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Nextal Help

Application workflows

Where to find it
Configuration → ATS settings → Application → Workflows tab
Who can use it
Administrators with settings access
Direct URL
https://admin.nextal.com/conf/admin/settings/ats/jobApplicationSettings/workflows

A workflow is the sequence of steps an application goes through, from the moment a candidate enters the pipeline until they are hired, denied or withdraw. Your account can have several workflows; each workflow is an ordered list of steps, and each step is a column of the ATS Kanban board.

The Workflows tab. Pick a workflow on the left; its steps appear on the right, in the order of the Kanban columns.

Workflows

The list on the left (Workflows) shows each workflow with its number of steps. A workflow that is inactive, or has no step, is not offered in the ATS (the list flags it “invisible in the ATS”).

  • New workflow — click New: enter the name (FR / EN / ES pills for your account’s languages), then Save.
  • Rename — the Rename button above the workflow’s steps.
  • Default — only one workflow can be the default. It is offered first when a job is created; marking another workflow as “Default” removes it from the previous one.
  • Active — turns the workflow off without deleting it.

Steps

Pick a workflow: its steps appear on the right. Each step has:

  • Label — the column title (a language left empty takes the label typed in the other one on save).
  • Step type — picked from tiles: New application, Screening, Interview, Questionnaire, Email, SMS, Offer, Hired, Denied, Declined.
  • Column colour — six colours.
  • Active — an inactive step no longer appears in new jobs.

Depending on the type, a sub-option appears:

TypeSub-option
InterviewInterview type: Phone, Video conference or In person
QuestionnaireThe questionnaire for candidates to send
EmailThe active email template for candidates
SMSThe active SMS template for candidates
Denied / DeclinedA reminder “Reason asked (job setting)”: the reason is asked according to the job automation settings

For an Email, SMS or Questionnaire type, the step list shows the chosen template. In the panel, Open the template opens it in Templates and Create one creates a new one; if there is no active template, the panel invites you to create one.

Add a step

  1. Go to Configuration → ATS settings → Application and open the Workflows tab.
  2. Select the workflow on the left.
  3. Click Add a step: the side panel opens.
  4. Pick the Step type (tiles) and its sub-option, the Colour, and enter the Label.
  5. Click Save.

Reorder, edit, delete

  • Reorder — drag a step’s ⠿ handle (with the keyboard: Tab to the handle, Space, arrow keys, Space). The order is saved as soon as you release it and sets the Kanban column order for jobs created afterwards.
  • Edit — click a row (or ⋯ → Edit): Save applies, Cancel discards. Only the row’s Active switch and the ⠿ handle act immediately.
  • Delete — Delete the step, bottom-left of the panel, after a confirmation. Existing jobs keep their own copy of the steps.

Tips

  • Design the workflow before launch. Restructuring a workflow mid-campaign leaves gaps in time-per-step reports.
  • Name steps with verbs or nouns, not adjectives. “Phone screen” or “Technical interview” reads better on a Kanban than “Screened”.
  • Include terminal steps. Keep “Hired”, “Denied” and “Declined” so applications do not linger in an in-progress state.
  • Use Email and SMS steps to automate notifications. Linking a template to a step sends the message when a card enters that column.
  • Keep only the steps you really use. Every extra column adds noise.