Automating Job Requisitions with Business Rules

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to configure business rules to automate tasks and improve data accuracy within job requisitions.

Business Rules in SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting

SAP SuccessFactors Recruiting offers a powerful business rules engine that allows you to automate various aspects of the job requisition process. This automation significantly reduces manual effort, improves data consistency, and enhances the overall efficiency of your recruiting workflow.

Business rules are essentially conditional statements that automate actions based on specific criteria. In the context of job requisitions, these rules can automatically populate fields, validate data, and even trigger workflows. The benefits of utilizing business rules include:

Increased Efficiency: Automate repetitive tasks like defaulting field values, saving recruiters significant time.
Data Accuracy: Enforce data validation, minimizing errors and improving the quality of requisition data.
Compliance: Ensure all job requisitions adhere to company policies and legal requirements.
Customization: Tailor the recruiting process to your specific needs through custom rules.
Improved User Experience: Streamline the process, making it easier and faster for recruiters and hiring managers.

Note

The business rules engine uses the Metadata Framework, and requires role-based permissions for the Metadata Framework within Manage Permission Roles.

Business Rules for Job Requisitions Configuration

To set up a business rule for job requisitions, use the Configure Business Rule on Job Requisition scenario. This allows you to create a rule for either a single job requisition template or all templates.

When you create a rule for all job requisitions, it will only display fields that are configured on every template. If you need to create a rule for a field that is specific to one template, you should create the rule for that individual template.

Business Rule Purpose (Triggers) for Job Requisitions

When creating business rules for a job requisition, you will need to think of the Purpose (or trigger) for the rule. The Purpose defines when the rule will trigger. There are multiple trigger options to choose from including, when the job requisition is created, when a job field changes, or when the form is saved.

Screen shows the interface for configuring business rules, showing a navigation panel on the left with rule categories and a form on the right titled Configure Business Rules on Job Requisition containing fields for rule details (Rule name, Rule ID, Start Date, Description, Job Requisition Template, and Purpose).

There are three main Purpose types (triggers) for business rules in job requisitions:

Business Rule Triggers

Business Rule Triggers	Use this event to:	Assign the event rule to:
Initialize	Using Initialize rules allows you to create a rule that will trigger as soon as the user creates the job requisition form. For job requisitions, the Initialize trigger is executed only on the Requisition – Short Req page, and the following fields can be set to default values on the Requisition – Short Req page: Internal Job Title Due Date Operators (Hiring Manager Name, Recruiter Name, and so on) that are available on the page Note It is not possible to raise messages or post requisitions with OnInit rules.	Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Template-level→Initialize.
Field Change	Using Field Change rules allows you to trigger rules as soon as the user makes a change to a field in the job requisition form. Note Field Change rules are the only type that can be used to raise messages based on the data entered by the user.	Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Field Change→Select the field that should trigger the business rule when the value of the field changes.
Save	Using Save rules allows you to trigger rules as soon as the user saves the job requisition form.	Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Template-level→Save.

Use this event to:

Assign the event rule to:

Initialize

Using Initialize rules allows you to create a rule that will trigger as soon as the user creates the job requisition form.

For job requisitions, the Initialize trigger is executed only on the Requisition – Short Req page, and the following fields can be set to default values on the Requisition – Short Req page:

Internal Job Title
Due Date
Operators (Hiring Manager Name, Recruiter Name, and so on) that are available on the page

Note

It is not possible to raise messages or post requisitions with OnInit rules.

Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Template-level→Initialize.

Field Change

Using Field Change rules allows you to trigger rules as soon as the user makes a change to a field in the job requisition form.

Note

Field Change rules are the only type that can be used to raise messages based on the data entered by the user.

Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Field Change→Select the field that should trigger the business rule when the value of the field changes.

Save

Using Save rules allows you to trigger rules as soon as the user saves the job requisition form.

Assign the rule to Job Requisition→Template-level→Save.

Create Business Rules for the Job Requisition

In order to boost the efficiency of the job requisition process, you will create a business rule for the job requisition.

