Onboarding Workflows vs. Form-Triggered Workflows
Ashby's People Ops module supports two types of workflow: onboarding workflows and form-triggered workflows. Both use the same workflow builder and the same set of steps, so the choice between them comes down to what starts the workflow, who it applies to, and which dates its steps are scheduled against. This article explains how each type works, how they differ, and how to decide which one fits the process you want to automate.
Ashby's People Ops module is currently available through restricted early access. The following documentation is provided for design partners participating in that program.
Form-triggered workflows are currently in restricted early access and are not available to all People Workflows customers. If you would like to use form-triggered workflows, please reach out to your CSM.
Onboarding workflows
Onboarding workflows automate the process of bringing on a new hire who was hired through Ashby Recruiting.
What triggers them
An onboarding workflow triggers when a candidate's job consideration moves to the Hired stage in Ashby Recruiting and there is an accepted offer.
Because the workflow is connected to that job consideration, it can pull in data from the offer, the job, and the hiring team.
How steps are scheduled
Onboarding workflows are built around two anchor dates: the hire date and the start date. Steps sit in one of three sections, and the section determines which date the step's delay counts from:
Section | Delay is relative to |
|---|---|
After hire made | Hire date, counting forward |
Before hire starts | Start date, counting back |
After hire starts | Start date, counting forward |
If you don't set a delay, steps in the After the Hire is Made and Before the Hire Starts sections will trigger as soon as the hire is made. If a step is in the After the Hire Starts section and no delay is set, the steps won't fire until midnight on the hire's start date.
When a new hire's start date changes, Ashby reschedules any steps that haven't triggered yet.
Common uses
- Provisioning accounts and equipment, gated on a new-hire profile survey that collects details such as a shipping address.
- Running a background check as a workflow step, with a follow-up notification when a result needs review.
- Scheduling orientation, I-9 verification, manager one-on-ones, and 30-, 60-, and 90-day check-ins.
- Assigning an onboarding buddy through a survey sent to the hiring manager.
- Branching by region or department so new hires only receive steps relevant to them.
- Switching communication from a personal email address before the start date to work email and Slack afterward.
Form-triggered workflows
Form-triggered workflows automate processes that can happen to any employee at any point in their employment.
What triggers them
A form-triggered workflow starts when its trigger form is submitted. There are two trigger types:
- Form submission. The workflow begins as soon as the form is submitted.
Who can submit the form depends on the self-serve setting:
- Self-serve on. Eligible employees see the workflow on the Requests tab, fill out the form, and submit their own request. They can track submissions under My Requests.
- Self-serve off. The workflow doesn't appear on the Requests tab. Users with the Enroll employees in workflows permission enroll employees from the employee profile.
Form-triggered enrollments that aren't submitted via My Requests will not show up on the Requests tab for the user as a request in progress.
You control who a workflow applies to through workflow eligibility, set per workflow. You can make a workflow available to all employees, or to specific employees based on criteria such as team, location, job title, or other employee fields.
How steps are scheduled
Form-triggered workflows use an anchor date: either a date collected via the trigger form or the form submission date. Every delay counts forward from the anchor date specified.
Common uses
- Offboarding, including notifying IT and finance and reclaiming equipment.
- Onboarding contractors and other workers who were hired outside of Ashby Recruiting.
- Leave requests, including parental leave.
- Relocation and work location change requests.
- Promotions and compensation change requests.
- Department and internal transfers.
- Recurring compliance and manager training.
What both workflow types share
Both support:
- The same step types: tasks, surveys, emails, Slack messages, SMS messages, scheduled events, finalize event invites, e-signature requests, webhooks, approvals, ADP and assessment integrations, and groups and sequences for organizing steps.
- The assignee options: individual users, role groups, or the employee the workflow is running for. When you assign a step to a role group, every member receives it, the first person to complete it clears it from everyone's list, and Ashby records who completed it.
While workflow assignee options are similar for both workflow types, roles from Ashby Recruiting will be available to set as assignees in Onboarding Workflows but not for Form-Triggered Workflows.
- Delays, dependencies, and filters: delays control when a step triggers, dependencies hold a step until a prior step completes, and filters determine whether a step runs at all. When a step has both a dependency and a delay, Ashby evaluates the dependency first.
- Categories: categories group workflows on the workflows list and the People Ops home page. The Onboarding category is reserved for onboarding workflows, and you can create custom categories such as Offboarding, Transfers, or Compliance Training for form-triggered workflows.
- Notification channels: step assignees can be notified by email, Slack, or SMS.
You select the workflow type and trigger type when you create a workflow, and you can't change either one afterward. You can change a workflow's category at any time.
FAQs
Can I change a workflow from one type to the other?
No. You set the workflow type and trigger type when you create the workflow, and neither can be changed afterward. To switch, create a new workflow of the correct type. You can change a form-triggered workflow's category at any time.
Can I enroll an existing employee in an onboarding workflow?
Yes, but with a caveat: some aspects of onboarding workflows depend on an attached job consideration and won't function without one. If you're onboarding someone who wasn't hired through Ashby Recruiting, such as a contractor, a form-triggered workflow is usually the better fit.
Where do I see workflow enrollments that are in progress?
The People Ops home page groups active enrollments by category, with tabs for workflows that are in progress, need review, are completed, or have issues. The Needs Review tab applies to onboarding workflows configured with no automation or using automation with review.
Do form-triggered workflows report separately from onboarding workflows?
Reporting includes an Employee Workflows subject that covers all workflows, including onboarding, and an Onboarding Workflows subject that covers onboarding workflows only and joins to job consideration fields. The Workflow Steps subject spans both types.