Automated notifications are a core component of Onboarding Workflows, used to ensure the right people are informed at the right time. This guide provides instructions on how to configure and manage these notifications.
Creating an Email Template
Go to Administration → General → Email Templates to open the email template library.
Click Add (or + New), then enter the template Name, Subject, and Body content as required.
Click Save to create the new email template.
Manage Email Templates (Copy, Edit, Delete)
Go to Administration → General → Email Templates and locate the template you want to manage.
To copy a template, click Actions → Copy, confirm when prompted, update the Name/Subject/Body, then click Save.
To edit a template, click Actions → Edit, make your changes to the Name/Subject/Body, then click Save.
To delete a template, click Actions → Delete and confirm the deletion when prompted.
Types of Notifications in Workflows
There are different types of communications that can be sent during a workflow.
Global Notifications: These are system-wide alerts found under Administration → General → Notifications. Examples include 'New Onboarding User is Added to the System' or 'Task Assigned to User'. They are triggered by system events, like creating a new user, and apply across the platform. You can edit their content and recipients, but they cannot be disabled for a single workflow without affecting all others.
Workflow Email Steps: These are custom emails you add directly to your workflow graph as an 'Email' activity. They are only sent when that specific workflow is assigned and the step is triggered.
Task and Form Notifications: Activities like tasks and forms have their own notification settings (e.g., 'Task Due', 'Form Approved'). These are configured within the settings of the individual Task or Form Template, not directly on the workflow graph.
Managing Notification Triggers and Schedules
Activating vs. Notifying a User
When creating a new starter, you have two options: 'Activate User' and 'Notify User'.
Notify User: This is the recommended option. It both activates the user's account and sends the global 'New Onboarding User is Added to the System' notification, which contains their login instructions.
Activate User: This makes the user's account active but does not send the initial welcome notification. If you accidentally activate a user without notifying them, they will not receive their login details automatically.
How Email Steps are Triggered
Email nodes in a workflow are triggered immediately upon reaching the step within the workflow, unless they are scheduled. You also need to ensure that the Assignee of the Onboarding workflow is set as Active.
If you want to delay an email, you have two options:
Schedule the Email: In the email node's settings, you can schedule it to be sent a certain number of days before or after. The origin of the number of days can be based on the following options:
Workflow Assignment
Assignee's Start Date
After All previous steps are completed
Assignee's End Date
Use a Task as a Gate: Place a task (e.g., 'Confirm all pre-start checks complete') before the email node. The email will only be sent after that task is marked as complete. This is only applicable when there is no schedule applied.
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If you have an Email step with a schedule, regardless of its Schedule date setting and location in the workflow. The system will mark the Status as Active.
Troubleshooting Common Notification Issues
Overdue Reminders: If a user receives multiple overdue reminders for a task simultaneously, it is because the task's due date had already passed when it was assigned. To prevent this, set the task's due date to be a certain number of days after the previous step is completed rather than based on the start date.
Placeholder Information: Placeholders pull data from a user's profile at the moment the notification is triggered. If you assign a workflow and then update the user's details (like start date or manager), the notification will send with the old information because it was already queued. Ensure all user data is correct before assigning a workflow.
Scheduled Email Sent on Wrong Date: Scheduled emails rely on the date fields in a user's profile (e.g., Start Date, End Date). If a date-based email is triggered and the relevant date field in the user's profile is blank, the system will default to using the date the workflow was assigned as the trigger date. To prevent this, ensure all necessary dates are populated on a user's profile before assigning a scheduled workflow.
Notifications Not Being Sent
If a user reports not receiving a notification, follow these steps:
Confirm the user's account is Notified.
Verify the user's email address is correct in their profile.
Check the Notification History via Administration → General → Notification History. This log shows if the system attempted to send the email. You can also Resend notifications from this page.
Advise the user to check their spam/junk folders. They may need to whitelist emails from your ELMO domain and the following IP addresses: 54.240.30.12 and 54.240.30.13.
Notification Sent for an Inactive Employee
This occurs if a user is deactivated while they still have an active workflow assigned. If the workflow is later updated, it can re-trigger a queued notification. It is recommended to ensure all workflows are completed or deleted from a user's profile before making their account inactive.
The 'User' vs. 'Manager' Recipient Setting
A common issue occurs when a notification is sent to a manager's manager by mistake. This is due to the definition of the 'assignee' for a specific task versus the recipient of the notification.
Example Scenario: A workflow task (e.g., 'Approve exit checklist') is assigned to the Assigned User's Manager.
Problem: If the notification for that task (e.g., 'Task Assigned') has its recipient set to Manager, the notification will be sent to the manager of the person who was assigned the task. In this case, the assignee is the manager, so the notification goes to the manager's manager.
Solution: For the notification to go to the direct manager who needs to complete the task, the notification recipient must be set to User. The 'User' is the direct assignee of the task.
Sending Notifications to a Group or Shared Mailbox
Notifications can be sent to a group of people; however, they cannot be sent directly to a shared email address (e.g., [email protected]) that is not registered as a user in ELMO.
Sending to a Group: When an email is sent to a Group, the system sends an individual email to each member. They are not CC'd on a single email. To avoid duplicate notifications, if a group is in the 'To' field, do not add individual members of that same group to the 'CC' field.
Workaround for Shared Mailboxes: A recommended workaround is to create a user account in ELMO using the shared mailbox address. For example, create a user named 'IT Support' with the email '[email protected]'. You can then add this user as a recipient in your workflow email steps or task notifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I resend a notification if the employee's email was wrong?+
You cannot resend a previously sent notification to a new email address. Once the email address is corrected on the user's profile, only new notifications will be sent to it. For the initial welcome email, you must manually send the user the direct link to the onboarding portal (e.g., https://yourcompany.elmotalent.com.au/onboarding/) and instruct them to use the 'Forgot Password' function.
What is the difference between 'Activating' and 'Notifying' an onboarding user?+
'Notifying' a user both activates their account and sends the initial welcome email with login instructions. 'Activating' a user makes their account live but does not trigger the welcome email.
Can I disable notifications for a specific course or form in a workflow?+
You cannot disable a global notification (like 'Course Enrolment') for a single item within a workflow. Disabling the notification in Administration → General → Notifications will turn it off for all courses and all users across the platform.
Why did an inactive/terminated employee receive a workflow notification?+
This can happen when an update is made to a workflow that the inactive employee was still assigned to. To prevent this, ensure workflows are completed or deleted from a user's profile during your offboarding process, before deactivating their account.