Configuring Business Rules for the Offer Process

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to create business rules to streamline the offer process.

Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Offer Management

Business rules in SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting significantly streamline and control the offer process. They automate the population of offer details, validate data entered in offer templates, and enhance overall efficiency. This automation reduces manual errors, ensures consistency across all offers, and enables dynamic customization based on factors like job level, location, or candidate type. Ultimately, business rules improve the accuracy and governance of offer management, making it faster and more reliable for recruiters and hiring teams.

Business Rule Scenarios for the Offer Process

Several scenarios are available when configuring business rules for the offer process in SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting:

Configure Business Rules on Offer Details: This scenario allows you to create rules that populate fields within the offer details template or perform calculations for compensation-related fields. For example, you could automatically calculate total compensation based on salary, bonus, and benefits.

Configure Rules to Pre-select Offer Letter Templates: This scenario enables you to create a rule that pre-selects the appropriate offer letter template based on specific criteria. While this rule pre-selects the offer letter template, the user can always change the selection if a different template is required. This ensures consistency while allowing for flexibility.

Configure Business Rules to Add Conditional Sections in Offer Letters: This scenario supports the Dynamic Offer feature, allowing you to include or exclude sections of the offer letter based on specific conditions. This allows for highly personalized offer letters without manual intervention. For more details on the Dynamic Offer feature, consult the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting Academy Learning Room.

Job Application Scenario: Business rules can also be created using the Job Application scenario. This allows you to trigger actions based on the status of a job application. The following rules can be created against the Job Application object:

  • Moving candidate applications after an offer approval is completed.
  • Moving candidate applications after an online offer is accepted.
  • Pre-selecting the Offer Details template.
The image shows the SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting configuration screen with options to set business rules, where the Configure Rule to Pre-select Offer Letter Templates is selected. The right side displays a form to enter rule details such as name, ID, start date, description, and job requisition template.

Business Rule Purpose (Triggers)

When creating a business rule within the Offer Details scenario, you must select a Purpose (or trigger) that defines when the rule executes.

There are three available triggers for business rules for the Offer Details:

Available Purpose (Triggers) for Business Rules for Offer Details:

Business Rule PurposeUse this event to:Assign the rule event to:
Initialize Business RulesCreate a rule that will trigger as soon as the user creates the Offer Details form.Offer Details→Template-level→Initialize
Field Change Business RulesTrigger rules as soon as the user makes a change to a field in the Offer Details form.

Note

Field Change rules are the only type that can be used to raise messages based on the data entered by the user.
Offer Details→Field Change, then select the field that should trigger the business rule when the value of the field changes.
Save Business RulesTrigger rules as soon as the user saves the Offer Details form.Offer Details→Template-level→Save

Within this lesson, you will learn how to configure various business rules that support the offer process. Using these business rules can help fill procedural gaps and help to streamline offer-related processes that would otherwise require manual effort from the recruiting users.

Create Business Rule: Default Offer Accepted Date for Time to Hire/Fill

A simple, but popular business rule related to the offer process is the automatic creation of an offer acceptance date. While an offer acceptance date is shown in the candidate’s application once they’ve accepted their online offer, this field is not easily reportable or accessible as a token in any letter or email templates.

In this scenario, you will configure a custom Offer Acceptance Date field for the application. Then, using business rules, you will automatically capture the online offer acceptance data to populate this field.

Steps

  1. Using the code below, add the following field to the Job Application template and permission as needed.

    Code Snippet
    12345
    <field-definition id="availability" type="date" required="false" custom ="true" public="false" readOnly="false" anonymize="false" forward-intact="false" sensitive="false">  
<field-label mime-type="text-plain" lang="en_US"><![CDATA[Offer Accepted Date]]></field-label>
<field-description><![CDATA[Offer Accepted Date]]></field-description>
<field-description lang="en_US"><![CDATA[Offer Accepted Date]]></field-description>
</field-definition>

  2. This rule will use the Job Application Template-level rule scenario of Candidate Decision on Offer Letter. If you are already using a business rule to move the candidate’s application when the candidate accepts the online offer, you will want to modify your existing rule to add theTHEN expression listed in step E (below). If you have not configured a business rule for this trigger, proceed as follows:

    1. Navigate to Configure Business Rule.

    2. Create a new rule by selecting the + icon.

    3. Select Recruiting→Configure Business Rules on Job Application and enter the following information:

      • Rule Name:REC_Offer_OfferAcceptanceDate.
      • Rule ID: (System Populated).
      • Rule Start Date:01/01/1900.
      • Rule Description: (Optional) Auto-creates offer acceptance date to be used as token or for reporting.
      • Job Requisition template: (Select the appropriate template.)

  3. Select Continue.

  4. Complete the following for the IF expression:

    1. Within the Job Application, select Status as the left expression.

    2. Keep the operator as is equal to.

    3. For value, select the appropriate Talent Pipeline status where the online offer is extended to the candidate. In this example, the status Offer Extended is used.

    4. Use the eye icon to add a new expression.

    5. Use the option of AND to check multiple variables.

    6. In the second IF expression, expand the Offer Letter section, and select Status.

    7. Keep the operator as is equal to.

    8. For value, select Accepted.

  5. Complete the following for the THEN expression:

    1. Use Set as the output type.

    2. Within the Application template, select the custom Offer Acceptance Date field created in the previous step.

    3. Keep the operator as is equal to.

    4. Select Today() as the final output.

    5. Select Save.

    Screen shows a business rule titled OnlineOfferAccepted. The rule defines that IF the Job Application Template.Status is Offer Extended AND the Job Application Template.Offer Letter Status is Accepted, THEN set the Job Application Template.Status to Offer Accepted and set the Job Application Template.Offer Accepted Date to the current date (Today).

