We're consolidating our Help Centers to enhance your experience. During the migration period (April 29 to May 1), you might notice some temporary inconsistencies. No action is required on your side. Please contact Support if you need any assistance.
System Status
  1. Help Center
  2. Perform & Engage 365
  3. Conversations

Create and manage conversation templates in Perform & Engage 365

Avatar

Introduction

Required role: Super admin.

Conversation templates enable Super admins to create structured conversations, using predefined fields and options. This article describes how to create and manage templates.

 

Getting started

1. Go to Organization > Conversations. The Conversation Templates Configuration page opens on the Plans tab.

2. Select the Templates tab.

On the left-hand side, you'll see a list of folders of templates. You can use folders to categorize your templates. Templates that aren't added to a folder are shown in the top level Default folder.

Select a folder name to open it or Delete (the bin icon) to delete it. 

Select +Add to create a folder.

All available templates are displayed in a table. Here, you can see the template Name, workflow, the date it was Created, and the time it was last Updated.

You can delete, duplicate, or edit a template by selecting the relevant icon on the right-hand side of the row. If you delete a template, this action can't be undone.

 

Create a conversation template

Creating a conversation template involves creating a custom workflow—adding sections, elements, and a plan that uses the template.

1. Go to Organization > Conversations. The Conversation Templates Configuration page opens on the Plans tab.

2. Select the Templates tab.

3. Select Create new template. The Create a new template dialog opens.

4. Choose the type of conversation template you want to create.

 

Conversation templates

The following types of conversation template are available in Perform & Engage 365. All templates have an option to make them visible to employees (when complete) and their manager. Additional options might be displayed, depending on the template you choose. For some templates, recommended options are selected (ticked) by default.

 

Employee Review

Select this option to enable managers to start a conversation about employees' areas for growth and development plans, as well as to communicate more formal decisions. You can select Start from scratch, or select a specific template with predefined stages that you can modify or rearrange:

  • Annual Performance & Development Review
  • Basic Probation Review
  • Quarterly Goal Review.

 

1:1

Select this template for 1:1 discussion between the employee and their manager. This template enables managers to have more frequent conversation with their team members—for example, to discuss current progress and identify any support requirements—between the quarterly and yearly reviews. 

 

360

Select this template to collect feedback from outside of the team, for example from people with whom the employee works directly. Optionally, you can select the visibility of the 360 feedback (Optional anonymity, Anonymous, or Transparent), as well as Allow custom questions.

 

Create a custom workflow

1. Enter a Template name.

2. For the selected template type, select Start from scratch below the template you've chosen.

3. Select Create. The Custom workflow dialog opens, showing the following message: "You will need at least one stage for a custom workflow. Get started by adding your first stage."

 

Add stages and elements

You can use stages to customize a workflow within your conversation templates, specify who has access to each stage, and add custom questions and elements. You must create at least one stage.

1. From the Custom workflow dialog, select Add new stage. The Create or edit stage dialog opens.

2. Enter the Name and Description of the stage, and select a Stage access option from the drop-down list.

3. Select the checkboxes of any of the options:

  • Calibration stage. Set this as a calibration stage where only the people specified in stage access will be able to participate.
  • Generate talent map. Automatically generate a talent map for the employees using the template data.
  • Auto-close stage.
  • Allow return to previous stage.
  • Send out weekly reminder when in progress. The start of stage notifications will be sent every week while in this stage.
  • Book meeting invite for this stage.
  • Include stage instructions/help pop-up. A pop-up showing information will be displayed at the start of the stage.

4. Select Save. The Custom workflow dialog opens, where you can see the stage you just added, Add new stage, delete or edit the stage, and Add email template. You can also change the order of the stages. 

5. If you want conversation participants to receive notifications about the conversation progress, select Add email template (the envelope icon). The Edit email template dialog opens.

6. Enter the Email title, then select the Workflow stage, Timing, and Recipients from the drop-down lists, and enter the Notification text. You can select personalization tokens, such as employee and reviewer names, or a direct link to the conversation, to insert them into the notification template.

7. Select Save. You'll see the Email title next to the envelope icon:

  • Above the box if you've selected the notification to be sent at Start of stage
  • Below the box if you've selected End of stage.

8. Select Add new stage if you want to add another stage, or select X to close the dialog and return to the Editing <conversation template name> page.

9. Select Add new section. The Add a new section dialog opens.

10. Complete the required fields and select Create. You return to the Editing <conversation template name> page.

11. Select Add new element. The Add new element dialog opens.

12. Select an Element type from the drop-down list. The additional fields displayed depend on the type of element you choose. 

 

NOTE  

You can make some fields mandatory by ticking the Mandatory option after selecting an element. If a field is mandatory, it must be completed before the conversation moves to the next stage.

An Access option with the Editable by field is displayed when some elements, such as text fields, are selected. Select the field to choose who can complete the fields in the stages where the field is visible. For example, if you select Employee, only employees can complete the fields. You can select more than one role.

 

13. Complete the required fields and select Create. You return to the Editing <conversation template name> page.

14. Add any other required elements by selecting Add new element. You can change the order of elements by dragging the vertical three dots icon.

15. Select Click to preview to see how the stage will look to conversation participants.

 

Manage conversation templates

1. Go to Organization > Conversations. The Conversation Templates Configuration page opens on the Plans tab.

2. Select the Templates tab.

 

Edit a template

Select the edit icon to edit the template. The Editing <conversation template name> page opens.

 

IMPORTANT   

You should create a copy of the template before making any changes. If you delete an element in a live template, any of its associated data will also be lost.

 

Duplicate a template

Select the duplicate icon to create a copy of the template. You can then edit the copy. This would be particularly helpful if you want to edit a template and want to retain a copy of the original.

 

Delete a template

Select the bin icon to permanently delete a plan and all the data collected for its template. This action can't be undone.

 

Next steps

To use a conversation template, you must create a conversation plan. For information about creating and managing conversation plans, see this article.

Was this article helpful?
0 out of 0 found this helpful

Comments

Article is closed for comments.