TARGET GROUPS - Configuring Advanced Target Groups

Modified on Wed, 22 May, 2024 at 3:59 PM

Applies to: HR/Customer administrators

If you need to use target groups and there are currently no target groups configured or groups that meet the criteria you have, the best option is to create a new target group. You can also make these as simple or advanced as necessary, to meet your requirements.

Advanced target groups are created in the same way to basic target groups, but could possibly contain more filters, groups of filters or a combination of both.

If you just need a basic target group, this is covered in greater detail in the related articles at the bottom of this page.

Logged in as an administrator, click on the Configuration side menu, followed by the Target Groups sub-menu.
The Target Group Management screen will be displayed, showing existing target groups that you or fellow HR/Customer administrators have created.
On the target group management screen, click new and the new target group management screen will be displayed.
Enter a target group name, which we recommend as being something tied in to the employees the group will contain. For example, if you’re creating a group for all Sales staff within the Guildford office, an example name could be ‘Sales Support – Guildford Office’.
Once you have given your new target group a name, you’ll notice that the current group has no filters. The first task is to click the add filter button. This enables the first filter in your group.

Option One – Using OR Instead of AND

The most basic of advanced target groups, is simply by utilising the OR statement.
By adding two filters, the AND statement is initially used.
The results would show any Male employees in the Finance department.
By clicking the Advanced filters toggle button, you can now see the add group button, as well as the option to match all or any radio buttons.
By selecting the any radio button, this changes the AND to an OR.
The results would then show employees in either the Finance department or where their gender is Male, not just in Finance.

Option Two – Adding Filter Groups

With a basic filter in place, you have the option to Add Group, which adds another level of up to five filters for your target group arguments.
The group could be added using the AND statement as shown above, but if you previously opted for the OR statement on the original filter, this will be added also using an OR statement.
Add some filters to the new group, by clicking the add filter button contained in the light blue shaded group box.
As you can see, the new grouped filters also use either an AND statement, or by selecting the match any radio button, an OR statement.
In the example above, Male employees within the Finance department, who have been employed for longer than three months, but less than 10 years will be targeted.
Changing the AND statements to OR statements, will produce different results.
For example, changing the first filter to use OR instead of AND as shown below, would result in the target group selecting employees who are either in the Finance department or who are male or who sit between a 3 month and 10-year service length. As you can see, a simple change produces massively different results.
Changing the first filter back to an AND statement and changing the group filter to OR as shown below, will also produce different results again.
This will select anyone in the Finance department who is male and anyone who has a service length more than 3 months or a service length less than 10 years. Therefore, the group filter becomes a little redundant, in that when selecting anyone with a service length less than 10 years, they could possibly have a service length less than 3 months, but still be picked up by this group.
Lastly, changing both the initial filter and filter group to use OR statements as shown below, will again show different results.
With this target group setting, anyone who is in the Finance department, or who is male or who has a service length more than 3 months or less than 10 years will be selected.
This would result in anyone in Finance, or any gender or service length being selected. This target group setting essentially will target everyone and become unnecessary. Be careful how you use the AND & OR statements in target group creations.

Option Three – Filter Groups Only

Another way to configure advanced target groups, is by only using filter groups. This enables you to be more flexible with your AND/OR statements.
In the example below, the main target group is set to match ‘All’ filters in the group. This places an AND statement between the two groups.
As shown above, the groups use a combination of OR in the first group, with AND being used in the second group. This is in addition to the AND between the groups.
This results in the following:
- Employees in either the ‘Sales’ OR ‘Finance’ departments
AND
- Male employees who have a service length more than 1 year and work at the Guildford office.
You could change the initial group settings, to Match ‘Any filters in this group’, which in turn changes the AND statement between the two groups, to an OR statement.
This would result employees in either the Sales or Finance departments being selected, or employees who are male, based in Guildford and have a service length greater than 1 year. The first filter group in this query, would therefore pick up all employees in either of the two departments mentioned, whilst the second filter group will pick up male employees in Guildford with a service length greater than 1 year, regardless of department.
As mentioned above, the AND & OR statements are powerful and produce very different results.