Using document types with HR document templates

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Using document types with HR document templates

    Document types in HR document templates help categorize and limit document choices based on HR services, making it easier for organizations with large volumes of documents to find the correct ones. This feature improves the accuracy and efficiency of selecting HR documents such as employee verification letters, tailored by criteria like employment status (full-time, part-time, contingent).

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    Important: Starting with the Yokohama release, the legacy HR Document Templates are being deprecated and hidden on new instances but remain supported. Customers are encouraged to use the newer Document Templates experience and refer to migration guidelines for transitioning.

    How It Works

    • When an HR case is created from an HR service, the system uses the HR case template and associated document type to identify the correct HR document.
    • The process checks if a document type has a single associated document without HR criteria – automatically placing that document on the HR case form.
    • If HR criteria are defined, the system verifies if the case’s subject matches these criteria before placing the document.
    • If multiple documents match a document type or HR criteria, the system lists them for manual selection rather than auto-populating.

    Setting Up Document Types

    • Add document types to document templates and associate these types with HR case templates.
    • Attach the HR case template to the relevant HR service.
    • Define HR criteria on the HR service to refine which documents are applicable for different employee groups or scenarios.
    • Note that in the classic HR template environment, you can assign a specific PDF template to a case template, but this limits flexibility when multiple documents are needed.
    • Use HR criteria to automate or narrow document selection based on attributes such as employee location or status.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Improves document management by categorizing HR documents according to service-specific document types.
    • Enhances accuracy in document delivery by leveraging HR criteria to match documents with the right employees or situations.
    • Supports automation in HR case handling by auto-populating documents where possible, saving time and reducing errors.
    • Offers flexibility to handle multiple document templates for complex organizational scenarios.
    • Guides customers toward adopting the latest Document Templates experience for ongoing support and new features.

    Document types limit the choices for allowable documents based on HR service. For organizations with large amounts of documents, document types help categorize and make finding the correct document easier.

    Important:

    Starting with the Yokohama release, HR Document Templates is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer activated on new instances, but will continue to be supported.

    Use Document Templates that provides the latest experience for this functionality. For migration guidelines, see Migrating from HR Document Templates to Document Templates.

    For deprecation details, see the Deprecation Process [KB0867184] article in the Now Support knowledge base.

    For example, you can have multiple employee verification letters depending on if the employee is full-time, part time, or contingent. HR criteria on an HR service determines which letter to send.

    When an HR case is created for an HR service, it checks:
    • HR case template for the HR service
    • The document type for the HR case template
    • HR criteria
    Verifying this information allows the case to narrow the search for the correct letter or auto-populate the exact letter required.
    Setting up document types
    To use this feature:
    • Add a document type to your document templates.
    • Add the document type to an HR case template. From the HR template classic environment, you can add a specific PDF template, but cannot specify a document type. Adding a specific PDF template automates populating the HR case form, but eliminates flexibility when you have multiple documents.
    • Add the HR case template to an HR service.
    • Add HR criteria to the HR service.
      • Using HR criteria provides flexibility in choosing or auto-populating a document for an HR service.
      • When defining conditions like case sensitivity or null values, see APIGlideFilter - Scoped, Global.
    How it works
    When an HR case is created from an HR service:Flow chart of how HR case is created from HR service.
    The HR case template looks for a document type to determine what Document template or PDF document template to a case. It tries to automatically place a document template on an HR case by:
    • Checking if there are documents associated with the document type.
    • If there is only one document associated with the document type and the HR criteria is empty, place that document on the HR case form.
    • If there is HR criteria on the document template, verify the Subject person on the HR case form matches the criteria. If yes, place the document template on the HR case form.
    • If there are multiple document templates for the document type, check for HR criteria. When a single document matches, populate the document template on the HR case form. When multiple documents match, do not populate, but list documents in the Document type list in the HR case form.
    • When HR criteria is not available on any document templates, list documents in the Document type list in the HR case form.
      Note:
      There is HR criteria on the HR service and HR document templates. On HR services, HR criteria narrows the allowable services for an employee. For example, you can provide 401 (k) services to US employees, but not to non-US employees. On HR document templates, HR criteria narrows what employees the document is for. For example, when you have employee verification letters for US employees and non-US employees, use HR criteria to determine the correct document.