Set up offer approvals
- SmartRecruit
Admins can set up a single company-wide approval process for all offers, or different approvals for offers on specific jobs, brands, and more.
Introduction
Approval setup is a two-step process:
- Create the set and choose which jobs it should apply to.
- Add the approval chain. There are two options, and both can have one or more approvers:
- Set up a sequential chain in which approvers receive requests and approve in sequence.
- Set up a parallel chain in which all approvers receive requests at the same time, and approve independently.
As with many features, Admins can assign approvals to specific groups of jobs by selecting a set of values for the company's active Org fields. SmartRecruiters applies the approval chain to any jobs that have the same set of values for these Org Fields.
When someone posts a job or creates an offer that is subject to approvals:
- SmartRecruiters notifies the chain's approvers through a summary email. Approvers can then review details and approve from the email, or log into SmartRecruiters to approve.
- Jobs requiring approval cannot be published until approved. Offers requiring approval cannot be sent to the candidate until approved.
Approvers will only see the job on the job list if they are part of the hiring team, or have a special user role. As a best practice, approvers should use the summary email to initiate their approval process.
Create new approval set
To create a new approval process, navigate to Settings / Admin and click Offer Approvals in the Configuration list.
On the Offer Approvals page, click New Chain.
Give the chain a name.
Select values for your active Org fields to assign the chain to jobs:
- To set up a global chain that applies to offers for all jobs, just leave All for each field in the list.
- To set up a chain that applies to offers on only some jobs, choose one or more values for each Org Field.
Set approval chain
Approval chains come in four types:
- Per-job chain allow job creators like Hiring Managers and Recruiters the ability to set choose approvers for each offer.
- Parallel chain allow administrators to designate a pool of approvers ahead of time.
- Sequential chain allow administrators to designate a strict sequence of approvers.
- Integration chain allows administrator to designate that an approval process will be managed by an integration.
Per-job chain
To allow the job creator to designate approvers on a job-by-job basis when creating the job, don't click Pre-set an approval chain. Just click Save.
Offer creators will then choose their own approvers from the Offer tab on the candidate's profile.
Parallel chain
To set up a pool of approvers ahead of time, but allow some flexibility in the sequence or number of required approvals, create a parallel approval chain.
In a parallel approval chain:
- all approvers receive notifications simultaneously, and
- all approvers can approve independently.
Unlike sequential chains, parallel chains can require approval from all, or at least one approver.
In the latter case, the request is approved so long as a single approver gives approval, even if one (or all) other approvers decline.
Sequential chain
To set up an approval process ahead of time that specifies a strict sequence of approvers, create a sequential approval chain.
In sequential chains, each approver in the sequence will receive a request to approve only when the previous approver has approved the job or offer. All approvers must approve in sequence, or the job or offer cannot be published or extended.
In this example, James Hetfjeld will receive the first approval request. When he approves, the hiring manager on the job will receive an approval request.
Integration chain
With the introduction of 'system user', API credentials are now associated with this role. We have extended the approval API capability so that it can retrieve approvals which belong to the system user, and supports customers who wish to build an approval integration.
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Admins configuring offer approval templates can choose an integration as the initial approver via Settings/Admin>Offer Approvals.
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The integration returns a list of approvers using business rules from another system such as a Human Resource Information System (HRIS).
If the wrong app is selected from the pulldown list, then the approval chain will be created with only this integration user assigned. Since the integration will not populate the approval chain, the job or offer approval will start, but cannot be completed. If an administrator selects the wrong integration, and the approval chain is picked up by an active offer, then making the correction in the Approval settings page will not automatically re-trigger the approval process. The offer will need to be edited and once done, the integration will run as designed.
This integration uses Approval API GET/Approvals
Add approvers
To add additional approvers, click Select an approver and choose from the list.
If you choose Hiring Manager, Recruiter, Executive, or Coordinator, any user on the hiring team with that role will become an approver.
Choose Named user to designate a specific user by name. This user does not have to be on the hiring team.
On a sequential chain, new approvers are added to the end of the chain, and will approve last. To change the sequence, click the Move handle and drag an approver up or down the list.
When you make someone an approver on an offer, that person will have access to that job, even s/he is not on the hiring team. It is possible to revoke access (once the approval is completed) by making a configuration change in Settings/Admin. Please see HERE for details.
Save and activate
Click Save when finished and return to the Offer Approvals page. Approvals chains are not activated immediately, so make sure to toggle the set to Active.
