The Shift Reservations step lets a user pick their own time for something that has to happen on a date, such as an interview, an orientation or a training session. You create the shifts the way you always do. The step simply lets the people on it reserve one.

1. What is a Shift Reservations step?

It is a sequence step that shows the user a list of available times and asks them to reserve one. The times are real shifts on a real opportunity, so everything else about them works exactly as it normally does: the shift appears on the user's schedule, they get the usual reminders, and they check in and out as usual.

What is different is who is allowed to reserve. Normally a user can only reserve shifts on an opportunity they are assigned to. Reaching this step gives them permission to reserve from the opportunities you name here, even though they are not assigned to those opportunities.

Typical uses:

• Book an interview slot during onboarding.
• Pick one of several new user orientation sessions.
• Attend a required training before being allowed to sign up for real shifts.
• Choose a ride-along or shadow shift.

2. How do I set one up?

First, create the opportunity and the shifts people will reserve, exactly as you would for any other opportunity. Each session is a shift with its own date, time, location and number of spots.

Then build the step:

1. Go to Sequences and open the sequence you want, or create a new one.
2. On the Steps tab, click + Add a step and choose Shift Reservations.
3. Click + New to create an entry, or pick one you already made.
4. Give it a title and a description. The title is what the user sees on their step.
5. Under Which shifts can be reserved?, tick the opportunities the times should come from. Use the search box if you have a long list.
6. Set the rules and timing described below.
7. Save, then Confirm to add the step to the sequence.

Entries are reusable. One "New User Orientation" entry can sit in as many sequences as you like, and editing it updates every sequence that uses it. You can manage them all from Manage fields, or from All fields.

Before you start: the opportunity has to be published and have shifts on it. If you have not published one yet, the opportunity picker will be empty.

3. How many shifts does someone have to reserve?

You decide. Two settings control it, and for most steps you only need the first.

Shifts they must reserve is how many reservations it takes to finish the step. Usually one.

Most they can reserve at a time is a ceiling on how many they can hold at once. Leave it blank and it matches the number above, which is what you want almost every time. Its job is to stop one person reserving every available session. Raise it only if you want to let someone hold an extra slot, such as a backup. Cancelled reservations do not count against it.

4. When does the step count as complete?

You choose, under This step is complete when. There are four options, and they get progressively stricter:

• The slot is reserved. The step finishes the moment they book. Use this when the goal is simply to get them on the calendar.
• An admin approves the reservation. Use this when the shifts need approval and you only want to count confirmed places.
• The user checks in. The step is only finished once they turn up.
• Hours are logged for the shift. The strictest option. The step finishes once the shift is done and the hours are recorded.

The last two are worth thinking about. If you pick them, the step stays open between the reservation and the session itself, which can be weeks. That is usually correct for a training you must actually attend, but it does mean the user will see the step sitting on their list in the meantime. Their reserved time is shown on the step, so it is clear why it is still open.

5. What are the two timing settings?

They sound similar and do different things, so it is worth being precise.

Reserve by (days after reaching this step) is a clock for each person. It starts when that user reaches the step. If it runs out before they reserve, they can no longer reserve and an administrator has to reopen it for them. Leave it blank for no deadline of its own. The step's own due date still applies either way.

How far ahead to show slots bounds the list of times everyone sees. It never expires anyone. Use it to stop a monthly orientation offering sessions eleven months out. You can show everything upcoming, only the next few months, or everything up to a fixed date.

6. What does the user see?

The step appears on their sequence with a Reserve button. Opening it shows the available times, how many spots are left on each, and how many they still need to reserve.

They pick the times that work for them, review the selection, and confirm. After that the shift behaves exactly like any other shift they signed up for: it is on their schedule, they get the reminders, and they check in on the day.

If they cancel the reservation, the step reopens so they can book a different time. They do not need to ask an administrator to reset anything.

Watch this combination: if the opportunity's shifts need admin approval and the opportunity does not allow re-requesting after a decline, then declining someone leaves them stuck on this step with no way forward. The entry screen warns you when it spots this. Either allow re-requests on the opportunity, or be ready to reserve on their behalf after a decline.

7. Can I see and manage it from the admin side?

Yes. Open the person's sequence and click View on the step. You will see the entry's settings, where they are against the required number, and each time they have reserved with its status (Reserved, Awaiting approval, Checked in or Completed).

From the same screen you can set a custom status, add notes, and set a completion or expiration date, the same as any other step type.

8. Who can see the entry?

By default every administrator in your organization can. Under Site access you can link an entry to one or more sites, which controls which site administrators can see and edit it. Leave it unlinked to keep it available across the whole organization.

9. Should I use a separate opportunity for these sessions?

Usually yes. Creating one opportunity to hold your interview, orientation and training sessions keeps them out of the way of the opportunities people browse and sign up for. Set that opportunity's visibility to Private so it does not appear on your recruitment page, and the Shift Reservations step will still let people reserve from it.

Reserving from this step also adds the user to that opportunity, which is what puts the shift on their schedule. If you would rather they did not see that opportunity in their own list, you can hide it there.

Summary

• The Shift Reservations step lets a user pick their own time for an interview, orientation or training.
• The times are ordinary shifts on an ordinary opportunity, so reminders, check-in and hours all work as usual.
• Reaching the step is what lets someone reserve, even though they are not assigned to that opportunity.
• You choose how many they must reserve, and whether the step finishes on reservation, approval, check-in, or logged hours.
• "Reserve by" is a per-person deadline. "How far ahead to show slots" bounds the list everyone sees. They are not the same thing.
• Cancelling a reservation reopens the step so they can rebook without asking anyone.
• Entries are reusable across sequences, and can be restricted by site.