Talk Tasks

Throughout the workday, your team may have jobs to perform that are above and beyond typical activities. This could be unplanned work during a daily shift or an ongoing project. For example, a cashier in retail staffs the register but may update a display in between customers and an orderly in healthcare may collect wheelchairs in between transporting people.

Talk tasks help coordinate this work, allowing supervisors to create a task at any time and assign it to one or more employees. Tasks are distributed in chat conversations between the task creator and those assigned the task. Tasks can have a due date and time. The due date can be months away or at the end of a day's shift.

From the Tasks dashboard, task creators see all the tasks they have created, view task statuses, continue work on drafts, and cancel tasks.

Note: Tasks require the UKG Pro suite. Tasks are not supported in the standalone UKG Talk mobile app.

  1. Start the task. (See How do I work on tasks assigned to me?)
    • Use the task conversation to comment on the task and ask questions. Only people assigned the task and the task creator see the conversation.
    • If the task has a checklist of items, check off the completed items as you go.
    • If you need to close the task before completing it, you can save it and continue it later or discard your progress.
    • Tasks may have a due date. If they do, you may get a reminder in the conversation a day or an hour before you need to complete the task.
  2. Before you can mark the task complete, you may be required to check off all items in the checklist and/or upload attachments that verify you completed the task. For example, attach a picture of the completed activity or a copy of the document you updated.
  3. When you finish the task, mark it complete. This updates your status and lets the task creator know you are done. The task will remain available in a read-only state for future reference.

Note the following:

  • You can search for tasks within a chat conversation.
  • When your supervisor assigns another task to the same group of people, it is added to the existing chat conversation.
  1. Create and assign tasks to one or more people. All people assigned a task are notified in a chat conversation. (See How do supervisors create and assign tasks?)
  2. Review and manage the tasks you created. (See How do supervisors review and manage tasks they create?)
    • Review task status, including tasks that are overdue, pending, and due this week.
    • View task details.
    • Cancel tasks for all assignees or for individual assignees.
    • Edit and delete task drafts.

When you and others are assigned a task, you receive a notification that the task has been assigned and is available in a chat conversation. The task chat is a conversation between you, the person who created and assigned the task (usually your supervisor), and any co-workers assigned the same task.

  1. Open the chat window to see the task title, who created it, and when it was assigned.

  2. Click Tap Open task. The task summary shows details including the due date and time (if any), the description, any uploaded files that will help you complete the task, and the checklist of items to complete (if any).

    3. Note: If you have questions or concerns about the task, post them in the chat.

  3. Click Tap Get started.
  4. Start work on the task.
    • Review any supporting documents attached to the task.
    • Some more complex tasks may include a checklist. If so, check off the items as you work. If required, you will need to check them all off to complete the task.

    5. Note: If you click tap the X at any time, you are prompted to Discard or Save the task. Click Tap Save to save your work including all its current selections and close the task. You can open the task again later to continue from where you left off. If you discard the task, your work is not saved.

  5. Do the following (if needed):
    • Check off items on the checklist. If completing the checklist is required, make sure to check off all items.
    • Add a file. Click Tap Browse files to attach one or more image files, videos, or documents. (The maximum size limit is 150 MB.) If adding a file is required, you must upload at least one attachment that verifies that you completed the task successfully. For example, attach a picture or video of the completed activity.
  6. Click Tap Mark complete. A notification that you completed the task is posted in the task chat message.
  7. Click Tap Close to return to the task conversation. The conversation shows that you completed the task. You can open the task again at any time to view the details and download the attachments.

Note: Tasks can still be completed after the due date passes.

Creating tasks is a six step process. When you create a new task, you can start with a blank form and enter all the necessary information people will need to complete the task. You can also create a task using one of the following as a template:

  • A task you saved as a draft. Continue creating the task from where you left off.
  • A task you previously created. Modify the details for the new task.
  • Configure tasks to include required details to ensure tasks are completed correctly:
    • A checklist of items that assignees must check off.
    • Require that assignees attach supporting files that verify the task was properly completed.

  • When you create the task, it is posted to a chat conversation between you and all people assigned the task. Refer back to the task conversation or the Tasks dashboard to see the task status, including who has completed the task and whether the task has been completed by everyone.

