Overview

iCIMS Applicant Tracking (ATS) and iCIMS Onboarding both enable 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 approval processes. Permissions related to approval processes can be configured based on each client’s unique workflow and existing approval methods.
 
The iForms approval process is used to submit a completed iForm for internal review and approval, allowing the corporate hierarchy to review internal forms.

For information regarding how to configure the results available within an approval search as a user admin, refer to the Configuring Approver Searches article. For information on acting as an approver for an iForm, refer to the Acting as an Approver on a Job section of the Understanding and Initiating the Job Approval Process article, as the steps are similar.

Routing iForms for Approval

Note: To enable iForm approval, submit a case to iCIMS Technical Support. Once enabled, follow the below steps.
 

1. Navigate to the candidate profile that contains the iForm you would like to route for approval, and select the iForms tab.
2. Select the appropriate completed iForm from the iForm dropdown list.
3. Select the More dropdown and select the iForm Approval option.

4. Select the Edit button in the iForm Approval window to configure the approval list.
5. On the Edit Approval List screen, select the Edit Default Message link to view or change the email message that is sent to approvers, if desired. When finished editing this message, select 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 will appear with a strikethrough. As a best practice, do not send out emails with unavailable variables.
• Tip: Verify the presence of or add the Approval Button variable to the email message to allow approvers to approve or decline the candidate directly from the email they receive. This may be accomplished by selecting the Add Variables button, selecting Approval, then selecting General > Approval Button and clicking the Add Selected button.

6. 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 upon specific system configurations and access permissions.)

• Select Person to add a specific person to the approval list. Select the Make a Selection dropdown to search for and select the correct approver by selecting their name. Repeat to add as many approvers as necessary.
• Select Relational Person to add a person with a specific relationship to the iForm to the approval list. In popup that displays, search for and/or identify the correct kind of approver. Select the correct title, and then select Add Selected.
  (For example, to select the manager of the person who requested the iForm, select Relational Approvers > Form Information > Form Requested By > Employee Tab > Manager, and then select Add Selected.)
  To add additional Relational Persons, select 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. Select the Make a Selection dropdown to search for and select the correct global approval list by selecting the name of the list. Note that the global approval list will populate as individual person 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 list 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.

7. Select the Save & Begin Approval button.

• Note: There is a setting that can control the minimum number of approvers necessary to begin an approval. If the Begin Approvals button does not display on the approval screen, enter at least the minimum number of approvers and then click Save; this should prompt the Save & Begin Approval button to display.

8. Select the OK button in the popup window to confirm the start of the approval process, if applicable. 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.

9. View the finalized approval process in an iForm Approval window. Each approver will be listed along with the status of their approval.

Note: Unlike other approval types, the link will direct the approver to a page where they must login to view details of the iForm and then approve or decline. 

Tips:

• Resend approval emails as reminders to listed approvers by selecting the Resend button.
• Skip over any listed approvers to advance the approval process by selecting the Skip This Approver button.
• The iCIMS 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.
• If an approved iForm must be sent back through the approval process, follow steps 1-4 in the directions above, select OK if a confirmation screen appears, and then select the Reset Process button.
• When an iForm is either approved or declined, the approval initiator will be notified automatically by the system. User admins can use the iForm Approval Notification Recipients setting to update who receives this notification. For more information, review the Configuring Approval Notifications article.