage data in Zoho Recruit or third-party apps.
Lock Workflow Rules
When you want to make sure that no one edits a workflow rule unless absolutely necessary, you can lock the rule. When a rule is locked, it cannot be edited. One has to unlock the rule in order to edit it again. A locked rule sends out the message to fellow administrators that it is not meant to be edited unless absolutely required. A workflow rule can be locked after it has been created.
To lock a workflow rule;
- Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules and click the rule that you wish to lock.
- In the selected workflow rule details page, click the Lock icon next to the rule name.
- Enter the reason for locking the rule and click Lock. This message will be displayed to fellow administrators who try to unlock the rule for editing.
Note:
- Only users with the Administrator profile can lock/unlock a workflow rule. This option is available so that other users are not able to edit or delete the rule. If required other users can clone the workflow rule.
- Associated actions such as, alerts, field updates, tasks, etc. associated to a locked rule are also locked and cannot be edited/deleted by other users.
- If your Zoho Recruit account is downgraded to a lower plan or if your subscription expires, your workflow rules will be disabled. If you renew the subscription, you will need to manually re-enable each rule.
Use List View & Summary View
There are two views for workflow rules that are created - the List View and the Summary View . By default, you will see the list view, which is a list of all the workflow rules for All modules/Selected module.
The Summary view lists out the Criteria and Field Updates associated to the rules that will help you get a clear picture of all the rules and where they are used to avoid any confusion.
Note:
- You need to select a module to check the summary view. This view is not available when you select the "All Modules" option.
- The Summary View is available only for the workflow rules and not for the email notifications, tasks and field updates.
- In the List View you can reorder the rules to change the sequence in which the rules need to be executed. The Reorder option will be available only after you select a module from the drop-down list.
To use summary view;
- Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules, select a module from the drop-down list and click the Summary View icon.
- All the rules for the selected module will be listed along with the Criteria and the associated Actions. You can click Show More to see the other items associated to the rule.
To reorder workflow rules;
- Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules.
- In the Workflow Rules page, select a module from the drop-down list and click Reorder Rules.
- Drag and drop the rules in the order that you require and click Save.
Delete Workflow Rules
You can also delete the workflow rules from the list view and also while viewing the rule. When you delete a workflow rule, all the scheduled actions for the records will also be deleted.
To delete workflow rules;
- Go to Setup > Automation > Workflow Rules.
- In the Workflow Rules page, move you mouse pointer to the rule you want to delete and click the Delete icon.
- Click Yes in the confirmation pop-up.
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