Steps

Navigate to Configure Business Rules.
Select Create New Rule.
1. Provide the basic information in the fields, such as Rule Name, Rule ID, and Description.
Define Rule Parameters by selecting the Base Object for the rule.
1. For Job Requisitions, this would typically be the Job Requisition object or a specific Job Requisition Template.
Add any additional parameters needed for the rule.
Set up Rule Conditions and Actions:
1. Define the If-Then conditions for the rule. For example, If the Job Requisition Department is Sales, then set the Hiring Manager to John Doe.
2. Specify the actions that should be taken when the conditions are met, such as defaulting values, validating fields, or triggering workflows.
Assign the rule to a template by navigating to Manage Rules in Recruiting.
1. Assign the newly created rule to the appropriate Job Requisition Template.
Test the rule.
1. Before going live, test the rule to ensure it works as expected.
2. Create a test job requisition and verify that the rule triggers correctly.

Result

A business rule that sets actions to be taken when certain conditions are met in the job requisition process has been created.

Salary Range Population in Job Requisitions

Pay transparency laws mandate the disclosure of salary information in job postings to promote equitable compensation practices. Several states in the US have already enacted such laws, with more anticipated in the future. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties. While some companies might try to circumvent these laws, it's generally more efficient and beneficial to embrace transparency. Studies show that including salary ranges attracts more qualified applicants.

Many employers are discovering that it is more efficient to include salary ranges in all job postings nationwide. These ranges are often stated broadly, provided that both the minimum and maximum amounts are disclosed in good faith.

Note

SAP does not provide legal advice, so it is important to rely on the customer’s legal team for compliance matters.

A popular business rule used in the job requisition is the creation of a salary range, using the Salary Min and Salary Max fields. This rule is built to dynamically generate a formatted salary range that includes currency symbols and appropriate decimal places. Automating this process reduces manual effort, ensures accuracy, and enhances efficiency in the recruitment workflow.

The Recruiting business rule for this use case is designed to automatically populate the Job Posting Salary Range field on the standard Job Requisition Template by referencing theSalary Min and Salary Max fields.

Screen depicts an excerpt of the job requisition form, displaying the Salary Range field which is a concatenation of the salary min and salary max field.

The rule formats the range to two decimal places, adds a "$" before both salary amounts, and separates them with " - " (for example, $80,000.00 - $100,000.00). To accommodate different currencies, you may need to incorporate additional If/Then statements.

The rule must also address scenarios where salary values are five or six digits, ensuring correct formatting such as $80,000.00 - $90,000.00 or $100,000.00 - $110,000.00. If your organization uses custom fields for Salary Min and Salary Max or requires support for hourly or part-time roles, the rule should be adjusted accordingly.

Create the Business Rule to Populate the Salary Range Field

A popular business rule used in the job requisition is the creation of a salary range, using the salary min and max fields. This procedure outlines the steps to perform this task.

Steps

Navigate to Configure Business Rules.
Create a new rule:
1. Select Create New Rule (+).
2. Expand the Recruiting category and select Configure Business Rule on Job Requisition scenario.
3. Provide the following:
  - Rule Name (For example, Set Job Posting Salary Range)
  - Rule ID
  - Start date:01/01/1900
4. Select the Job Requisition Template you wish to apply this business rule to.
5. For the Purpose field, select Save.
6. Select Continue.
Define the If Condition.
1. In the If  section, add a condition to check if the salary minimum and maximum values are within a five figure salary range:
  - Select the Salary Min field as the left expression.
  - Replaceis equal to with is less than or equal to (<=).
  - Set the Decimal value to 99999.99.
  - Use the eye icon to add an expression.
  - Select the OR function.
  - Select the Salary Max field as the left expression.
  - Replace is equal to with is less than or equal to (<=).
  - Set the Decimal value to be99999.99.
Define the THEN Statement using Concatenate().
1. In the Then section, set the Salary Range field to be equal to.
2. Select the Concatenate() function.
Add Substring and Format functions for Salary Min.
1. Within the Concatenate() function, add the first Substring() function:
  - Substring: Substring().
  - Text: Format().
  - Template: %.2f (to format the number with two decimal places).
  - Locale: Keep this blank (this is optional).
  - Argument: Select the Salary Min field.
  - Start:1.
  - (Optional) Length: 2 (to extract the whole number part before the decimal, assuming values like 99999.99).
2. Add a second Substring() for the decimal part of Salary Min:
  - Sub string: Substring().
  - Text: Format().
  - Template: %.2f.
  - Locale: keep this blank (this is optional).
  - Argument: Select the Salary Min field.
  - Start: 3 (to start from the decimal part, for example, for '99.99', start at '9' after the '99').
  - (Optional) Length: Null.
Add Separator forSalary Max.
1. Insert a literal string for the separator: Substring: Text: 0-$ (including spaces).
Add Substring and Format Functions for Salary Max.
1. Within the Concatenate() function, add the first Substring() function:
  - Sub string: Substring().
  - Text: Format().
  - Template: %.2f (to format the number with two decimal places).
  - Locale: Keep this blank (this is optional).
  - Argument: Select the Salary Max field.
  - Start: 1.
  - Length: 2 (to extract the whole number part before the decimal, assuming values like 99999.99).
2. Add a second Substring() for the decimal part of Salary Max:
  - Substring: Substring().
  - Text: Format().
  - Template: %.2f.
  - Locale: keep this blank (this is optional).
  - Argument: Select the Salary Max field.
  - Start: 3 (to start from the decimal part, for example, for '99.99', start at '9' after the '99').
  - Length: Null.
Save the business rule.
Assign the rule.
1. Navigate to Admin Center→Manage Rules in Recruiting.
2. Select the Job Requisition tab.
3. Select the Job Requisition Template.
4. Navigate to theTemplate-level rules section.
5. Within the Save section, select and apply the business rule.

