This article describes how to set up the Recruitment Workflow within ELMO and how it is allocated to each requisition. It explains where you can customise the application, recruitment, and offer processes based on the position chosen in the requisition for candidates.
Setting up a Recruitment Workflow
1. Navigate to Administration > Recruitment > Recruitment Workflow > New Workflow
2. Under the Settings tab enter the following:
- Workflow Title - name the Recruitment workflow
- Description - a general description of the workflow, giving context behind it to reference
- Default: The system will select this Recruitment workflow when the selected Position for a Requisition doesn't have its own dedicated workflow.
- Select Position - the position chosen when creating a requisition will select the Recruitment Workflow
3. Once you're happy with your setup, click Save. The Application, Workflow, Offer and Panel Review tabs will appear.
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When you create requisition in the Recruitment module, the system automatically assigns a Recruitment workflow. This workflow is determined by the Position you select when creating the requisition. The chosen Position dictates the steps and stages that the recruitment process for this job will follow.
If the Position chosen when creating the requisition does not exist in a Recruitment workflow, it will select the Recruitment workflow that is set as Default |
Recruitment workflow - Application Tab
In the Application tab, you can configure what candidates need to submit when applying for a job. This includes specifying whether a Resume, Cover Letter, and any additional documents are required or optional, as well as setting up the screening questions they will answer during the application process.
1. Resume Settings - Choose whether Resume is required to be uploaded
2. Cover Letter Settings - Choose whether a Cover Letter is required and granting the ability to upload their own Cover Letter
3. Additional Document Settings -
- Grants the ability for candidates to add additional documents, when uploaded, this will appear under the candidate profile when viewing under the requisition next to the Other Documents section
- Enter instructions so that this is visible to candidates when applying
- Set the Max Documents number that a candidate is allowed to upload
4. Screening Questions - Click Add Question to select from the available Questions library. A pop-up box will appear, look for the screening question you want to add and click Add. Continue to add all the questions you want available for the candidate to be asked.
- Click the Required field to make the Question Optional
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Using the Filtering field allows you to automatically move candidates into the Not Suitable category if they select a specific response to the question. When you use this feature, the question will automatically be marked as Required. Please note that the Filtering field is not available when using a Paragraph style question.
5. Click Save once you're happy with the setup.
| 📝 | To learn more about how to set up Screening Questions, please refer to the following article link |
Recruitment workflow - Workflow Tab
Under the Workflow tab, you can set up a Recruitment workflow that serves as guidance for Recruitment Administrators to follow when a candidate applies. This grants you the ability to create steps within the workflow such as an Interview, Task or Survey (only applicable if you have the Survey Module).
1. Click the Add Recruitment Phase button, and a title of Recruitment Phase or search for an existing Recruitment Phase name. Once a Title has been entered, enter a description, should you wish, and click Save
2. Select from the three options to choose the step you wish to add to the workflow. Selecting any of these options will display a box where you can enter the Title, Assignee, and the specific step details, such as the Interview Guide, Task, or Survey. Once the initial Recruitment Phase has been set up, you can click Add Recruitment Phase to add further phases to the workflow.
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The steps that are created in the Recruitment workflow will be followed when a candidate applies. This view can be found when clicking on the Candidate Profile via the Requisition
The names of the Recruitment Phases are indicated when viewing the Progress List when viewing the Requisition |
Skip or Complete Recruitment Steps on a Candidate Profile
Use the candidate’s profile within a requisition to progress specific workflow steps (e.g., interviews, reference‑check tasks) when requirements change or you need to close out remaining items. Skipping is only available for certain step types; others must be completed by the assigned user(s).
What you can and can’t skip
- You can skip an interview step directly from the candidate’s application profile. This is useful when you need to move a candidate forward or close their process without running the planned interview.
- You cannot skip task‑type steps (e.g., Reference Checks). These must be marked as Completed by the assigned user(s). Administrators can complete on behalf where appropriate.
How to skip an interview from the candidate profile
- Navigate to Recruitment → My Requisitions → open the requisition → click the candidate’s name to open their application profile.
- Locate the interview step you wish to bypass and click Skip. Confirm the action when prompted. The step will display as Skipped and the next step becomes available as per your workflow design.
| 📝 | Skipping an interview that is still pending will permanently remove any saved (unsubmitted) notes and ratings; these cannot be recovered or undone. Skipped interviews cannot be “un‑skipped,” and previously saved draft responses are not recoverable. If notes were lost due to skip, schedule a new interview or add a note/attachment to the candidate record to preserve context going forward. |
How to complete interview/task steps from the candidate profile
If a step cannot be skipped (e.g., task‑type steps) or you need to finalise an interview:
Option A — Interviewers/assignees complete their step
The interviewer (or task assignee) opens their item from Recruitment → Interviews (or from their To‑Do/notification link).
Enter notes/ratings as required and mark as Completed to permanently record the feedback. For tasks, follow the task instructions and mark as Completed when done.
Option B — Admin completes on behalf
- A recruitment/company administrator can complete interviews (and many task‑type steps) on behalf of the original assignee when needed (e.g., user on leave).
| ✔️ | If an interview remains in a Pending state and clutters To‑Do lists, you can also Cancel Interview from the requisition’s Interviews tab to remove it for all assigned users. Use this when the interview is no longer required rather than skipping mid‑feedback. |
Good practice and downstream effects
- When rejecting a candidate or marking them Not Suitable, skip any remaining workflow steps in the current phase so assignees don’t receive or retain unnecessary To‑Do items.
