Job Description Best Practices
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Manage candidates effectively and efficiently
As applicants show up on your Candidates tab, you can assign them a Status (Active, Awaiting review, Reviewed, Contacted, etc.) You can use status assignments and filters to focus on the candidates who are best suited for your role.
Let’s explore how this Indeed tool can help you:
- Go to the Status dropdown menu (the filters and applicants will show up)
- Filter candidates according to where they are in your hiring process
- Apply Filters to candidates for any and all jobs that are open, paused or closed
This employer view shows the different statuses that may be assigned to candidates.
Filter job candidates
Filters save time and help you organize your job search. When you apply them, the candidates that match your filtering criteria will populate your screen, front and center. This way you can review candidates quickly and reassign statuses.
You can filter applicants by:
- Location
- Screener questions status*
- A simple yes – √, maybe – ?, or no – X
- Application date
- Those who are expiring soon (if you opted into Employer Assist)
*Applicants whose answers do not meet your required criteria will be marked as Rejected. These candidates will not be notified of their application status unless you send them a response via one of our easy-to-use templated email updates.
Group applicants by status
Applicants can be assigned one of six statuses:
- New
- Reviewing
- Contacting
- Interviewing
- Hired
- Rejected
As a bonus, when you review and reassign a candidate, your hiring coworkers will receive one of the following notifications:
New
Applicants who enter your Employer Dashboard will automatically be assigned this status. Once you view an application, it will automatically be moved to the Reviewing status.
Reviewing
Once your candidate has been reviewed, you can record your thoughts and impressions as a Note. From there you can also reach out to candidates (using one of our templates) to set up a virtual interview or let them know where they stand.
Contacting
Once you’ve started contacting candidates, they’ll be available under this status. This status is helpful as you conduct phone screens, set up in-person or virtual interviews or send status updates.
Interviewing
This status is for candidates who are currently undergoing the interview process. When you’ve decided to move forward, you can mark a candidate as hired or rejected.
Hired
Here you’ll find candidates you’ve marked as Hired. This way you’ll have a historical record of every candidate you’ve hired using Indeed AND can measure ROI over time.
Rejected
We’ve provided a template that allows you to thank applicants for their effort while letting them know they won’t be moving forward in the hiring process at this time. Job seekers really do want to hear back from employers, either way. Use Indeed’s templated email to provide job seekers with closure so that they can move on to their next application. This kind of communication also supports your credibility as a company.
Collaborate with your hiring team
With Indeed, you can make candidate management a collaborative process. You can share access to your Employer Dashboard via Communications Settings, which allows you to share Notes about candidates with one another.
To invite members of your hiring team to view applicants, follow these steps:
- Click on the profile icon in the top right hand corner of your
Employer
Dashboard
- Choose Communications Settings from the dropdown menu
- Provide your colleague/collaborator’s email address(es)
- Set their access level
Taking candidate Notes gives you an easy way to compare feedback on resumes, skills and interview performance. You can also send resumes to members of your hiring team to review by clicking Forward Resume.
When interviewing candidates on Indeed, your team can also be included in the process. You can add additional team members by sharing a guest link to your interview.
Using the link will allow your team members to have Guest permissions. They can screen share, use the chat feature and blur their background.
Managing candidates on Indeed FAQs
How can I export my list of candidates?
To export candidates for a specific role from the Candidates Page, choose a job, select all candidates by clicking the checkbox at the top left and select Export Candidates. If you don’t see the Export Candidates button, make sure to activate two-factor authentication (2FA) for your account.
Can candidates see my notes?
No notes you log about candidates will remain private unless you share them with your colleagues. Candidates will never see your notes.
What happens when I reject a candidate?
When you move a candidate to a Rejected status, you can send a rejection letter by clicking the Compose a rejection email button. Here are some tips for writing effective rejection emails to candidates. Alternatively, you can choose to send them an automated email letting them know they are no longer being considered through Indeed Employer Assist.
Back to Hiring with Indeed
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
This article is based on product information available at the time of writing, which may change at any time. Indeed does not guarantee that this information is always up-to-date. Please seek out your CS/Sales rep for the latest on this topic.
