How to Build No Code Workflows to Automate HR Process

Illustration photo for Human Resource Workflows

The Human Resource (HR) department of any organization has many crucial and repetitive tasks to handle every day, such as recruiting candidates, onboarding new employees, maintaining employee records, managing leaves, tracking performance, and more.

Automating routine tasks of HR can save up significant time, enhance the team's productivity, and improve employee satisfaction. That's where no code workflow automation steps in.

There are now many platforms that provide visual builders to build automated processes for HR without writing a single line of code. For example, when an employee asks for leave, the system can automatically check their leave balance, route the request to the manager, update records, and notify the employee.

In this guide, we will uncover all about how to build no code workflows to automate HR process, starting with clarifying the basics and importance and then presenting the detailed steps.

What Is a No Code HR Workflow?

A no code HR workflow is a sequence of automated tasks designed to handle various HR functions without the need for traditional programming. It provides a visual drag-and-drop interface to map out processes, set triggers, and define actions to manage routine tasks, such as employee onboarding, leave management, performance reviews, and offboarding.

To better understand, consider an example of an employee onboarding workflow. For example, when a candidate accepts an offer, the workflow can automatically send a welcome email, schedule orientation sessions, and update the HR database. The entire process is executed autonomously without any human intervention.

Simply put, no code workflows bring consistency to HR activities, automate repetitive tasks, and empower HR professionals to handle more tactical tasks. Today, 25% of organizations are using HR automation, mainly for recruitment and hiring, while 69% of HR professionals report that automation drastically decreased time spent on the onboarding process.

Importance/Benefits of HR Workflow Automation

According to statistics, automation reduces over 90% of manual errors, improves efficiency by 40-60%, and delivers ROI in under 12 months.

With automated HR workflows, organizations can attain a diverse range of benefits as follows:

1. Improved Efficiency and Productivity

Automated HR workflows save significant time spent in executing repetitive tasks. This helps HR professionals to spend less time on administrative work and focus more on uplifting talent and improving operational efficiency.

2. Enhanced Employee Experience

Employees today need faster response to their requests with more support for self-service options. Automated HR workflows can provide enhanced experience for employees with automated and personalized communication and faster response to their requests.

3. Reduce Errors

Repetitive manual tasks are prone to errors. For example, an HR professional may unintentionally make a typing error when entering the details of a new employee. Automated HR workflows can automate data entry and routine tasks, which leads to fewer mistakes in record and payroll management.

4. Cost Savings and Scalability

Building no code workflows for HR processes requires lower upfront costs and provides quicker ROI. According to 57% of IT leaders, automation technology helps save 10-50% of the costs associated with manual processing. In addition, it makes it easier to scale HR operations as the business grows.

5. Increased Transparency and Drive Innovation

Automated HR workflows also offer built-in dashboards and reporting features. These help track performance metrics and identify improvement areas. Moreover, HR professionals become more available to think strategically in improving HR processes and driving innovation.

How to Create a No Code HR Workflow?

There is no rocket-science to create no-code automated HR workflows. All it requires is choosing the right platform and designing accurate workflows with right triggers and actions.

Follow the below step-by-step process to create a no code HR workflow:

Step 1: Set Your HR Automation Goals

Begin by defining what you want to achieve with your automation. You can have HR automation for:

Employee onboarding
Reduce turnaround time for leave approvals
Automate performance reviews
Streamline offboarding
And any more.

Set clear objectives to design accurate workflows and easily measure success. For example, you might set a goal to reduce onboarding time by 30% or decrease manual data entry errors by 50%

Step 2: Pick the Right No Code Automation Tool

The next and crucial step is to choose the right no code automation tool. Look for a no code platform that offers an intuitive drag and drop interface, seamless integrations with your existing HR systems, and robust reporting capabilities. You can evaluate free trials or demos to determine which platform is the best fit for your team.

Step 3: Map Out Your HR Processes

Once your goals and tools are in place, document your current HR processes. Identify each step in a process, such as employee onboarding—from sending an offer letter to finalizing benefits enrollment. Afterward, design your automated workflow by outlining:

Triggers: What events will start the workflow, such as candidate offer acceptance, leave request submission, etc?
Actions: What tasks should the system perform automatically, such as send a welcome email, update records, schedule meetings, etc.
Conditions: What criteria must be met for actions to be executed, such as only approving leave if the balance is sufficient?

Use the visual drag-and-drop builder to align all the triggers, actions, and conditions to create a clear, step-by-step process.

Step 4: Create Personalized HR Content

Next, develop templates for emails, notifications, and document prompts that will be automatically sent at different stages of the workflow. For example, customize the onboarding email series to include company history, team introductions, and training schedules.

Step 5: Test, Launch, and Optimize

Lastly, you must conduct thorough testing before launching the workflow. You can use the built-in debugging features to test out each trigger and action. Once satisfied, you can launch the workflows and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as time savings, error reduction, and employee feedback. Afterward, the team can regularly review and refine the workflow to address any bottlenecks or emerging challenges.

Top 4 Examples of HR Workflow Automation

No code workflow automation tools are capable of automating almost all HR processes. Let's list out the four most common examples of HR workflow automation:

1. Recruitment Automation Workflow

This workflow triggers when a new job opening is posted. It collects the applications and automatically filters resumes based on predefined criteria. For the shortlisted candidates, it schedules interviews and sends follow-up notifications.

2. Employee Onboarding Workflow

This workflow triggers after a candidate has accepted the job offer. It automatically sends a welcome email, creates an employee record, schedules orientation sessions, and assigns necessary training modules.

3. Leave Management Workflow

This workflow triggers when an employee submits a leave request through a self-service portal. It automatically routes the request to the manager for approval, updates leave balances, and notifies the payroll system.

4. Offboarding Workflow

This workflow triggers when an employee is resigned or terminated. It initiates exit interviews, revokes system access, and collects company assets.

Best Practices for No Code HR Workflow Automation

Automating HR processes with no code workflows is a necessity rather than a choice for operational efficiency and cost-saving. Check out the below best practices to enhance your no-code HR workflow automation strategy:

Automate Gradually: Begin by automating one critical HR process, evaluating its success, and expanding automation gradually.
Prioritize Data Security: Ensure that the no code tool you choose complies with data protection regulations and securely handle sensitive employee data.
Integration: Choose platforms that integrate seamlessly with existing HR systems like payroll, benefits management, and communication tools.
Offer Self-Service Portals: Give employees access to self-service portals to let them manage their own HR tasks, such as updating personal information, requesting leave, etc.
Monitor and Improve Workflows: Monitor the performance of workflows and ensure regular improvements.

In short, it requires strategic planning, execution, and monitoring to deploy effective automated HR workflows.

Wrapping Up: Automate HR Processes & Boost Productivity and Satisfaction

No-code HR workflow automation is a handy way to use drag-and-drop visual tools to create automated HR processes without any technical knowledge. These workflows can increase operational efficiency, reduce errors, save costs, and improve employee experience. Therefore, it's time your organization also drives automation in its HR activities and streamlines key processes. Take the first steps and transform your HR operations from today.