When you're nearing the completion of implementing our HR features, it's important to notify employees - not only to get them to join your account but to set expectations about how they'll need to use it.
In this article, you will find resources and information before and during launch as well as email templates that you can share to help employees log in for the first time and become acquainted with Workable.
Before launch
Publish your existing employees
Existing employees who were imported or migrated need to be manually published. Determine a system for your team on related tasks:
- Who will publish employee profiles (you can split work with your team based on divisions/departments)
- When would you like all employee profiles to be published (ideally some days before the launch)
Decide how your employees will join Workable
The best time to invite employees is:
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For existing employees: Once you have confirmed that all your settings are properly configured, upload your current employees to Workable (manually or via a CSV file). Make sure each employee has their own published employee profile. Next, determine:
- How they will join Workable - to save time, auto-join or SSO is preferred here
- Provide them with the necessary instructions - you can find email templates below
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For new employees: For each new employee who joins after the roll-out, it is recommended to invite them once they have finished their onboarding, their start date came, and you have published their employee profile. Determine:
- How they will join Workable - a manual invite is preferred here
- If invited manually, when exactly you will share an invite link (e.g., it could be during a welcome session with HR and/or IT on the employee's first day)
Employees must be published to join your Workable account. Below are your options:
- Direct email invites
- You can send direct email invites to each employee. This is recommended for new employees; every time you publish a new employee profile, we will prompt you to invite the member to join the account either now or later.
- Auto-join
- You can share an auto-join link with all your employees; anyone with an email address in your organization can join your Workable account as a Standard access member without an invitation. To manage a member's access after they join Workable, navigate to the Account Members page.
- SSO
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You can grant access to your employees through SSO; users must be added to Workable via your SSO tool.
Develop a communication plan
Effective communication is crucial in the roll-out of a new HR software for several reasons, including:
- Creating awareness
- Managing expectations
- Engaging employees
Involve the HR department from the start, as they are the project's primary target. For other groups, like managers and employees, inform them later about Workable HR and the rollout process, guide them on how to join, and provide training options.
We would suggest sending a "pre-launch" communication to your employees letting them know of the upcoming launch and some more details like:
- The day of the launch and what to expect
- Action items during a blackout period (if you are migrating from another HR system)
Blackout period (for migrations)
If you are switching from a different HR system to Workable HR, it's recommended that you set up a blackout period. During this period, certain actions or restrictions may be in place to ensure a seamless transition to the new system. This will also help to accurately reflect data and time-off balances. Below are some key points to include in your pre-launch communication to your employees.
- Explain what a blackout period is and why it's necessary during the rollout. Emphasize that it's a temporary period where specific actions or access may be limited to facilitate system implementation and data migration.
- Share the exact date (and time, if possible) when the blackout period will start.
- Detail the specific actions or tasks that may be restricted during the blackout period. This could include:
- Access to certain HRIS functionalities or systems.
- Requesting time off or editing employee profile via the previous system.
- Detail action items for all employees during the blackout period. This could include:
- Prompt them to review and update any outdated or inaccurate details in their profiles as well as complete any pending HR-related tasks (e.g. signatures) before the blackout period starts.
- Advise them to jot down their time-off balances and record the days taken during the blackout period.
- Determine alternative procedures for urgent matters that arise during the blackout period, such as requesting unplanned time off or updating emergency contact information.
- Detail action items for managers during the blackout period. This could include:
- Advise them to accurately track and record any time off taken by their direct reports leading up to and during the blackout period.
- Remind them to complete any pending HR-related tasks and approve any pending time-off requests for their direct reports before the blackout period starts.
- Outline the communication channels for questions or urgent matters during the blackout period. For example, you may have a designated slack channel or HR support personnel.
During a blackout period, as an HR admin, you can utilize the downtime to conduct comprehensive audits of documentation and internal HR processes. By reviewing and updating employee records and ensuring compliance, you can streamline operations and address discrepancies before your new HR system launches, enhancing overall efficiency and compliance.
We have consolidated a few common questions you may receive from your employees about or during the blackout period. Our answers serve as a template; please update them according to your internal processes.
- Blackout period FAQs
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Q: Can I still submit time-off requests during the blackout period?
A: Time-off request submissions in [previous system] won’t be possible during the blackout period. We recommend submitting any time-off requests in advance or coordinating with your manager to ensure timely processing and correct balance after the launch of our new HR system.
Q: Will I be able to update my personal information during the blackout period?A: Updating your personal information won’t be possible during the blackout period. We recommend noting any changes and submitting them to HR for timely processing once our new HR system is up and running. [You can add any other specific instructions on where employees could submit these changes, e.g., slack channel, email to HR, drive repository, etc.]
Q: Can HR still process updates to employee information during the blackout period?A: Any updates to employee information during the blackout period will be addressed promptly once the new HR system is up and running.