  • A single task conversation can include multiple tasks. If multiple tasks are assigned to the same group of people, each task is added as a new message in the existing conversation.
  • When stepping through the task creator, you have the option to save and close the task in its current draft state to use later as a template for a new task or to edit later from the Tasks dashboard.
  • Active tasks can still be completed by assignees after the due date passes.
  • You cannot assign a task to yourself.
  • After a task is created:
    • Tasks cannot be edited.
    • You can remove (cancel) assignees from the task and you can cancel the task for all assignees.
    • You cannot add additional assignees to a task.

Caution: Ensure chat functionality is enabled in the Admin Dashboard. If it is not enabled, assignees cannot access task messages.

Caution: Ensure the Task app has been deployed from the Admin Dashboard. Talk users cannot see or work on tasks unless the app is deployed.

  1. To open the Create task screen, do one of the following:
    • Talk mobile: Tap the create post plus (+) at the bottom of the screen and tap Task or go to the Apps screen and tap Tasks > Create task.
    • Talk desktop: Click New > Create new task or go to the Tasks dashboard and click Create task.
  2. Click Tap Get started.
  3. Select one of the following:
    • Create new task.
    • Continue from a draft. Click Tap the Select a draft drop-down list and select the draft of a task you recently saved. The 30 most recent drafts are available. The previous details will still be there. After you create a task from a draft version, it is no longer available as a draft.
    • Start from an existing task. Click Tap the Select a task drop-down list and select a task you recently created. These can be tasks people are actively working on or completed tasks. The ten most recent tasks you created are available.
  4. Click Tap Next. If you selected a draft, the next step is the last one you were on when you saved the draft. If it is an existing task, Step 6 opens.

    5. Note: If you click tap the X at any time, you are prompted to Discard or Save the task. Click Tap Save to keep the task as a draft including all its current selections. If you discard the task, none of your work is saved. To save a draft, at a minimum the task must have a title.

  1. Enter a Title for the task. For example, you might add a title that indicates the task action. If you selected an existing task, change the title to be unique.
  2. Enter a short Description with details about what needs to be done.
  3. Click Tap Browse files to upload one or more attachments to the task. Attachment files can be documents or pictures that help people better understand the task. (Upload up to ten files. Maximum size limit is 150 MB.)
  4. Click Tap Next.
  5. To return to the previous step and make changes, do one of the following:
    • From the app: Tap the progress bar and select the step.
    • From the desktop: Click the step from left the menu.

    6. Note: You can return to a completed step at any time and make a change. You will also have a chance to review and edit your selections at the last step before you create the task.

You have the option of requiring assignees to add one or more attachments to the task and check off items in a checklist before they can complete the task.

Note: You can add a checklist to the task without making it required. Assignees can upload attachments to the task even when not required.

  1. Select Require attachments. This makes it required for assignees to upload one or more attachments before they can complete the task.
  2. Under Checklist, do the following as needed:
    • Select Include a checklist to include a list of one or more items that assignees check off when they work on the task.
    • Select Require checklist completion if you need assignees to check off all items in the checklist before they can complete the task. If Require checklist completion is not selected, the checklist items are still included but remain optional for the assignee.
    • In the Add an item text field, enter a name for a checklist item and click tap plus (+). Continue adding items to the list as needed.
    • To edit or delete a checklist item, click tap its more menu and select Edit item or Delete item.
  3. Click Tap Next.

You have the option to configure:

  • A due date for the day and time you want the task to be completed by all assignees.
  • A reminder to be sent as a chat notification to all assignees one hour or one day before the due date.
  1. To configure the due date:
    1. Select Include due date and time.
    2. Click Tap the Due date calendar and select a day or manually enter the date. You cannot select a day in the past. Use the valid date syntax of mm/dd/yyyy.
    3. In the Due Time field, specify the hour, seconds, and AM or PM.

      4. Note: If you are creating a task from a draft or existing task, ensure the due date is not in the past.

  2. To configure a reminder:
    1. Select Send a reminder.
    2. Select 1 hour before the due date or 1 day before the due date.
  3. Click Tap Next.

Select one or more people to assign the task. The five most recently used names display first.

Note: You cannot assign a single task to more than 100 people.

  1. Select the name of each person you want to assign the task. You can select one or more names from the list of the five most Recently used names or find people by entering their names in the Search field.
  2. Click Tap the following as needed:
    • Unselect all to clear all your selections.
    • Show selected to see all the names you selected.
    • Show all to see all available names.
  3. Click Tap Next.
  1. Review the task details.
  2. To make any changes, click tap Edit to return to the step.
  3. Navigate through other steps to make changes as needed.

