A Glossary of Key Terms in Automation, Hyper-automation, and Workflow Terminology in HR

In today’s rapidly evolving professional landscape, HR and recruiting professionals are at the forefront of leveraging technology to optimize operations, enhance candidate and employee experiences, and drive strategic value. Understanding the core terminology associated with automation, hyper-automation, and workflow management is no longer optional—it’s essential. This glossary serves as a practical guide, defining key concepts and illustrating their direct application within the human resources domain, empowering you to navigate the complexities of digital transformation with confidence.

Automation

Automation in HR refers to the use of technology to perform repetitive, rules-based tasks without human intervention. This can range from simple tasks like automatically sending follow-up emails to candidates, scheduling interviews, or processing routine paperwork, to more complex systems that manage data entry into HRIS. For HR and recruiting professionals, automation is a powerful tool for eliminating manual, low-value work, thereby freeing up time for strategic initiatives such as talent development, employee engagement, and complex problem-solving. It enhances efficiency, reduces human error, and accelerates response times, ultimately leading to a more productive and strategically aligned HR function. Effective automation strategies allow HR teams to focus on the human aspects of their role, improving the overall employee and candidate experience.

Hyper-automation

Hyper-automation represents the next evolution of automation, focusing on orchestrating multiple advanced technologies—such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Intelligent Business Process Management Suites (iBPMS), and process mining—to automate as many business and IT processes as possible. In HR, hyper-automation extends beyond individual task automation to create end-to-end automated workflows that span across various systems and departments. For instance, it could involve automating the entire onboarding journey from offer acceptance to first-day readiness, integrating background checks, payroll setup, IT provisioning, and training assignments. This holistic approach ensures seamless, data-driven operations, allowing HR leaders to gain deeper insights into their processes, identify bottlenecks, and continuously optimize for efficiency and compliance, transforming the entire operational fabric of the HR department.

Workflow Automation

Workflow automation involves designing and implementing systems that automatically execute a series of tasks or actions based on predefined rules and triggers, moving work through different stages without manual intervention. In HR, this translates to streamlining common processes like leave requests, performance review approvals, new hire requisitions, or employee offboarding procedures. By mapping out a workflow and automating each step, organizations can ensure consistency, reduce processing times, minimize errors, and improve accountability. For HR professionals, workflow automation is crucial for creating predictable and efficient operational rhythms, enhancing transparency, and ensuring compliance across various HR functions. It significantly reduces the administrative burden, allowing HR teams to manage employee lifecycles with greater agility and less manual oversight, making processes more reliable and faster.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) refers to the use of software robots (“bots”) to mimic human interactions with digital systems and software to execute repetitive, rule-based tasks. Unlike traditional automation, RPA bots operate at the user interface level, much like a human, interacting with existing applications without requiring complex API integrations or changes to underlying systems. In HR, RPA can be deployed for tasks such as data entry into HRIS from various sources, screening resumes based on specific keywords, generating routine reports, or managing mass email campaigns for recruiting. This technology is particularly valuable for automating tasks that are high-volume, time-consuming, and prone to human error, allowing HR teams to offload mundane administrative duties. RPA empowers HR professionals to achieve significant operational efficiencies quickly, without extensive IT development, thereby accelerating daily operations and improving data accuracy.

Business Process Management (BPM)

Business Process Management (BPM) is a systematic approach to improving an organization’s business processes. It involves identifying, analyzing, designing, implementing, monitoring, and optimizing business processes to achieve specific organizational goals. In the HR context, BPM focuses on refining processes like recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and compensation. It goes beyond simply automating tasks by seeking to understand the entire lifecycle of a process, identifying inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement before any automation is applied. For HR leaders, BPM provides a framework for continuous improvement, ensuring that HR processes are not only efficient but also aligned with strategic business objectives and regulatory requirements. It helps to create standardized, transparent, and adaptable HR operations, fostering greater agility and responsiveness to changing business needs and employee demands.

Intelligent Automation (IA)

Intelligent Automation (IA) is an umbrella term that combines Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. This integration allows automation to move beyond repetitive, rule-based tasks to handle more complex, cognitive activities that typically require human judgment. In HR, IA can be used for advanced resume parsing and screening, extracting key information from unstructured data in applications, analyzing candidate sentiment from interviews, or predicting employee turnover based on various data points. For recruiting and HR professionals, IA offers a transformative capability to process vast amounts of data, make more informed decisions, and personalize experiences at scale. It significantly enhances the analytical power of HR, enabling predictive insights and adaptive automation that can proactively address talent needs and optimize the employee lifecycle, moving HR closer to a strategic business partner role.

Low-code/No-code Development

Low-code/no-code development platforms allow users to create applications and automate processes with minimal to no traditional coding. Low-code platforms use visual interfaces with pre-built modules and drag-and-drop functionality, while no-code platforms are entirely visual, requiring no coding whatsoever. In HR, these platforms empower professionals, often referred to as “citizen developers,” to build custom applications or integrate systems without relying heavily on IT departments. This could include developing a custom employee survey tool, a simplified internal job application portal, or an automated onboarding checklist system. The benefits for HR and recruiting are immense: faster development cycles, increased agility in responding to business needs, and reduced costs associated with professional development. It democratizes the creation of digital solutions, allowing HR teams to rapidly prototype and deploy tools that perfectly fit their unique operational requirements, fostering innovation from within.