Result

A business rule populating a salary range using the salary min and max fields has been created.

Automate Job Postings to Career Sites

Automating the posting of approved job requisitions to internal and external career sites saves significant time and reduces errors. A business rule can trigger this posting automatically when the requisition's system status changes to Approved.

Steps

Navigate to Configure Business Rules.
Create a new business rule by selecting the + button.
Select Basic rule and enter the following details:
- Rule Name: REC_Req_AutoJobPosting.
- Rule ID: Pre-populated by the system.
- Rule Start Date: 01/01/1900.
- Rule Description (optional): Automatically posts Job Requisitions to Career Sites.
- Base Object: Job Requisition (All).
Define the IF and THEN statement as follows:
- IF System Status is equal to value Approved.
- THEN Create Job Requisition (All) > Job Postings > Intranet Posting.
Note
Create an IF clause to ensure the rule is triggered when the job requisition is approved.
Select the System Status instead of the Job Requisition Status. The System Status refers to the Pre-approved, Approved, and Closed statuses of the Job Requisition Approval workflow.
Specify the Posting Start Date. Use one of the following Context values to specify if you would like the Posting Start Date to be the moment it is approved, or if you would like to delay the posting:
1. To post the requisition as soon as it is approved, select Get Current DateTime().
2. To delay the posting, create the External Job Posting:
  1. Use the existing rule and add an additional THEN statement to create a new job posting.
  2. Use the eye icon to the right to add an AND expression.
  3. Create the THEN statement as follows: THEN Create Job Requisition (All) > Corporate Posting.
  4. Create Posting Start Date. Here, we will use the Create Date option, to delay the posting by one day.
  5. Select Create Date() for the Posting Start Date, which will then show fields for Local Date and Time.
  - In Local Date, select the DatePlus() option.
  - For Base Date, select Today().
  - Number of Months = 0.
  - Number of Days = 1.
  - Local Time: 00:00:00.
  - Offset of Local Time Zone from UTC in Hours: null.
  This will delay the external job posting by one day once it has been approved. You can specify the exact time of the job posting by using Local Time. In this instance, it has been left at 00:00:00 (standard time formatting), but if you wish for every approved job to be posted the next day at 12:00 PM, you could enter 12:00:00 for Local Time.
Create Posting End Date (optional).
You may also specify a Posting End Date (optional) by using the + icon below the Posting Start Date. To create a posting end date, follow the same steps in the last task to delay the date.
1. Select Create Date() for the Posting End Date. Then, the fields for Local Date and Time will appear.
2. In Local Date, select the DatePlus() option.
3. For Base Date, select Today().
4. Number of Months = 0.
5. Number of Days = 45 .
6. Local Time: 00:00:00.
7. Offset of Local Time Zone from UTC in Hours: null.
Result
This will remove the job posting from the external career site 45 days after the job was approved and posted.
Assign the Rule.
1. Navigate to Admin Center→Manage Rules in Recruiting.
2. Select the Job Requisition tab.
3. Select the Job Requisition Template.
4. Navigate to the Template-level rules section.
5. Within the Save section, select and apply the business rule.

Result

This business rule will delay the external job posting by one day once it has been approved.

Summary

Configured business rules automate tasks within job requisitions, improving efficiency and accuracy.
Three main triggers exist: Initialize, Field Change, and Save.
Business rules can automate salary range population, ensuring compliance and consistency.
Automating job postings to career sites saves time and reduces errors.

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