A Glossary of Key Terms in Automation & Workflow for HR Professionals

In today’s fast-paced business environment, HR and recruiting leaders are constantly seeking innovative ways to enhance efficiency, improve candidate and employee experiences, and drive strategic outcomes. The convergence of automation and artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping how talent management operates, moving beyond traditional manual processes to intelligent, data-driven workflows. To navigate this transformative landscape effectively, a clear understanding of key terminology is essential. This glossary defines critical terms related to automation and workflow, specifically tailored for HR and recruiting professionals, providing practical context and highlighting their impact on modern talent operations.

Workflow Automation

Workflow automation refers to the design, execution, and automation of rules-based business processes without manual human intervention. In HR, this translates to systems that automatically handle tasks like sending interview invitations, collecting new hire paperwork, or approving vacation requests once specific conditions are met. Implementing workflow automation in recruitment can significantly reduce time-to-hire by accelerating stages such as resume screening, scheduling, and offer letter generation. For existing employees, it streamlines administrative burdens, allowing HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than repetitive data entry or follow-ups. Effective workflow automation is a cornerstone of operational efficiency, ensuring consistency, reducing errors, and freeing up valuable HR resources.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves the use of software robots (“bots”) to mimic human actions when interacting with digital systems and software. Unlike traditional workflow automation that often requires integration, RPA bots can operate on the surface level of applications, clicking, typing, and extracting data just like a human. In HR, RPA can be deployed for tasks like mass data entry into an HRIS from disparate sources, reconciling payroll discrepancies, or even scraping job boards for specific candidate profiles. While powerful for repetitive, rule-based tasks, RPA is best suited for scenarios where APIs or direct integrations are not feasible, acting as a digital workforce to augment human efforts and eliminate tedious, high-volume activities.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR encompasses the application of AI technologies, such as machine learning and natural language processing, to enhance various human resources functions. This includes AI-powered tools for talent acquisition (e.g., intelligent resume screening, chatbot assistants for candidates, predictive analytics for hiring success), talent management (e.g., personalized learning paths, performance feedback analysis), and employee engagement (e.g., sentiment analysis). AI in HR aims to improve decision-making, personalize employee experiences, reduce bias, and optimize operational efficiency by leveraging data to derive insights and automate complex cognitive tasks that go beyond simple rule-based workflows, offering a more strategic impact on the workforce.

Machine Learning (ML)

Machine Learning (ML) is a subset of artificial intelligence that enables systems to learn from data, identify patterns, and make decisions with minimal human intervention. In HR, ML algorithms are crucial for tasks such as predicting candidate success based on historical data, identifying flight risks among employees, or personalizing internal job recommendations. For recruiters, ML can analyze vast amounts of resume data to match candidates with job descriptions more accurately, reducing manual screening time and improving the quality of shortlists. Beyond recruitment, ML can help HR teams analyze employee survey data to pinpoint engagement drivers or identify skill gaps, leading to more targeted training and development initiatives.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application designed to help recruiters and employers manage the recruitment and hiring process efficiently. It handles tasks such as job posting, resume collection, candidate screening, interview scheduling, and offer management. In the context of automation, an ATS serves as a central hub where various automated workflows can be triggered. For example, when a candidate applies, an automated email confirmation can be sent, or their resume can be parsed and scored using AI. Integrating an ATS with other HR tools through APIs or iPaaS platforms further enhances automation, allowing for seamless data flow between systems like HRIS, background check providers, and onboarding platforms, significantly streamlining the entire hiring lifecycle.

API (Application Programming Interface)

An API, or Application Programming Interface, is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and exchange data with each other. In the realm of HR and automation, APIs are fundamental to creating interconnected ecosystems of tools. For example, an API might allow an applicant tracking system (ATS) to send new hire data directly to a payroll system, or enable a chatbot on a career site to pull job descriptions from the ATS. By providing a standardized way for systems to interact, APIs eliminate manual data transfer, reduce errors, and enable the creation of complex, multi-system workflows that are critical for achieving true end-to-end HR automation. Without robust APIs, many advanced integrations would be impossible.

Low-Code/No-Code Platforms

Low-code/no-code platforms are development environments that allow users to create applications and automated workflows with little to no traditional coding. Low-code platforms use visual interfaces with pre-built modules and drag-and-drop functionality, while no-code platforms are even more simplified, often relying entirely on visual builders. For HR professionals, these platforms democratize automation, empowering them to build custom solutions for specific departmental needs without relying heavily on IT. Examples include creating custom forms for employee feedback, automating report generation, or building simple onboarding checklists that integrate with existing tools. These platforms accelerate innovation, reduce development costs, and enable HR teams to rapidly prototype and deploy solutions tailored to their unique operational challenges.