  6. Navigate to Manage Rules in Recruiting.

  7. Select the Job Application tab.

  8. Select the Job Requisition template that you have created the rule against.

  9. Add the rule under Rule for Candidate Decisions on Offer Letter.

Result

Screenshot of SAP SuccessFactors showing the Manage Rules in Recruiting page, where administrators assign, edit, and manage job application rules, templates, and field change rules for recruiting processes.

Create Business Rule: Enforce Compliance with Salary Bands

Another simple yet effective business rule created against the offer process is a business rule that alerts the recruiting user if a salary entered in the Offer Details form exceeds the maximum salary approved in the job requisition.

Example Rule:

  • IF Base Salary (in Offer Details) > Maximum Salary (in Job Requisition).
  • Then Raise Error Message (to the recruiting user in the Offer Details): Salary exceeds the maximum salary approved in the job requisition.

Steps

  1. Create a Message Definition to inform users of salary violations.

    1. Navigate to Manage Data and select Create→Message Definition.

    2. Enter the following:

      • Text:The amount you have entered exceeds the maximum salary approved in the job requisition.
      • External Code:[Enter a unique code]
      • Name:[Enter a descriptive name, for example] Salary Exceeds Maximum

    3. Save your changes.

    Screen shows the Message Definition configuration interface, including text of the message, external code, name and status of the message definition.

  2. Create the Business Rule.

    1. Navigate to Configure Business Rules.

    2. Create a new rule by selecting the + icon.

    3. Select the Recruiting category, then select the Configure Business Rules on Offer Details scenario. 

    4. Enter the following:

      • Rule Name:REC_Offer_SalaryExceedsMaximum
      • Rule ID: (System-populated)
      • Rule Start Date:01/01/1900
      • Rule Description: (Optional) Warns user when a base salary exceeds the maximum salary in the job requisition.
      • Purpose: (Select when the rule should be triggered.)

    5. Offer Details template: (Select the appropriate template.)

    6. Select Continue.

  3. Define the IF Statement.

    1. Select Offer Details→Base Salary as the left expression.

    2. Change the operator from = to >.

    3. Select Job Requisition→Maximum Salary as the right expression.

  4. Define the THEN Statement.

    • Select Raise Message as the output type.
    • Choose the message definition you created in Step 1.
    • Set the Severity to Info or Warning.

  5. Select Save.

  6. Navigate to Manage Rules in Recruiting to activate your business rule.

  7. Select the Offer Details tab.

  8. Under the Field Change section, select your Base Salary field in the Offer Details.

  9. Apply the rule you created.

Result

Screen shows the configuration of a business rule, showing an If condition where Offer Detail Template.Offered Annual Base Salary is greater than Offer Detail Template.Job Requisition (All).Salary Max, followed by a Then action to Raise Message with the text Offer Salary Exceeds Maximum and a Warning severity.

Create Business Rule: Select Offer Letter Templates Automatically

This business rule selects the appropriate offer letter template based on custom variables, such as the job's country and level. For example, a US-based executive position would use a different template than a UK-based entry-level position.

Steps

  1. Create the Business Rule.

    1. Navigate to Configure Business Rules.

    2. Create a new rule by selecting the + icon.

    3. Select Recruiting→Rule to Preselect Offer Letter Template Scenario.

    4. Enter the following information:

      • Rule Name:REC_Offer_OfferTemplate
      • Rule ID: (System generated)
      • Rule Start Date: 01/01/1900
      • Rule Description: (Optional) Preselects Offer Letter template for the recruiting user.
      • Job Requisition template: Select the appropriate Job Requisition template you would like to apply this business rule to. This would mean that whenever an offer letter is created for a candidate who applies to a job requisition created against the Corporate Job Requisition template. This rule would control which Offer Letter template is selected.

  2. Create the IF/THEN Statements to match the requirements of your Offer Letter template. For example:

    • IF: Job Requisition.Country of Job equals United States AND Job Requisition.Job Level equals Executive Vice President
    • THEN: Set Job Application Template.Offer Letter Template.Template Name to Offer – Executive, USA
    • THEN: Set Job Application Template.Offer Letter Template.Language to English

  3. Save the rule.

  4. Navigate to Manage Rules in Recruiting to activate your rule.

  5. Select the Job Application template.

  6. Select the Job Requisition template you created your rule against and scroll to find the Template Level Rules for Save.

  7. Find the section to Rule for Offer Letter Template Selection and select your rule.

  8. Save changes.

Result

Screen shows the configuration of a business rule. The rule states: If the Country of Job is United States (US) AND the Job Level is Executive Vice President (EVP), Then Set the Offer Letter Template Name to Offer-Executive, USA (533) AND Set the Offer Letter Template Language to English US. The interface includes dropdowns for selecting fields and values, with options to add Else If and Else conditions.

Summary

  • Business rules automate and control the offer process in SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting.
  • Several scenarios exist for configuring business rules, including Offer Details, Offer Letter Templates, and Job Applications.
  • Business rules use triggers (Initialize, Field Change, Save) to define when they execute.
  • Creating and activating business rules requires navigating through specific configuration screens within SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting.

Learning

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