A Glossary of Key Terms in Workflow Automation Fundamentals
In today’s fast-paced HR and recruiting landscape, understanding the language of workflow automation is no longer optional—it’s essential for driving efficiency, enhancing candidate experience, and optimizing talent acquisition. This glossary provides a foundational understanding of key terms that empower HR and recruiting professionals to leverage low-code automation and AI for transformative operational improvements. Familiarize yourself with these concepts to navigate your journey toward a more automated, strategic, and impactful HR function.
Workflow Automation
Workflow automation refers to the design and implementation of technology-driven systems that execute predefined tasks and processes with minimal human intervention. For HR and recruiting, this means automating routine activities such as candidate screening, interview scheduling, offer letter generation, and onboarding paperwork. The primary goal is to eliminate manual effort, reduce human error, accelerate process completion, and free up valuable HR resources to focus on strategic initiatives like talent development and employee engagement. By automating repetitive tasks, HR teams can achieve significant gains in productivity and accuracy, ensuring a consistent and positive experience for candidates and employees alike.
Trigger
A trigger is the initiating event that starts an automated workflow. In the context of HR automation, a trigger could be something as simple as a new resume being uploaded to an applicant tracking system (ATS), a candidate completing a pre-screening questionnaire, a hiring manager approving a job requisition, or an employee’s hire date approaching. Triggers are the “if this happens” part of an “if this, then that” automation rule, acting as the signal that tells the system it’s time to perform a series of subsequent actions. Identifying and setting up precise triggers is crucial for ensuring automations run exactly when and how they are needed, preventing delays and manual oversight.
Action
An action is a specific task or operation performed by an automated system in response to a trigger. Following a trigger, one or more actions are executed sequentially or conditionally within a workflow. For instance, if the trigger is “new candidate resume uploaded,” an action might be “send an automated acknowledgment email,” “parse resume data into a CRM,” “create a new record in the HRIS,” or “schedule a preliminary video interview.” Actions are the building blocks of any automation, defining what the system actually does to advance a process. Strategic design of actions ensures each step contributes meaningfully to the overall workflow objective, from candidate engagement to employee onboarding.
Module
In the realm of automation platforms like Make.com, a module represents a specific operation or function performed by a connected application. Each application (e.g., Gmail, Slack, Workday, LinkedIn Recruiter) will have various modules that allow an automation to interact with its features. For example, a Gmail module might have actions like “Send an email” or “Watch for new emails,” while a Workday module might have actions like “Create new employee record” or “Update candidate status.” Modules act as connectors and functional units, enabling communication and data exchange between different software systems within a single workflow. Understanding available modules is key to designing comprehensive and robust HR automations.
Scenario
A scenario, often used interchangeably with “workflow” or “integration” in platforms like Make.com, describes the entire automated sequence from trigger to the final action. It’s the complete blueprint of how different modules and operations connect to achieve a specific business outcome. For an HR professional, a scenario might be “Automated New Hire Onboarding,” which encompasses triggers like “offer accepted,” followed by actions such as “create employee profile in HRIS,” “send welcome email,” “provision access to internal tools,” and “notify IT department.” Scenarios are the practical application of automation concepts, orchestrating multiple steps across various applications to streamline complex processes.
Integration
Integration refers to the seamless connection and communication between two or more disparate software applications or systems. In HR and recruiting, integration is vital for creating a unified view of data and streamlining cross-platform processes. Examples include integrating an ATS with a CRM, an HRIS with a payroll system, or a hiring platform with communication tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams. Effective integrations eliminate data silos, reduce manual data entry, and ensure information flows freely and accurately across the entire HR tech stack. This interconnectedness allows for truly end-to-end automation, from initial candidate outreach to employee lifecycle management.
Webhook
A webhook is an automated message sent from one application to another when a specific event occurs. Unlike traditional APIs that require constant polling, webhooks deliver real-time data to a specified URL, acting as a “reverse API.” For HR automation, a webhook could be triggered when a form is submitted on a careers page, a payment is made for a background check service, or a change occurs in a candidate’s status within an ATS. Webhooks are powerful for initiating immediate actions based on external events, providing a highly efficient and timely way to kick off complex automated workflows without delay, ensuring HR processes are always current and responsive.
API (Application Programming Interface)
An API is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. It defines the methods and data formats applications can use to request and exchange information. While webhooks are about one-way notifications, APIs enable two-way communication, allowing applications to “talk” to each other, retrieve data, or instruct another application to perform a task. In HR, APIs are the backbone of most integrations, allowing systems like HRIS, ATS, and payroll to exchange candidate and employee data, update records, and trigger processes seamlessly and securely, forming the foundation for interconnected automation.