    4. Note: When creating a task from a draft or existing task, ensure the due date is not in the past.

  4. When you have made your edits, return to Step 6 and click tap one of the following:
    • Save as draft. The current state of the task will be saved as a draft to use as a new task template or to work on later from the Tasks dashboard. To save a draft, at a minimum the task must have a title.
    • Create task. The task is created and assigned. Each assignee receives a notification in a new or existing chat conversation showing the task title, your name, and the due date and time (if any).
  5. To see details of a task in progress, from the chat conversation, click tap Open task or open the Tasks dashboard.

As a task creator, access the Tasks dashboard to review all the tasks you have created, monitor task progress, and act on tasks.

From the Tasks dashboard you can:

  • Use shortcuts to see tasks that are overdue, pending, and due this week.
  • Filter the list of tasks and search for specific tasks based on filter criteria.
  • Review task details such as the task's current status, the date the task is due, and the names of people assigned the task.
  • Cancel a task for all people assigned the task or for individual assignees.
  • Edit and delete the tasks you have saved as drafts.
  • Open the Create task pagescreen.

Go to the Tasks pagescreen to monitor the current status of each task you have created. For example, when a task shows a status of In progress, then at least one person has started to work on the task. You can also see the status for each assignee within the task, including those who have not started it and others who have already completed it.

Status categories include:

  • Not started. Assigned but no assignees have started work.
  • In progress. At least one assignee started the task.
  • Overdue. At least one assignee has not completed the task on time. Only valid for tasks that include a due date.
  • Completed. All assignees have completed the task.
  • Canceled. The task has been canceled for all assignees.
  • Draft. Task is still in draft state.
  • Talk mobile: Tap Menu > Social > Engagement Apps > Tasks.
  • Talk desktop: Click Tasks.

By default, the Tasks dashboard displays the most recently updated tasks first.

When viewing tasks on mobile, scroll to see all available tasks. If the list is long, tap Show more to expand the list.

When viewing tasks on desktop, the Tasks display in a table view. By default, the five most recently updated tasks display. To change this default, see Customize Tasks view (Talk desktop only).

To open a task to view its details, see How do I see task details?

There are multiple ways to filter, search, and sort the list of tasks. For example, filter the list to see only overdue tasks or all tasks assigned to a specific person.

Click Tap a shortcut to apply a filter to your list of tasks. The results display grouped by the filter criteria. For example, view a subset of all the tasks that are currently pending.

  1. Click Tap Apply filter for one of the following three shortcuts. On Mobile, tap the arrows to scroll through the shortcuts.
    • Overdue tasks. Tasks display when at least one assignee has not completed the task on time. Not valid for tasks without a due date.
    • Pending tasks. Tasks that are in progress, overdue, or not started.
    • Tasks due this week. All tasks that have a due date in the current work week.
  2. The task list updates to reflect the filter criteria. When you click tap a filter shortcut, any previously selected shortcuts are cleared.
  3. Do the following as needed:
    • Click Tap Filter to refine the results.
    • Click Tap Clear filter to remove the filter and reset the list to the default view.

In the Search by task name field, enter some or all of the task name. The list automatically updates to show all tasks that match. Click Tap Filter to add additional search criteria.

Use filters to search on assignees, due dates, statuses, and other details. Apply multiple filters to find specific tasks or a group of tasks within a date range. After a filter has been applied you can add additional filters to refine the results. The number of filters applied displays next to Filter .

  1. Click Tap Filter . The Filter panel opens.
  2. Set one or more filter options as needed.
    • Task name. Enter a task name.
    • Status. Click Tap the drop-down list, select one or more statuses, then click tap Done.
    • Creation date. Specify From and To dates to return only tasks created within this date range.
    • Due date. Specify From and To dates to return only tasks due within this date range.
    • Assignees. Click Tap the drop-down list and select a name. Add additional names if needed.
  3. Each selection displays at the top of the panel.
  4. Do the following as needed:
    • To remove a selection from the top of the panel, click tap its X.
    • To clear all selections, click tap Reset.
  5. Click Tap Apply. The Filter panel closes and the results display.

