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How to create and use job templates

Save the details of a shift you post regularly, then raise a repeat job by picking the template and setting the date.

Most agencies fill the same shifts week after week, for the same client, at the same site, with the same worker type and the same start and finish times. Filling in every field each time is slow, and it is easy to make a small mistake.

Job templates let you save all of those details once under a name you choose. When you create a job, you pick the template, set the date, and everything else is filled in for you.

 

Before you begin

  • Job templates are available on Agency Accelerator Pro only. If you are on the Free tier, you will see the Template option locked under Jobs.
  • Set your clients and sites up first, because a template must be linked to a client and one of that client's sites.
  • It helps to know the worker type and any skills the shift needs, as these are saved into the template too.

 

Where to find job templates

  1. In the left-hand menu, select Jobs.
  2. Select Template.
  3. Choose Create to build a new template, or View to see the templates you already have.

 

Creating a job template

Select Create, and the Create New Template panel opens on the right of the screen. Work down the panel from top to bottom. Fields marked with a small star are required, and you will not be able to save until they are all filled in.

Template Details

  1. Enter a Template Name. Choose something you will recognise in a list, for example the client name and the shift, such as Central Home night support.
  2. Add a Template Identifier if you use your own reference codes. Select the information icon next to the field for guidance on what to enter.
  3. Enter a Template Description so your team knows when this template should be used.

Job Details

  1. Select the Client the job is for.
  2. Select the Site. The sites available depend on the client you chose, so pick the client first.
  3. Select the Worker Type needed for the shift, for example Support Worker or Care Worker.
  4. Set the Preferred Gender if the client has a preference. This is set to Any unless you change it.
  5. Choose a Skill Combination if the shift needs particular qualifications or skills.
  6. Add any Notes the worker or your team needs to see, such as parking instructions or who to report to.

Shift blocks

  1. Under Shift blocks, choose the Type for Block 1.
  2. Enter the Start Time and End Time. The Duration underneath updates as you type, so you can check the block length is right.
  3. If the shift runs in more than one part, for example a day block followed by a night block, select ADD BLOCK and fill in the times for the next block. Add as many blocks as the shift needs.

Breaks and intervals

  1. Breaks are optional. Turn the Breaks / Intervals toggle on if the shift includes them.
  2. Enter the break duration and add a note for the paid and unpaid breaks so everyone is clear on what is included.

Saving

  1. Select Save to store the template. It is then available to choose whenever you create a job.

 

Reviewing the templates you already have

Select View under Template to open your template library.

The panel on the right lists every template you have, with a count at the top so you know how many there are. Each card gives you a quick summary:

  • The total length of the shift, for example 11h 15m
  • The template name
  • The start and finish times
  • The site and the worker type
  • A status badge showing whether the template is ACTIVE

Select any card and the full template opens on the left of the screen, showing when it was created along with:

  • Details, covering the description, site, worker type, preferred gender, skills and notes
  • Breaks, showing the paid and unpaid break durations
  • Shift time, showing each block with its start and end times

This is worth a quick look before you use a template for the first time, so you know exactly what will be applied to the job.

Narrowing the list down

Use Search templates above the list to find a template by name.

For more control, select Filters.

  • Filter by Template Type lets you switch between Care Hires and Direct templates. The type each one belongs to is shown as a small tag on its card.
  • Filter by Status lets you show All templates, only the Active ones or only the Inactive ones. The list shows active templates unless you change this.

 

Turning a template off

When a template is no longer needed, for example because a client has changed their shift pattern, you can make it inactive instead of losing the record of it.

  1. Select View under Template, then open the template from the list on the right.
  2. Select the three-dot menu next to the ACTIVE badge in the top right of the template.
  3. Select Inactivate.

The template is no longer offered when you create a job, but it stays in your library. To find it again, select Filters and set Filter by Status to Inactive or All, then open it from the list.

 

Using a template to create a job

  1. Start creating a job in the usual way from Jobs.
  2. Select the template you want to use.
  3. Set the date for the shift.
  4. Check the details that have been filled in, adjust anything specific to this job, such as the number of vacancies, then save the job.

Everything the template holds, from the client and site through to the shift blocks and breaks, is applied for you, so a repeat job takes a fraction of the time.

 

If something looks wrong

The Template option under Jobs is locked. Templates are a Pro feature. If your agency is on the Free tier, speak to your account manager about upgrading.

The Save button will not work. One of the required fields is still empty. Scroll back through the panel and look for the fields marked with a star, in particular the client, site, worker type, notes, and the block type and times.

No sites appear when you select a site. Choose the client first, as the site list is based on the client you have selected. If the site is still missing, check that it has been added under that client.

The duration shown does not match the shift. Check the start and end times on each block. Where a shift runs past midnight, make sure the block that carries over has been entered as its own block.

A template is not appearing when you create a job. Open View and check the template is still set to ACTIVE, as inactive templates are not offered. If you cannot find it in the list at all, select Filters and set Filter by Status to All.

A template you know exists is missing from the list. Check your filters. If Filter by Template Type is set to one type, or Filter by Status is set to Active, anything outside that is hidden. Set the status to All to see everything.

If something still does not look right, get in touch with the Care Hires support team with the template name and what you were trying to do.