Workflow automations do more than save you time. They make the hiring process smoother for both candidates and your team.
Think of them as simple “if this happens, do that” rules, built from three key components: triggers, actions, and conditions.
Triggers start the automation, like when a candidate moves to a new stage.
Actions are the tasks that follow, such as sending emails or updating job statuses.
Conditions ensure actions only occur when specific criteria are met.
Because they aren’t tied to just one pipeline stage, Workflow automations can respond to events at any point in the hiring process. They can be triggered based on job-wide activities or candidate-specific actions.
They support various scenarios, helping you create end-to-end workflows that save time, improve the candidate experience, and simplify teamwork.
To get the best results, follow these best practices when creating Workflow automations.
Workflow automations best practices
Map your ideal flow
It may be tempting to jump right into creating automations, but it’s better to plan first.
Start by outlining your ideal workflow on paper or in a document. Think about your goal and work backward. For example, make sure a candidate is never left waiting.
Define what you want to achieve. For example, keep the candidate informed and ensure timely follow-ups.
Think about what needs to happen to meet your goal. For example, the last step may be to send a follow-up email and assign a task to the recruiter.
Create the logic. For example, when a candidate is overdue, the system automatically sends a personalized follow-up email and creates a task for the recruiter to check on the candidate’s status.
Start small, then scale
We recommend starting with the tasks that you perform most frequently and that take the most time.
For example:
Candidate evaluations: When a candidate moves to a new stage, automatically request an evaluation from the hiring manager or interviewers.
Pipeline movement: Automatically move candidates to the next stage as soon as all evaluations are completed.
Notifications: Notify the recruiter when a new candidate is added to a job, or add a note or tag when a candidate reaches a specific stage.
💡 Tip: Use one of our ready-made suggestions to set up common automations like Close job, Submit to job boards, or Send emails to overdue candidates in just a few clicks.
Once those core automations are working well, you can move on to more complex flows.
For example:
Interview automation: When a candidate reaches the interview stage, automatically send a scheduling link, assign interviewers, and send reminders. After the interview, send satisfaction surveys and create a task for the recruiter.
Visibility control: When a candidate moves to the Offer stage, revoke access for previous interviewers, leaving only decision-makers and HR involved.
Advanced communications: Use conditions to customize emails or actions based on candidate tags, sources, or rejection reasons.
Put candidates first
When setting up automations, consider how the candidate will perceive each message or action.
The goal is to ensure candidates feel valued and informed, even when much of the process runs automatically.
✅ Do:
Send confirmation messages at key points. Let candidates know when you receive their application or when they move to a new stage. These updates reassure candidates and show you value their time.
Keep candidates engaged. Automatically notify recruiters or send emails using the Candidate is overdue trigger, so candidates aren’t left waiting too long.
Avoid delays. Use the All evaluations are complete trigger to automatically move the candidate to the next stage as soon as everyone has given their feedback.
Personalize emails. Include placeholders, such as the candidate’s name and job title, so each email feels tailored, not generic.
Engage new hires. Use the Candidate start date is trigger to send a welcome or pre-boarding email before their first day.
❌ Don’t:
Send too many notifications to candidates. Always space out your automated messages and avoid sending multiple emails for the same trigger (like a confirmation email right before a “next step” email).
Use generic rejection emails. Create personalized emails that reflect the stage and reason for disqualification (e.g., a brief message for early stages and a more detailed one for later stages).
Use automation for sensitive feedback. You can automate status updates or logistics, but deliver sensitive news, like an offer withdrawal, in person.
Test your workflows
Always test your workflow automations before using them in an actual job opening.
Set up your automation in a test environment or a draft job with a test candidate to simulate the process and ensure that each action works as expected.
Testing helps you avoid sending unwanted messages, making unnecessary changes to job statuses, or incorrect stage moves in your active roles.
Track and iterate
After your workflow is live, allow a few weeks to evaluate its performance. Focus on your current pain points and see if they are improving.
Look for changes in time-to-hire, candidate drop-off rates, evaluation completion times, candidate response rates, and recruiter productivity.
If your bottlenecks haven’t improved, revisit your workflow design. Review the triggers, conditions, and actions, and make any needed changes.
Workflow automations examples
Here are some of the ways you can use Workflow automations.
Time saving and scalability
Move candidates through the pipeline (e.g., after all evaluations are completed → move them to the next stage).
Change a job’s status (e.g., when all openings are filled → change the job status to Closed).
Submit jobs to job boards as soon as they are published.
Send confirmation emails to candidates who are added manually.
If you’re using our HRIS, automatically create an employee profile in Tellent HR once a candidate is hired.
Candidate experience
Send personalized rejection emails based on the reason and the stage in the pipeline.
Keep candidates updated on their status (e.g., delays or next steps).
Send interview reminders and details a set number of days before the scheduled event.
Team collaboration
Share or unshare candidates with stakeholders involved in specific pipeline stages.
Request evaluations from recruiters or hiring team members.
Notify team members when a candidate reaches a particular stage or when key tasks are completed.
Create tasks for hiring teams to complete when a candidate progresses.
Ready to build?
Put these best practices into action. Learn how to set up Workflow automations