For Talk desktop, the Tasks dashboard lists rows of tasks in a table view. There are four columns that display task names, statuses, due dates (if any), and the initials of the task assignees. If there are more than five assignees, the number of additional assignees also displays. These columns can be filtered and the table view customized. By default, five rows display the most recently updated tasks.

Customize the Tasks view as needed:

  • Sort Columns. To sort a column in ascending order, click the column header. To sort in descending order, click the column header again. To return to its default order, click the column header a third time. You can sort Task name, Status, and Due date columns. Assigned to is static and cannot be sorted.
  • Pagination. Edit pagination to show more or fewer rows on the page. The default is 5. Click the per page drop-down list and select 5, 10, 25, or 50.
  • Forward and Backward Page Navigation. Click the arrows at the bottom of the table to scroll through the pages of tasks. If there are dozens of tasks across multiple pages, click the Page drop-down list and select the page number you want to navigate to.

Open a task to review task details and see the progress of each assignee.

  1. Click Tap a task's more menu and select View task. The Task details panel opens showing the task name, description, the date you added the task, any supporting documents, the task status, any checklist items, and the names of assignees and their current status.

    2. Note: On mobile, you can also tap the task to open the Task details panel.

  2. From the Task details panel, for assignees who have started or completed the task, click tap their more menu and select View task. Details specific to that assignee open, including checklist progress and any supporting files they uploaded, which you can open.

    3. Note: From the Task details panel you can also cancel a task for one, multiple, or all assignees. See How do I cancel a task?.

You can cancel a task for all people assigned a task or for multiple assignees within a task.

Guidelines

When you cancel a task for all assignees, note the following:

  • The task remains in the chat conversation with a Canceled status. You can still open the Task details.
  • You can still see the names of the people originally assigned the task and their statuses will display as Canceled.
  • Any progress made by assignees is deleted; for example, any uploaded attachments or completed checklist items.

Note: You cannot cancel a task that has a status of Completed.

  1. Click Tap a task's more menu or open the Task details panel and select Cancel task. A confirmation message opens.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Click Tap Cancel task to permanently cancel the task. You cannot revert a task cancellation once completed.
    • Click Tap Keep task to revert the cancellation and keep the task.
  3. A message is posted to the task chat conversation stating the task has been canceled.

Guidelines

When you cancel a task for one ore more assignees, note the following:

  • The canceled assignee names remain in the list for reference but their progress is discarded.
  • When you cancel an assignee, they are notified in a one-on-one chat message. Canceling an assignee does not remove them from the original chat conversation.
  • Assignees who have completed a task cannot be canceled from the task.
  • If there is only one assignee for a task, cancel the entire task.
  1. Open the task details, tap an assignee's more menu , and select Cancel task. A confirmation message opens.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Tap Cancel task to remove the assignee from the task. You cannot add the assignee to the task again or replace them with another assignee. The more menu for that assignee is removed.
    • Tap Keep task to revert the cancellation.
  3. Continue canceling assignees as needed, then tap Close.
  1. Do one of the following:
    • In the task list, expand a task that has multiple assignees.
    • Open the Task details panel.
  2. Click an assignee's more menu and select Cancel task. A confirmation message opens.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Click Cancel task to remove the assignee from the task. You cannot add the assignee to the task again or replace them with another assignee. The more menu for that assignee is removed.
    • Click Keep task to revert the cancellation.
  4. Continue canceling assignees as needed, then click Close.

From the Tasks pagescreen you can open a draft and continue editing from where you left off, saving it again as a draft or completing and publishing it as an active task. You can also permanently delete drafts when they are no longer needed.

Guidelines

When you delete a draft, note the following:

  • Deleting a draft is permanent and cannot be reverted.
  • The draft is removed from the Task pagescreen.
  • The draft is no longer available for use as a task template.

Click Tap the draft's more menu and select the following as needed:

  • Edit draft. The draft opens at the step where you left off. See How do supervisors create and assign tasks?
  • Delete draft. A confirmation message opens. Do one of the following:
    • Click Tap Delete draft to permanently delete the draft. You cannot revert a draft deletion once completed.
    • Click Tap Cancel to revert the deletion.

Note: On mobile, to open draft details, tap the draft.

  • Talk mobile: Tap plus .
  • Talk desktop: Click Create task.

The Create task pagescreen opens. See How do supervisors create and assign tasks?