- The “Recruitment Workflow Completed” notification is triggered when all configured workflow steps for that candidate are completed (Done or appropriately finalised per design), regardless of outcome; review or disable this template if it’s not desired in your process.
Recruitment workflow - Offer Tab
The Offer tab is where you configure the offer process. This includes specifying which details are required or optional, selecting the default contract to use when making an offer, setting up the approval process, and customizing the offer email that is sent to the candidate.
1. Required Details: in this section you can choose the available default fields that exist in ELMO to be required or optional when creating an offer to the candidate to be entered.
- Start Date
- Manager
- Position
- Location
2. Contracts / Attachments: Select a default contract that will populate when creating an offer to a candidate. Contracts that can be selected are only available from the Contracts Library (Administration > General > Contracts Library).
Attach to Offer Email: Attaches each version of the contracts selected as PDF versions when an offer is made to the offer email.
3. Approval Settings: Click Add to add one Approval level to the Recruitment Workflow process. The available options to select are:
- Owner's Manager (Requisition Owners manager)
- Owner's Second Level Manager
- Specific User
- Specific Group
- Specific Position
- Enter Approver (User who is making the offer can enter a approver)
4. Offer Email: This section is where you can setup a default email template that will populate when sending out an offer email to a candidate.
- Reply To: Select who you would like the candidate to reply to
- Cc: Select who you would like to copy on the email
- Bcc: Select who you would like to copy on the email
- Subject: Enter the subject of the email. Placeholders can be used in the email subject
- Email Body: Enter the body of the email. Placeholders can be used in the email body
- Placeholders: Use this feature to insert Dynamic fields based off system data automatically.
5. Ensure to click Save on the bottom of the page once you're happy to continue.
Recruitment workflow - Panel Review Tab
In this section, you can setup which users in ELMO will be a panelist when using the Panel review function which they're responsible for impartially evaluating candidate applications.
1. Panelists: Select which users should be panelists on this Panel Review
2. Subject: Enter a Subject for the email notification which is triggered when a panel review is setup. Placeholders can be used in the Email subject
3. Email Body: Enter the body of the email notification which is triggered when using the panel review function. Placeholders can be used in the Email Body
4. Click Save to confirm the setup
The system does not log the exact date and time the initial panel review request is sent to panelists. Only the "Panel Review Due" reminder notification (if enabled) is tracked in the Administration > General > Notification History section.
FAQs
I am wanting to change the Recruitment workflow that has been selected for a Requisition that has already been created, is this possible?
Unfortunately, once a requisition is created, approved, and live, the associated Recruitment workflow cannot be changed. This workflow is automatically determined based on the Position selected during the requisition creation. If you need a different workflow, you'll need to create a new requisition and ensure the correct Position is chosen at that time.
How can I cease the workflow once candidates are deemed not suitable?
When a candidate is marked as Not Suitable, it's recommended to skip the remaining workflows in the current recruitment phase. This prevents these tasks from appearing as pending for the assigned users before the Not Suitable button is clicked. Alternatively, the task assignee can manually mark each remaining task as Complete and add a note explaining that the candidate was unsuccessful. Please remember that a completed recruitment task does not automatically mean the candidate was successful in that specific task.
How does the Recruitment Workflow Completed notification trigger?
The "Recruitment Workflow Completed" notification will be sent out once the candidate completed all the activities within the recruitment workflow, irrespective of whether the candidate has been successful in the role or not.
Why are my candidates going directly to 'Unsuccessful'?
If you notice that new candidates are automatically being marked as 'Not Suitable' and moved to the 'Unsuccessful' tab, it is almost always due to the Filtering option on your screening questions. When you set a filter, any candidate who selects a filtered answer will be automatically moved to the 'Unsuccessful' tab as soon as they apply. This is an intentional feature designed to save you time. If this is not the desired behaviour, review the Filtering settings for each question in this workflow and remove any filters that are not required.
If I change a Recruitment Workflow, will it affect candidates who have already applied?
No. Changes made to a Recruitment Workflow (such as updating screening questions, stages, or other settings) will only apply to new candidates who apply after the modifications are saved.
Candidates who have already applied to a requisition using that workflow will continue based on the workflow settings that were in place at the time of their application. The new changes will not be reflected for them. These workflow updates will, however, be active for all requisitions linked to that workflow for all future applicants.
I have a requisition where I need to ask different Screening Questions, I have adjusted the Recruitment workflow but this is now affecting other requisitions. Why?
Recruitment workflows are designed as templates. Any modifications made to a workflow, such as changing screening questions, will apply to all requisitions currently linked to that specific workflow.
If you need to use different screening questions for a particular requisition, you should:
- Create a New Recruitment Workflow: Design a new workflow tailored with the specific screening questions you need. Alternatively, you can duplicate an existing workflow and then adjust the screening questions in the copied version.
- Assign the Correct Workflow to Your Requisition: When creating the requisition, ensure you link it to this new (or specifically adjusted) workflow. This is often done by selecting a 'Position' (under the 'Select Position' field or similar) that has been configured to use your desired workflow.
If a requisition has already been created, it must be re-created to apply the correct workflow. Please follow the steps outlined above during its new setup.