Process Mapping

Process mapping is a visual representation of a workflow or process, illustrating the steps, decision points, inputs, and outputs involved. It typically uses flowcharts or diagrams to detail each stage from start to finish. For HR and recruiting, process mapping is a crucial first step before implementing any automation. It helps identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, redundant steps, and areas ripe for automation. By visually documenting how a task is currently performed (the “as-is” process), HR teams can then design an optimized, automated “to-be” process. This clarity ensures that automation efforts are targeted, effective, and truly solve existing problems rather than simply automating a broken process, leading to more impactful and sustainable improvements.

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation refers to the comprehensive integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how it operates and delivers value to customers. In HR, this involves moving beyond digitizing existing paper-based processes to truly reimagining talent strategies with technology at the core. It’s not just about implementing new software, but about a cultural shift that embraces automation, AI, and data analytics to optimize every aspect of the employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and offboarding. Digital transformation in HR aims to create more agile, data-driven, and employee-centric organizations, fostering innovation and enabling HR to play a more strategic role in business success.

Business Process Automation (BPA)

Business Process Automation (BPA) is a strategic approach to automating complex, end-to-end business processes across multiple systems and departments. While workflow automation often focuses on individual tasks or smaller departmental processes, BPA takes a broader view, aiming to automate entire business functions. In HR, BPA could involve automating the entire hire-to-retire cycle, integrating applicant tracking, background checks, HRIS updates, payroll, benefits enrollment, and performance management into one seamless, automated flow. BPA leverages a combination of technologies, including APIs, RPA, and AI, to achieve significant operational efficiencies, reduce human error, and provide a unified view of talent data across the organization, enabling more strategic HR decision-making.

Talent Acquisition Automation

Talent acquisition automation refers to the use of technology to automate repetitive or time-consuming tasks within the recruitment process. This includes automating job postings to multiple boards, resume screening using AI, scheduling interviews with candidates and hiring managers, sending automated follow-up communications, and generating offer letters. The goal is to streamline the entire hiring funnel, from initial candidate sourcing to onboarding, making the process faster, more efficient, and less prone to human error. By automating these tactical tasks, recruiters can dedicate more time to strategic activities like candidate engagement, relationship building, and high-value decision-making, ultimately improving the quality of hires and reducing cost-per-hire.

Candidate Experience Automation

Candidate experience automation focuses on using technology to enhance and personalize the journey for job applicants, from their first interaction with a company to their offer acceptance. This involves automated communications such as instant application confirmations, personalized updates on application status, reminders for interviews, and pre-recorded video messages from hiring managers. AI-powered chatbots can answer frequently asked questions 24/7, providing immediate support. The objective is to create a seamless, engaging, and informative experience for candidates, which can significantly impact a company’s employer brand and ability to attract top talent. By automating routine interactions, HR teams ensure consistent communication and timely feedback, leading to higher candidate satisfaction and a more positive perception of the organization.

Onboarding Automation

Onboarding automation involves using digital tools and workflows to streamline and manage the process of integrating new hires into an organization. This typically includes automating tasks such as distributing and collecting essential paperwork (e.g., I-9 forms, tax documents), setting up IT accounts and equipment, enrolling in benefits, assigning initial training modules, and scheduling introductory meetings. Automated onboarding platforms can trigger tasks for various departments (IT, payroll, managers) based on the new hire’s start date, ensuring nothing is missed. This not only significantly reduces administrative burden for HR but also provides a more consistent, engaging, and welcoming experience for new employees, helping them become productive faster and improving retention rates.

Data Orchestration

Data orchestration is the automated process of collecting, integrating, transforming, and managing data from various disparate sources to ensure it is consistently available, accurate, and useful across an organization. In HR, effective data orchestration is crucial for building a “single source of truth” for employee and candidate data. It involves connecting applicant tracking systems, HRIS, payroll, performance management tools, and other platforms to create a unified data landscape. This ensures that when a candidate’s status changes in the ATS, that update is reflected in the HRIS, and payroll is informed without manual intervention. Robust data orchestration eliminates data silos, reduces manual data entry errors, and provides HR leaders with comprehensive, real-time insights to inform strategic workforce planning and decision-making.

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS)

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) is a cloud-based platform that facilitates the development, execution, and governance of integration flows between various applications, data sources, and APIs. Tools like Make.com exemplify iPaaS platforms, offering a visual, low-code/no-code environment to connect disparate systems. For HR, an iPaaS is invaluable for creating complex, multi-system automations. It can connect an ATS to an HRIS, a background check provider, and a communication platform seamlessly, ensuring data consistency and workflow continuity. Instead of point-to-point integrations that are fragile and hard to manage, iPaaS provides a centralized, scalable, and flexible solution for integrating HR tech stack components, enabling robust and future-proof automation strategies without extensive custom coding.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Keap Automation Consulting: Your Blueprint for Future-Proof Talent Management