Low-Code Automation
Low-code automation refers to the use of visual interfaces and drag-and-drop tools to build and deploy applications and automated workflows with minimal manual coding. This approach empowers HR professionals, who may not have extensive programming skills, to design and implement sophisticated automations themselves or with minimal technical support. For recruiting and HR operations, low-code platforms significantly accelerate the development of solutions for interview scheduling, candidate communication, data synchronization, and reporting. It democratizes automation, enabling faster problem-solving and greater agility in responding to evolving business needs without relying heavily on IT departments.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) involves using software robots (“bots”) to mimic human interactions with digital systems and applications. RPA bots are designed to perform repetitive, rules-based tasks by interacting with user interfaces, just like a human would—clicking, typing, and navigating applications. In HR, RPA can be used for tasks like data migration between legacy systems, bulk data entry into spreadsheets, parsing information from unstructured documents (e.g., scanned resumes), or extracting data for compliance reporting. While distinct from workflow automation (which focuses on system-to-system integration), RPA complements it by automating tasks within applications that may lack robust APIs.
Data Mapping
Data mapping is the process of matching data fields from one system to corresponding fields in another system to ensure accurate and consistent data transfer during integration or automation. For HR professionals, this is critical when moving candidate data from an ATS to an HRIS, or employee information from a payroll system to a benefits administration platform. Incorrect data mapping can lead to errors, duplicate entries, and compliance issues. Meticulous data mapping ensures that information like “Candidate Name” in one system correctly populates “Employee First Name” and “Employee Last Name” in another, maintaining data integrity across the entire HR ecosystem.
Error Handling
Error handling is the process of anticipating, detecting, and responding to errors or exceptions that may occur during an automated workflow. A robust automation system incorporates mechanisms to identify when a task fails (e.g., an email address is invalid, a system is down, or required data is missing) and then execute predefined actions to address the issue. For HR automation, this might involve sending an alert to an administrator, retrying a failed action, or logging the error for later review. Effective error handling prevents workflow breakdowns, ensures data accuracy, and minimizes disruptions, making automations reliable and trustworthy for critical HR processes.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
SaaS is a software distribution model where a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the internet. Instead of installing and maintaining software, users access it via a web browser. Most modern HR and recruiting tools—such as ATS, HRIS, payroll, and performance management systems—are SaaS solutions. This model offers scalability, accessibility, and reduces the IT burden on organizations. Automation platforms thrive on connecting these various SaaS applications, enabling HR teams to build integrated workflows across their entire suite of cloud-based tools without managing underlying infrastructure.
CRM Integration (Customer Relationship Management)
While typically associated with sales and marketing, CRM systems, or specialized talent CRMs, are increasingly vital in recruiting for managing candidate relationships. CRM integration in an HR context involves connecting the CRM with other systems like ATS, email platforms, and calendars to track candidate interactions, automate outreach, and nurture talent pipelines. This integration ensures that every touchpoint with a candidate is recorded and consistent, from initial contact to offer acceptance. For HR and recruiting professionals, CRM integration means a more personalized candidate experience, better talent pipeline management, and a holistic view of prospect engagement, leading to more efficient hiring.
HRIS (Human Resources Information System)
An HRIS is a comprehensive system that integrates a number of human resources functions, including employee data management, payroll, benefits administration, time and attendance, and sometimes talent management. It serves as a central repository for all employee-related information. Automating processes with an HRIS can involve automatically updating employee records upon hire or promotion, syncing leave requests, or pushing data for payroll processing. Integrating an HRIS with other systems like ATS and onboarding platforms ensures a single source of truth for employee data, reduces manual data entry, and enhances the overall efficiency and accuracy of HR operations throughout the employee lifecycle.
Talent Acquisition Automation
Talent acquisition automation refers to the use of technology to streamline and optimize various stages of the recruiting process, from sourcing and screening to interviewing and offering. This includes automating tasks such as job posting distribution, resume parsing, candidate communication, interview scheduling, background check initiation, and offer letter generation. The goal is to reduce time-to-hire, improve candidate experience, minimize administrative burden on recruiters, and ensure a more consistent and compliant hiring process. By automating these elements, recruiting teams can focus more on strategic candidate engagement and less on repetitive manual tasks, leading to higher quality hires.
If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Zero-Loss HR Automation Migration: Zapier to Make.com Masterclass