Q: Will the blackout period affect access to HR resources/company files?A: Access to HR resources/company files will be temporarily limited during the blackout period. We recommend accessing/downloading any necessary materials beforehand or contacting HR for assistance. [You can share any alternative way employees can access company files, e.g., via a Google Drive folder, etc.]
Launch
Send a launch email to your employees
Based on how you decided users will join Workable, download and edit the most suitable template from the options below to notify your employees.
Subject line: Exciting News! Launching Workable HR
Hello everyone,
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new HR platform, Workable!
Workable is a comprehensive people management software that covers the entire employee lifecycle. We will use Workable to manage employee onboarding and data, including time off management.
This change is driven by our commitment to streamlining and automating our HR processes to ensure reliable and accurate data. You can look forward to:
- Centralized management of employee profiles
- Streamlined time-off requests and expedited time-off approvals
- Rapid alerts for company policies, procedures, files, and org chart updates
- Document management featuring e-signatures
Key Actions for All Employees:
You will soon receive an email invitation to join our company’s Workable account. Once you accept the invitation:
- Enter your account using the login page
- Access your employee profile by clicking your initials on the upper right and then View profile
Resources:
We understand that learning a new tool may require some adjustment. Below, you can find the basic training material to help you with your first steps in Workable:
- Employee user guide + downloadable PDF guide
- Manager user guide + downloadable PDF guide
Mobile app:
Download the Workable mobile app (from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store) to view the employee directory, request time off, and view your balances easily from your phone!
Rest assured, data privacy and protection are our utmost priority. If you need help or have any questions about Workable, you can always contact the HR team.
Kind regards,
Hello everyone,
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new HR platform, Workable!
Workable is a comprehensive people management software that covers the entire employee lifecycle. We will use Workable to manage employee onboarding and data, including time off management.
This change is driven by our commitment to streamlining and automating our HR processes to ensure reliable and accurate data. You can look forward to:
- Centralized management of employee profiles
- Streamlined time-off requests and expedited time-off approvals
- Rapid alerts for company policies, procedures, files, and org chart updates
- Document management featuring e-signatures
Key Actions for All Employees:
To auto-join our Workable account:
- Visit the signup page
- Complete the signup form using your work email address and click the button to Join account
- Navigate to your employee profile by clicking your initials on the upper right and then View profile
Resources:
We understand that learning a new tool may require some adjustment. Below, you can find the basic training material to help you with your first steps in Workable:
- Employee user guide + downloadable PDF guide
- Manager user guide + downloadable PDF guide
Mobile app:
Download the Workable mobile app (from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store) to view the employee directory, request time off, and view your balances easily from your phone!
Rest assured, data privacy and protection are our utmost priority. If you need help or have any questions about Workable, you can always contact the HR team.
Kind regards,
Note: Before you send the template, replace [subdomain] in the login link with your company’s own subdomain.
Hello everyone,
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new HR platform, Workable!
Workable is a comprehensive people management software that covers the entire employee lifecycle. We will use Workable to manage employee onboarding and data, including time off management.
This change is driven by our commitment to streamlining and automating our HR processes to ensure reliable and accurate data. You can look forward to:
- Centralized management of employee profiles
- Streamlined time-off requests and expedited time-off approvals
- Rapid alerts for company policies, procedures, files, and org chart updates
- Document management featuring e-signatures
Key Actions for All Employees:
You will soon receive an email invitation to join our company’s Workable account. Once you accept the invitation:- Visit the company’s login page: https://[subdomain].workable.com/signin
- Fill in your work email to sign in
- Access your employee profile by clicking your initials on the upper right and then View profile
Resources:
We understand that learning a new tool may require some adjustment. Below, you can find the basic training material to help you with your first steps in Workable:
- Employee user guide + downloadable PDF guide
- Manager user guide + downloadable PDF guide
Mobile app:
Download the Workable mobile app (from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store) to view the employee directory, request time off, and view your balances easily from your phone!
Rest assured, data privacy and protection are our utmost priority. If you need help or have any questions about Workable, you can always contact the HR team.
Kind regards,
Download the templates
Save the templates in a .docx file on your device and edit them if needed.
Employee Troubleshooting
- An employee is not receiving the invitation email
- If you have sent a manual invitation to an employee but they haven't received it:
- Ask the recipient/employee to check their spam folder and search for the following sender domain: @workablemail.com
- If they still can't find the email, try to resend the invitation
- If this doesn't work, please contact our Support team at support@workable.com, mentioning which employee is facing the issue
Check more about troubleshooting email issues.
- An employee can't log in
- This article lists reasons why a user might be unable to log in to Workable and offers solutions to resolve them.
- An employee logged in, but they can't see the "View profile" button
- If an employee can't see the "View profile" button under their profile icon, this probably means that the email under the employee profile does not match the email of the account member. Please be aware that alias emails differ from primary email addresses, so they should not be used.