Getting a job specification from draft to published often means getting input from multiple people—maybe your HR team needs to weigh in, department leadership needs to sign off, or subject matter experts need to verify technical details. Holly's approval workflow helps you manage this review process in one place, so you can track who's reviewed what, collect feedback, and get specifications approved without endless email chains.
What Is the Approval Workflow?
The approval workflow is Holly's built-in review and approval system. Instead of passing Word documents back and forth or trying to coordinate feedback across email threads, you can:
Set up a structured review process with multiple stages
Assign specific reviewers to each stage
Collect all feedback and comments in one place
Track who's completed their review and who still needs to
Maintain a clear version history as your specification evolves
Once all reviews are complete, you can publish the specification as the official version with confidence that everyone who needed to see it has had their say.
Key Roles in the Approval Workflow
Document Owner: The primary person responsible for a job specification. They initiate the workflow, manage reviewers, configure approval stages, accept / reject edits, and have the final authority to publish the spec.
Internal Reviewer: An individual assigned to review a specification that has a Holly account. They can add comments, suggest changes, and must mark their review as complete to advance the workflow. They are able to see the timeline for the approval workflow.
External Reviewer: An individual assigned to review a specification that does not have a Holly account. They can be invited to review the spec using their email to sign in via a magic link. They can add comments, suggest changes, and must mark their review as complete to advance the workflow. They are not able to see the whole timeline for the approval workflow or use any other part of the Holly platform.
Starting an Approval Workflow
Document owners initiate the approval workflow from a draft specification. Here's how to get started:
Navigate to Your Draft
From the main Class Specs dashboard, open the specification that you want to send through the approval workflow. The specification needs to be in "Draft" status in order to initiate the approval workflow process.
Launch the Workflow Setup
Click the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the page and select "Start approval workflow." This opens the workflow configuration page.
Configure Your Review Process
The workflow configuration page allows you to build a review process tailored to your organization's needs. Here's how to set it up:
Step 1: Confirm the Document Owner
In the top-right corner of the configuration page, you'll see who's assigned as the document owner. If you created the specification, you should be automatically assigned as the owner. You'll need a document owner designated before you can start the approval workflow.
If you need to change the document owner, you can do so at this stage or at any point during the workflow.
Step 2: Choose Stage Advancement Mode
Use the stage advancement toggle to decide whether the level of control that you want as the document owner over the approval process.
Automatic (default): When the last reviewer finishes, Holly immediately notifies the next stage's reviewers. This keeps the approval process moving along quickly.
Manual: The workflow pauses after each stage until you manually advance it, giving you time to incorporate feedback first. This may slow down the process slightly, but affords the document owner more control over how feedback and comments are incorporated into the spec.
Step 3: Build Your Stages and Steps
Your workflow is organized into stages, and each stage contains one or more steps. Stages run sequentially (one finishes before the next begins), while steps within the same stage run in parallel (multiple reviews happening simultaneously).
To build your workflow:
Add a Stage: Click "Add stage" to create a new phase of your review process.
Add Steps: Within each stage, add one or more steps. For each step, you'll need to:
Choose a Step Name: Select from the dropdown menu of previously used step names (like "Department Review," "HR Review," "Executive Approval"), or create a new one by typing it in. Custom step names are automatically saved for future use and can be edited at any time during the workflow.
Add a Description: Write a brief description of what you want reviewers to focus on. This description is included in the email notification that reviewers receive, so be clear about what you're asking them to review or what specific feedback you need.
Assign Reviewers: Add the people who will review this step. You can:
Add Holly users by typing their name or email address
Add external reviewers (who don't have Holly accounts) by entering their email address—they'll receive a link to review the specification
You can add multiple reviewers to a single step. All reviewers in a step must complete their review before that step is marked as complete.
Add More Stages: Continue adding stages and steps until you've mapped out your complete review process.
Step 4: Review Your Configuration
Before launching, take a moment to review your entire workflow structure:
Are all stages in the right order?
Have you assigned the right reviewers to each step?
Are your step descriptions clear and helpful?
You can always make changes to step names, descriptions, and reviewers even after the workflow has started.
Launch the Workflow
Once you've configured all stages and assigned reviewers, click "Start approval workflow" to officially begin the process. The specification's status automatically changes from "Draft" to "In Review," and all reviewers in the first stage receive email notifications with links to begin their reviews.
When to Use Stages vs. Steps
Use multiple stages when: Reviews need to happen in a specific order. For example, you want the department to review first, then HR, then executive leadership. Each stage must be completed before the next one begins.
Use multiple steps within a stage when: Multiple people at the same level need to review simultaneously. For example, three different department managers all need to weigh in, but their reviews can happen at the same time. All steps in a stage run in parallel.
Next Steps
Once your workflow is launched, reviewers will receive notifications and can begin providing feedback. As the document owner, you'll be able to:
Track progress: Monitor who's completed their review and who's still working
Manage the workflow: Send reminders, adjust reviewers, or modify step descriptions as needed
Review feedback: See all comments and suggestions in the Collaborate tab
Publish when ready: Once all reviews are complete, publish the final specification
Ready to Learn More?
Check out our related articles:
Managing an Active Approval Workflow: Track reviewer progress, send reminders, and handle feedback
Reviewing a Specification: How to provide feedback and complete your review as a reviewer
Reviewing Feedback and Publishing: Final steps to review feedback and publish your specification
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