> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.smartcv.co/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.smartcv.co/create-approval-workflow.md).
# Create Approval Workflow
**Starting an approval workflow**
For Requisitions, the approval process begins when the Requisition is submitted.
At that point:
1. the Requisition changes to Pending Approval;
2. the required approval steps are created;
3. the first approval level becomes active;
4. the relevant approvers can review the request.
The workflow then progresses automatically according to the configured approval levels and rules.
See Requisitions for more information about submitting and managing a hiring request.
Once an approval process starts, the approval structure used for that request is preserved.
This is important because Approval Workflow templates may change over time.
For example, an administrator might later:
* add another approval level;
* change an approver;
* change an approval rule;
* modify the name of a level.
These later changes should not alter an approval process that has already started.
Worklife Recruit therefore keeps the approval steps and approvers associated with the individual request, preserving the approval structure used when it was submitted.
**Approving a request**
When an approval level becomes active, the assigned approvers can review the related Requisition.
An approver can approve the request and optionally provide a comment.
What happens next depends on the approval rule.
For an Any One level, one approval is sufficient to complete the level.
For an All level, the system waits until every required approver has approved.
When a level is completed, the next approval level becomes active automatically.
If there are no further levels, the Requisition becomes Approved.
**Rejecting a request**
An approver can reject a Requisition when changes are required or the hiring request should not proceed in its current form.
When a rejection occurs:
* the current approval process stops;
* the Requisition becomes Rejected;
* the decision is recorded in its approval history.
The responsible user can subsequently modify the Requisition and resubmit it if appropriate.
This avoids forcing users to create a completely new request after every rejection.
**Skipped approvers**
In an Any One approval level, one approver may complete the level before the other assigned approvers take action.
The remaining approvers can therefore be marked as Skipped by the workflow.
Skipped does not mean that the user approved or rejected the request. It simply means that their action was no longer required because the approval rule had already been satisfied.
For this reason, skipped approvals are not presented as personal decisions in the user’s Approval History.
**My Approvals**
Any user assigned as an approver can use My Approvals to manage requests requiring their attention.
The Pending Approvals view shows requests where the user currently needs to take action.
The Approval History view shows the user’s previous actual decisions:
* Approved;
* Rejected.
Automatically skipped actions are excluded from the personal history.
This provides each approver with a simple personal approval inbox without requiring the user to manage the entire Hiring Plan or Requisition process.
Approval comments and history
Approval actions can include comments.
The approval history provides visibility into the decisions made throughout the workflow, including:
* approval level;
* approver;
* decision;
* date;
* comment.
This helps HR and managers understand how a request progressed and provides a clear record of the internal approval process.
**Reusable workflows**
Approval Workflow templates are particularly useful when the same approval process applies repeatedly.
For example, an organization could maintain different workflows for:
* standard recruitment requests;
* senior-management hires;
* specific departments;
* requests requiring additional management approval.
The appropriate workflow can then be selected without manually rebuilding its approval structure.
**Relationship with Hiring Plans**
Approval Workflows operate on individual Requisitions rather than replacing Hiring Plans.
The three concepts serve different purposes:
Hiring Plan \
Defines the broader recruitment plan.
Requisition \
Represents a specific request to hire.
Approval Workflow \
Defines who must authorize that request and in what sequence.
Together they provide a structured process:
Plan → Request → Approve → Recruit
Importantly, the system does not require every recruitment process to begin with a Hiring Plan. Hiring Plans provide the planning layer where required, while Requisitions and Approval Workflows manage specific hiring requests and their authorization.
**Related Help**
* Hiring Plans – Learn how to organize and monitor future recruitment requirements.
* Requisitions – Learn how individual hiring requests are created, submitted, approved, rejected, and resubmitted.