API Integration

API Integration involves connecting different software applications and systems through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling them to communicate and exchange data seamlessly. In HR, API integrations are fundamental to creating a unified and efficient technology ecosystem. This means connecting an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) with an HRIS, payroll software, background check services, or learning management systems. For HR and recruiting professionals, robust API integration eliminates data silos, reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and ensures that information is consistent and up-to-date across all platforms. This connectivity is crucial for automating complex workflows, such as automatically transferring candidate data from an ATS to an HRIS upon hire, or syncing employee data for benefits enrollment. By facilitating smooth data flow, API integrations empower HR teams to leverage their tech stack more effectively, improving data accuracy and enhancing the overall employee experience from recruitment to retirement.

Workflow Orchestration

Workflow orchestration refers to the coordinated and automated management of complex business processes that involve multiple systems, applications, and human tasks. Unlike simple workflow automation that streamlines sequential steps, orchestration focuses on the end-to-end coordination of interdependent processes, ensuring that each component executes at the right time and in the correct sequence. In HR, this could involve orchestrating the entire employee lifecycle, from candidate sourcing and interviewing across various platforms, to offer generation, background checks, HRIS updates, IT provisioning, and onboarding training. For HR and recruiting leaders, workflow orchestration provides a holistic view and control over intricate processes, ensuring seamless transitions, reducing delays, and improving overall efficiency. It’s about creating a harmonious flow across disparate systems and teams, leading to a highly optimized, resilient, and adaptive operational environment that supports strategic HR objectives.

Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation in HR refers to the strategic adoption of digital technology to fundamentally change how HR functions operate, deliver value, and interact with employees and candidates. It’s not just about implementing new software but about re-imagining processes, culture, and business models. For HR and recruiting professionals, this means moving beyond traditional administrative tasks to leverage data analytics, AI, and automation to create a more engaging, personalized, and efficient employee experience. Examples include implementing cloud-based HRIS, deploying AI-powered recruitment tools, enhancing internal communications through digital platforms, and establishing data-driven decision-making. The goal is to build a more agile, resilient, and future-ready HR department that can effectively attract, retain, and develop talent, ultimately contributing to the organization’s broader strategic goals. Digital transformation requires a shift in mindset, continuous learning, and a willingness to embrace innovation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in HR involves using intelligent machines and algorithms that can learn, reason, and make decisions, often mimicking human cognitive functions. In recruitment, AI tools can automate resume screening, provide predictive analytics on candidate success, power chatbots for candidate communication, and even assist in identifying potential bias in job descriptions. For HR operations, AI can personalize learning experiences, analyze employee sentiment, predict attrition risks, and optimize workforce planning. For HR and recruiting professionals, AI offers unparalleled capabilities to process vast amounts of data, uncover insights, and automate complex decision-making processes, shifting the focus from transactional to strategic. By harnessing AI, HR departments can enhance efficiency, improve the quality of hires, elevate the employee experience, and provide data-backed recommendations that directly impact business outcomes, allowing for more proactive and data-driven talent management.

Recruitment Automation

Recruitment automation refers to the use of technology to streamline and automate various stages of the hiring process. This includes tasks such as automatically parsing resumes, scheduling interviews, sending personalized candidate communications, managing offer letters, and conducting background checks. By automating these repetitive and administrative elements, recruiting teams can significantly reduce their time-to-hire, minimize human error, and improve the candidate experience. For recruiting professionals, automation frees up valuable time spent on manual coordination, allowing them to focus more on strategic activities like candidate engagement, relationship building, and high-value decision-making. It ensures consistency in communication, speeds up the overall recruitment cycle, and allows for greater scalability, enabling organizations to attract and secure top talent more efficiently and effectively in competitive markets.

Onboarding Automation

Onboarding automation involves leveraging technology to streamline and standardize the entire process of integrating new hires into an organization. This encompasses everything from pre-boarding communications and paperwork (e.g., tax forms, I-9 verification) to IT provisioning, benefits enrollment, goal setting, and initial training assignments. By automating these steps, HR teams ensure a consistent, efficient, and positive experience for every new employee, reducing the administrative burden on both HR staff and hiring managers. For HR professionals, onboarding automation minimizes manual data entry, reduces the risk of compliance errors, and ensures that new hires receive all necessary information and resources promptly. A well-automated onboarding process leads to higher new hire satisfaction, faster time-to-productivity, and improved retention rates, laying a strong foundation for long-term employee engagement and success within the company.

HRIS (Human Resources Information System)

An HRIS (Human Resources Information System) is a comprehensive software solution that integrates various HR functions into a single system, helping organizations manage their human resources more efficiently. It typically includes modules for employee data management, payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, talent management, and reporting. For HR and recruiting professionals, an HRIS acts as the central repository for all employee-related data, providing a “single source of truth.” It automates administrative tasks, ensures data accuracy, simplifies compliance reporting, and provides robust analytics for workforce planning and decision-making. By consolidating data and automating processes, an HRIS reduces manual workload, enhances operational efficiency, and allows HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than transactional duties, ultimately improving the overall management of human capital and supporting organizational growth.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a software application designed to help recruiters and employers manage the entire recruitment and hiring process. From job posting and applicant sourcing to screening, interviewing, and offer management, an ATS streamlines every stage of the candidate journey. For recruiting professionals, an ATS is indispensable for organizing large volumes of applications, efficiently searching for qualified candidates based on keywords and criteria, scheduling interviews, and communicating with candidates in a structured manner. It automates repetitive tasks like resume parsing and initial screening, ensuring that no qualified candidate is overlooked and that the hiring process is consistent and compliant. An effective ATS significantly reduces the administrative burden on recruiters, shortens the time-to-hire, and enhances collaboration among hiring teams, enabling organizations to attract, evaluate, and hire the best talent more effectively and at scale.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Make.com API Integrations: Unleashing Hyper-Automation for Strategic HR & Recruiting