Overview

iCIMS' Applicant Tracking (formerly Recruit) enables users to submit candidates, offers, jobs, and iForms through an approval chain prior to taking action on the item. By default, user admins, recruiters, and hiring managers can all start any approval process. Permissions related to approval processes can be configured based on each client’s unique workflow and existing approval methods.

This article includes information on:

• Routing Jobs for Approval
• Acting as an Approver on a Job

For information regarding how to configure the results available within an approval search as a user admin, please refer to the Configuring Approver Searches article.

Routing Jobs for Approval

As part of iCIMS' Applicant Tracking, the job approval process is used to submit a job for approval prior to opening it to applicants, allowing the corporate hierarchy to review a job and its specifics (e.g., salary) before it is posted to the public.

The job approval process may be launched by clicking the Finish button at the end of the initial job creation process, which will launch an Edit Approval List screen, or after the job is created by clicking into the Approval Tab on the Job Profile, then clicking the Edit button.

1. From the Edit Approval List screen, click the Edit Default Message link to view or change the email message that is sent to approvers, if desired. When finished editing this message, click the Save button in the Compose Email popup.

• Note: Message variables are highlighted in green and will populate with data when the email is sent. If the template says that it Contains Unavailable Variables, there are variables in the template that the system cannot access. If a variable is unavailable, it displays with a strikethrough. 
• Tip: Verify the presence of or add the Approval Button variable to the email message to allow approvers to approve or decline the job directly from the email they receive. This may be accomplished by clicking the Add Variables button, clicking Approval, then clicking General > Approval Button and clicking the Add Selected button.

2. To access or generate a list of approvers, locate the Add Approvers section of the Edit Approval List screen. The dropdown to the immediate right of the Add Approvers label can include options to select a Person, Relational Person, and/or a Global Approval List. (Available options may differ depending on specific system configurations and access permissions.)

• Select Person to add a specific person to the approval list. Click into the Select dropdown to search for and select the correct approver. (You can add a new name by selecting Create Contact from the dropdown and then filling in the person's name and email.) Repeat to add as many approvers as necessary.
• Select Relational Person to add a person with a specific relationship to the job to the approval list. In the popup that displays, search for and/or identify the correct kind of approver. Click the correct title, and then click Add Selected. You can also double-click the title.
  (For example, to select the manager of the hiring manager for the job, select Relational Approvers > Detail Tab > Hiring Manager > Employee Tab > Manager, and then click Add Selected.)
  To add additional Relational Persons, click the Show Relational Approvers button. Repeat to add as many approvers as necessary.
• Select Global Approval List to add all persons and relational persons from a global approval list to this list. Click into the Select dropdown to search for and select the correct global approval list. Note that the global approval list will populate as individual persons or relational persons, not as a list, so that individuals can be removed or moved within the newly-created list. Repeat to add as many global approval lists as necessary.
  • Tips:
    • Person, Relational Person, and Global Approval List selections may be made in any order, and adding a new selection will not overwrite existing approvers in the list.
    • It is possible to add the same individual multiple times in an approval list. An individual who appears multiple times (by name and/or by relationship) will receive the approval request multiple times.
    • For additional information about moving, deleting, and managing approvers from this screen, please refer to the Tips for Managing Approvers and Approval Lists article.

3. Click the Save & Begin Approval button to start the approval process.

4. Click the OK button in the popup box to confirm the start of the approval process. The system will automatically email each approver one at a time in the order they are listed. This process will continue until all approvers listed have responded.

• Note: Once the approval is initiated, the system uses the current information to resolve any relational approvers and send requests for approval to the appropriate people. If any relational approver cannot be resolved, the system will indicate that this approver is unavailable and, upon any attempt to proceed, will display a popup prompting the user to acknowledge that that approver will be removed from the list.

5. View the finalized approval process on the Job Profile Approval tab. Each approver will be listed along with the status of their approval.

Warning: The link and/or approval buttons provided in the email to each approver will allow them to approve the job and make comments without logging in. To avoid security concerns, this email should not be forwarded or CCed to others.

Tips:

• Resend approval emails as reminders to listed approvers by clicking the Resend button.
• Skip over any listed approvers to advance the approval process by clicking the Skip button.
• The system assigns a status to the approver so that the recruiter knows where the approval stands. These statuses can also be manually changed by users with appropriate permissions. The most common statuses are:
  • Pending - Approvers have been assigned, but the approval email has not been sent.
  • Notified - Approver has been notified, but hasn't yet viewed the email.
  • Approved - Job, candidate, offer, or iForm has been approved.
  • Rejected - Job, candidate, offer, or iForm approval has been declined.
  • Skipped - Recruiter has manually set the status to Skipped so that the process does not stall.
  • Viewed - Manager has viewed the approval email.
  • Unable to Contact - Email has not reached the recipient.
• When a job is either approved or declined, the approval initiator, the job owner, and the job creator are notified automatically by the system. User admins can use the Job Approval Notification Recipients setting to update who receives this notification. For more information, see the Configuring Approval Notifications article.
• If an approved job must be sent back through the approval process, click the Edit icon on the Job Profile Approval tab, click OK if a confirmation screen appears, and then click the Reset Approval button. Click OK to confirm that you want to continue.
• If a rejected job needs to be sent back through the approval process, click the Resume Approval button on the Job Profile Approval tab. If any confirmation screens appear, click OK.

Acting as an Approver on a Job

The job approval process is designed to be simple and easy, even from a mobile phone or tablet. Follow the steps below to review and approve a job.

1. The user serving as an approver will receive a Job Approval Request email with a link to the Job Approval screen.

• Note: Depending on system email templates, Approve and Reject buttons may display within the email itself. To approve or reject a job from the email, click the appropriate button. Please note that the system cannot capture additional feedback when the job is approved or rejected from the email.

2. Clicking the approval link within the email will launch the Job Approval screen where the user can choose to Approve or Decline the job. The user can also add a note explaining to the job creator why the position was approved or declined. Only the most recent comment per approver is retained, if applicable.
3. After approving or declining a job, a Thank You: Approval Complete screen displays to let the user know that their decision was received by the system.