What is a layout rule?
Your recruitment data is often inter-dependent. When you are creating a record for a candidate, not all the fields in the layout are utilized. For example, if the candidate is a fresher he would not need the Previous Experience section in the record. This can make the record look cluttered and unorganized. This is where layout rules enter the picture. Specify rules that trigger fields based on the conditions that you have given. These dynamic layouts are called Conditional Layouts.
What are Conditional Layouts?
Conditional layouts in Zoho Recruit offer an interface for you to manage dependencies between fields in a layout seamlessly.
Consider the following examples:
So, the value you enter for one field will decide the necessity for a bunch of other fields. When you are filling the details for a candidate with no experience or is a fresher, the Previous experience fields are not even required - but they are still on your layout. You may be looking at 10 fields when you need only 5.
However, you cannot do away with the remaining 5 fields in the layout - as they are required when filling the details of an experienced candidate. This is where conditional layouts enter the picture. Conditional layouts are created with layout rules, by which you can establish an interface in which certain fields are shown depending on the value entered in a previous field.
As a result you are able to make your layouts dynamic - as the entire structure of a layout changes based on field values you enter. Note that you are not eliminating fields from the layout, you are only controlling how a layout appears based on certain field values.
How to create a Conditional Layout
Let's look at how to create a conditional layout with the help of a scenario.
Zylker Corp. is a staffing agency recruiting for both the IT and the Healthcare industries.
In this case, if Zylker includes all these details in a single form/layout, there is a slight difficulty. That is, when the agency is creating a record for a Java developer, the form unnecessarily asks for the details regarding doctors as well.
Observe the details in the table below:
Field
| Java Developer
| Doctor
|
Degree in Medicine
| ✘
| ✔
|
Residency training
| ✘
| ✔
|
Medical license number
| ✘
| ✔
|
Specialization
| ✘
| ✔
|
Counseling experience
| ✘
| ✔
|
The above table lists fields that are required for a doctor but not Java developer. This means an entire section in a form becomes unnecessary the moment you choose "Java developer".
This only causes clutter in your form and delays the process of creating a record. This is where conditional layouts enter the picture.
In the above example, using layout rules, you can achieve a dynamic setup in which only when "Doctor" is chosen, the fields required for a candidate with a medical degree appear - in other cases it remains hidden. This way, you can optimize your forms.
To create layout rules
Result of the layout rule
Now when you create a Candidate, the Professional Details section is displayed only when you select Experience. Otherwise, it is hidden.
Actions that can be triggered
There are three actions that can be triggered when layout rule criteria are met.