If you have used our letter templates in the past, you will be familiar with the concept of variables - fields that auto-fill according to the data Truework receives from HRIS systems. While variables reflect data that is documented in an employers’ HRIS system, custom variables are designed to account for data that may be housed elsewhere, or has not been included in your integration with Truework.

What does this mean? 

Let’s imagine that you have integrated with Truework, and that your employees have been generating standard employment letters. The data required to support such letters is available on Truework, thanks to our integration with your HRIS system. Such fields may include “Employee Name,” “Job Title,” and “Start Date,” and would come directly from the list of available variables, on the upper left-hand side of your template.

Should you need to add additional fields - ones that are not included in your Truework integration, you can now create custom variables instead. To learn more about some sample use-cases, visit this blog-post. 

How to Create a Custom Variable

Once you have started a new letter template, select the "create custom variable" button from the drop-down menu on the upper left-hand side of your letter. 

You will then want to give the variable a name, and set a default value. This value is designed to account for the bulk of your use-cases. For instance, if your custom variable is entitled "Office Location" and the majority of your employees are based out of your headquarters, that may be the default text that you choose to add:

Once you have pressed "Save," you will notice the new variable now available from the drop-down menu. Insert the variable wherever it's required into your letter, and if needed, create additional variables. 

When you are satisfied with your template select "save." Note that you will have the ability to insert the appropriate text when you go to generate your letter template. 

If a letter contains custom variables, it will not be available for employee self-service. To learn more about generating letters for your employees, visit this article:  Generating a Letter Template