Understanding Workflow scheduling in TalentHR

Note: The Workflows feature is in Beta, and is available to all TalentHR plans. TalentHR portals on the Free and Essential plans can create up to 10 workflows. For more information on what Workflows are in TalentHR, see this article first.

Each workflow action in TalentHR includes scheduling options that determine when the action should take place relative to an important event or date.

Depending on the action type, you can configure:

A due date
A send date
Reminders
Action blocking rules

Workflow timing is based on reference dates, such as:

Trigger date
Hire date
Due date

Note: Applicable employees are automatically notified on the trigger date. You can also configure reminder emails to be sent before due dates or scheduled workflow actions.

A. Trigger date

The trigger date is the exact moment the workflow starts running.

For example:

For a New hire added trigger, the trigger date is when the employee is added to TalentHR.
For a Birthday trigger, the trigger date is the employee’s birthday.
For an Employee terminated trigger, the trigger date is when the employee is terminated.

B. Hire date

The hire date refers to the employee’s configured employment start date.

This is especially useful for onboarding workflows where actions must happen before or after the employee officially joins the company.

For example:

Send an email 5 days before the hire date.
Assign onboarding training 7 days before the hire date.
Create an IT setup task 1 day before the hire date.

Which date is considered the "Trigger date"?

Each workflow trigger has a built-in Trigger date, which is the point in time when the workflow starts running. Depending on the trigger, some actions can also be scheduled relative to another relevant date (such as the employee's Hire date or Termination date).

The table below summarizes exactly which dates are available for each trigger:

Trigger	Available date references
New hire added	Trigger date: Date the employee was added to TalentHR Hire date: Employee's Hire date
Employee terminated	Trigger date: Date the termination was recorded Termination date: Employee's Termination date
Employee field updated	Trigger date: Date the field was updated
Birthday	Trigger date: Employee's Birthday

Note: Actions can be scheduled before or after the relevant date reference (for example, 5 days before the Hire date or 14 days after the Trigger date). However, a workflow cannot perform an action before its Trigger date. For example, if you use Employee date reached, the workflow starts when that date is reached, so it cannot send an email 14 days before that same date. Instead, consider using another trigger (such as New hire added) and schedule the action relative to the employee's Hire date when appropriate.

C. Due date

Some workflow actions, such as tasks and training assignments, also include a due date.

Reminders can then be configured relative to that due date.

For example:

Alert HR 3 days before a task is due
Notify a manager 1 week before training expires

D. Block next action until completed

Some actions include a Block the next action until this one is completed option.

When enabled, the workflow pauses until the current action is completed before continuing to the next step.

This is useful when actions must happen in sequence.

For example:

Wait until onboarding paperwork is completed before assigning training
Wait until equipment is returned before completing offboarding
Wait until manager approval before continuing the workflow

Choosing the right scheduling logic

When configuring workflow timing, make sure the selected reference date matches the real-world process you want to automate.

For example:

Goal	Recommended configuration
Send onboarding instructions before an employee joins	Before hire date
Notify employees on their birthday	Equals trigger date
Remind HR about overdue tasks	Before due date
Assign first-week training	After hire date