Getting Started: Workflows

Getting Started: Workflow Automation in ClayHR

Workflows are one of the core automation capabilities in ClayHR. They allow organizations to standardize business processes, eliminate repetitive manual work, ensure consistency, and orchestrate activities across virtually every stage of the employee lifecycle.

A Workflow is a configurable sequence of automated and manual steps that is triggered by a specific event or action. Depending on your needs, workflows can send emails, assign forms, generate documents, create tasks, request approvals, update records, invoke integrations, launch other workflows, and much more.

Because Workflows are platform-wide, the same automation engine can be used across HR, Talent Acquisition, Onboarding, Performance Management, Learning, Time & Attendance, Career Planning, and many other areas.

Rather than automating isolated tasks, ClayHR Workflows allow you to automate complete business processes from beginning to end.

1. Understanding Workflow Automation in ClayHR

Every organization has recurring business processes.

Examples include:

Onboarding a new employee
Starting offboarding activities
Promotions
Changes of location

Without automation, these processes often require multiple emails, reminders, spreadsheets, manual follow-ups, and coordination across departments.

ClayHR centralizes these activities into structured workflows that ensure every required step happens consistently and at the right time.

A workflow typically consists of:

A trigger that starts the process
One or more workflow phases
Individual workflow actions
Optional decision logic
Completion criteria

2. How Workflows Fit into the ClayHR Platform

Workflow automation in ClayHR is available in two complementary forms:

Embedded Workflows, which are built directly into many ClayHR features and business processes.
Custom Workflows, which administrators design from scratch to automate virtually any HR or business process.

Together, these two approaches allow organizations to automate both standard HR processes and organization-specific procedures without unnecessary complexity.

Embedded Workflows

Many ClayHR modules already include configurable workflows as part of their standard functionality. These workflows are tightly integrated into the business process itself and do not require administrators to build a separate workflow.

Examples include:

Performance Reviews
- Review launch
- Review routing
- Notifications and reminders
- Signature collection
- Consolidation
- Publication
Position Requisitions
- Multi-level approval chains
- Notifications
- Status transitions
Offer Letters
- Document generation
- Approval routing
- Electronic signatures
- Candidate notifications
PTO Requests
- Approval workflows
- Manager notifications
- Automatic balance updates
- Final approval processing

These embedded workflows are designed specifically for their respective modules and provide extensive configuration options while eliminating the need to recreate common HR processes.

Custom Workflows

When organizations need to automate processes that are unique to their business—or that span multiple ClayHR modules—they can create Custom Workflows using ClayHR's workflow engine.

Unlike embedded workflows, these are designed entirely by administrators and can automate virtually any sequence of activities.

Typical examples include:

Employee onboarding
Employee offboarding
Promotions
Internal transfers
Relocations
Probation reviews
Training enrollment
Certification renewals
Equipment provisioning
Custom approval processes
Organization-specific compliance procedures

A custom workflow can interact with multiple ClayHR modules within a single process.

For example, an onboarding workflow may:

Create employee tasks.
Assign onboarding forms.
Generate required documents.
Send welcome emails.
Assign mandatory training.
Notify IT to provision equipment.
Schedule manager check-ins.
Launch additional workflows when appropriate.

By combining Embedded Workflows for standard HR processes with Custom Workflows for organization-specific automation, ClayHR provides a comprehensive workflow platform that minimizes configuration effort while offering virtually unlimited flexibility. This approach allows organizations to start with built-in process automation and progressively extend automation across the entire employee lifecycle as their needs evolve.

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3. Progressive Custom Workflow Maturity

Workflow automation does not need to be implemented all at once.

Organizations can progressively increase automation as their processes mature.

Phase 1: Basic Automation

Start with simple workflows that automate repetitive administrative work.

Examples:

Send welcome emails
Assign onboarding forms
Notify managers
Request approvals

These workflows typically take only a few minutes to configure while delivering immediate productivity gains.

Phase 2: Process Automation

Expand workflows to coordinate multiple departments.

Examples:

HR
Hiring Managers
Finance
Payroll
IT
Facilities

This creates standardized, repeatable processes that reduce manual coordination.

Phase 3: Intelligent Automation

As your implementation evolves, workflows can incorporate more advanced capabilities such as:

Conditional branching
Parallel workflow phases
Nested workflows
Approval chains
Electronic signatures
Third-party integrations
AI-assisted automation

At this stage, workflows become the orchestration layer connecting your HR operations.

4. Core Custom Workflow Building Blocks

ClayHR workflows are intentionally modular, allowing administrators to build anything from simple automations to sophisticated business processes.

Workflow Phases

Workflows are organized into phases that group related activities.

This makes long workflows easier to understand, maintain, and monitor.

Examples:

HR Preparation
Manager Activities
IT Setup
Employee Tasks
Final Validation

Workflow Actions

Each phase contains one or more actions.

Examples include:

Send email
Assign a form
Create a task
Request an e-signature
Send notifications
Launch another workflow
Upload a document
Assign a training
Create approvals

Conditional Logic

Different employees or candidates often require different processes.

Conditions allow workflows to adapt automatically.

Examples:

Department-specific onboarding
Country-specific compliance
Executive onboarding versus standard onboarding

Nested Workflows

Large business processes can be broken into reusable workflow components.

For example:

Employee Onboarding
- IT Provisioning Workflow
- Security Workflow
- Facilities Workflow
- Payroll Setup Workflow

This modular approach reduces duplication and simplifies maintenance.

5. Getting Started: Creating Your First Custom Workflow

Navigate to Settings → Workflows.
Create a new Workflow.
Give the workflow a meaningful name and description.
Create one or more workflow phases.
Add the desired workflow actions within each phase.
Configure any applicability conditions.
Publish the workflow.
Assign or trigger the workflow where appropriate.

As your organization grows, workflows can be expanded without redesigning the original process.

6. Common Custom Workflow Use Cases

Although every organization has unique processes, some of the most common workflow scenarios include:

Employee Onboarding

Welcome communications
Form assignments
Policy acknowledgements
Equipment requests
Training assignments
Manager notifications
E-signatures

Offboarding

Asset return
System access removal
Exit interviews
Final documentation
Payroll notifications

Employee Lifecycle

Promotions
Transfers
Organizational changes
Probation reviews
Anniversary reminders
Contract renewals

HR Operations

Policy acknowledgements
Compliance activities
Training renewals
Certification tracking
Approval requests
Survey distribution

7. Workflow Best Practices

Organizations achieve the best results by viewing workflows as evolving business processes rather than one-time configurations.

Some recommended practices include:

Start by automating repetitive, high-volume processes.
Keep workflows modular and reusable whenever possible.
Use clear naming conventions for workflows and phases.
Test workflows thoroughly before deploying them broadly.
Reuse nested workflows instead of duplicating logic.
Introduce conditional logic only where it adds real business value.
Review workflows periodically as business processes evolve.

Workflow automation is most effective when implemented incrementally. Even a handful of well-designed workflows can significantly reduce administrative effort, improve consistency, and enhance the employee experience. As your organization grows, those same workflows can be expanded and refined without requiring a complete redesign.