Setting up automated actions

Overview

 

Use automated actions to trigger emails or text messages based on specific actions that users take in Workable.

1. Create a communication template that you want to have sent out automatically
2. Go to Settings > Automated Actions
3. Pick an automation template
4. Set the triggers and timing for the automation

While Admin users design and enable specific automations, any user who takes a given action can trigger the automation. See a full breakdown of user permissions for automated actions.

 

Types of automations

These templates can be used multiple times. For example, you might send one version of a "Thank you message" for Engineering jobs and another "Thank you message" automation for Marketing jobs.

Thank you message

Triggered by a candidate applying to a job; won't be triggered for uploaded/sourced candidates (note: Workable automatically sends an application confirmation email to all applications, which is not possible to disable. This automation enables you to create a second, customized email or text message.)

Disqualification message

Triggered by disqualifying a candidate or for candidates who are automatically disqualified based on application form questions. As such, we always recommend setting this type of automation to send with a delay.

If disqualification reasons are enabled for your account (optional or mandatory), you can differentiate the communication template based on whether the candidate has been rejected or withdrawn. We currently only support disqualification reason categories (rejected, withdrawn) and not specific disqualification reasons. The default option will be "is disqualified for any reason".

Note: The automation setting for auto-disqualified candidates is optional and can be adjusted when you select the Applied stage.

Message template

Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a certain pipeline stage

Workable Video interview

Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a stage that contains a Workable Video Interview.

Note: The video interview will only be sent if a Workable video interview link is included in the email template.

Workable Assessment

Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a stage that contains a Workable Assessment.

Note: The assessment will only be sent if a Workable assessment link is included in the email template.

Self-schedule

Requires Gmail or Outlook calendar integration. Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a certain pipeline stage (the selected email template must include the "self-schedule link" placeholder, and the selected user must have Gmail or Outlook connected.)

Notes:

• While choosing the sender, the option “User that performs the action” won't be available here.
• As senders, we will only display members (Admins as well as Hiring Managers and Recruiting Admins of the selected jobs) who have connected their calendars.

• To automate interviews for multiple jobs with different interviewers, you can either create separate automations for each job/stage and add respective interviewers as automation senders or create automations by department if the same interviewers are involved in each department.

Video Interview (third party)

Only for third party providers. Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a stage that contains a Video Interview from a 3rd party Video Interview provider.

Assessment (third party)

Only for third party providers. Triggered by a user moving a candidate to a stage that contains an Assessment from a 3rd party Assessment provider.

 

❗For Message, Self schedule, Video Interview, Assessment automations that trigger when moving a candidate to a specific stage, the candidate should be moved from another stage of the same job to a stage where an automation is set up. Directly uploading candidates to stages doesn't activate automations.

 

Designing an automation

Keep in mind that all automations (except for 3rd party Video Interview & Assessment) involve sending an email or text message template to candidates. Review your communication templates before saving the automation to ensure you've got the right information included. If needed, communication templates can also be updated after the automation is enabled.

1. Choose an automation template under your automation settings to begin.
2. Click on the highlighted words to adjust how the automation should work. In this example, we're completing a "message template" automation.
   
3. Select the job or department for which this automation should trigger
4. Select the stage where the automation occurs. Choose multiple stages for the same automation if needed (for example, a Disqualification automation that should trigger for every stage). If you have multiple pipelines, you must select stages for each pipeline (for example, choosing the Phone Screen stage for an Internship pipeline and the Phone Screen stage for a Marketing Department pipeline)
5. Choose the email or text message template to have sent
   

   Notes:
   - With the Language kit, the template sent will be in the job's language (if there is a translation). 
   - For 3rd party Video Interviews & Assessments, the email with the test link is sent from the provider, so you will not be requested to provide an email template. 

6. Choose the sender (available for selection will be Admins as well as Hiring Managers and Recruiting Admins of the selected jobs)
7. Set the timing for when the email is sent automatically (weekends are disabled by default)

"No reply" sender option

The "No reply" sender option (under the user placeholder) can be used to have the email sent from an address that will not accept replies from the candidate. 

• Shows company as the sender
• Sent from a generic "no reply" email address generated by Workable
• If candidates do reply, they are automatically notified that replies are not seen by anyone
• The sender will still become a follower of the candidate

Please note that:

• No-reply automations cannot be set up for text messages, video interviews, assessments and self schedule links.
• No-reply emails will be sent to anonymized candidates, with their body obfuscated on the timeline and activity stream.

 

Setting the timing

When setting the timing for the automation, adjust the timeframe after which the email should be sent. Click the highlighted text to change the number of minutes/hours. We recommend setting a short delay so that you have the flexibility to cancel the automation for specific candidates if needed.

The "choose a time" option is best for sending automated emails at a specific time. Click on days of the week to disable automations on those days (e.g. you may not want to have emails sent on the weekend). Days marked in blue are when emails can be sent.

 

Editing or canceling an automation

Once you've saved the automation, it can be edited from the Automated actions settings page.

1. Flip the switch to disable or enable an automation
2. Select the three dots to edit components (blue terms)
3. If needed, adjust templates from Settings > Templates

When an automation is triggered or scheduled, you'll see the details noted on the candidate's timeline.

To cancel a scheduled automation from sending, click on the trash can icon. The cancellation will be noted on the timeline. Your hiring role must be Hiring Manager and above to perform the cancelation. You do not need to be the sender of an automation to cancel it.  

 

FAQs & Troubleshooting

• Automated Actions FAQs
• Troubleshooting automation issues