Managing Applicant Status

In Handshake, you can track and update each candidate's progress throughout the application process.

Keeping applicant statuses up to date ensures you always have a clear view of where candidates are in the hiring process.

Who can access and manage applicants?

Basic employers:

• Owners and Recruiters can update the status of applicants only for jobs they have personally created.

• For jobs created by other teammates, applications will appear in the applicant list as view-only and cannot be updated.

On-campus employers, Plus, Pro, Essentials and Enterprise (formerly TES) customers:

• All users, except Representatives, can update the status of applicants for both their own jobs and those created by teammates, provided they have the appropriate permissions.

How do I access applicants? 

Select the job for which you want to update the applicant status, then click on the Applicants tab.

• Updates to an applicant's status do not affect the job posting itself, including the application open and close dates.
• Applicants are displayed in chronological order, with the most recent application at the top and the oldest at the bottom.

How applications are marked as reviewed

Applications with a blue dot are considered unreviewed. When you click on an applicant's profile, the application automatically moves to Reviewed, and the blue dot is removed.

Note: Applications cannot be manually moved to Reviewed in bulk.

Mark an application as unreviewed

If you need to mark a reviewed applicant as unreviewed, open their profile and click the ... menu in the upper-right corner, then select Mark as unreviewed.

Move applications to hired or rejected

Update status for a single applicant

1. Open the applicant's profile. 

2. Click the Move to dropdown in the upper-right corner of the profile panel, then select Rejected, Rejected (with message), or Hired.

Update status for multiple applicants

1. Check the box next to each candidate's name, or click Select all in the header to select every applicant in the list. 
2. Click the More dropdown in the action bar above the applicant list, then select Move to hired, Move to rejected, or Move to rejected (with message).

Move applications to interviewing

Update status for a single applicant

1. Open the applicant's profile. 

2. Click the Move to dropdown in the upper-right corner of the profile panel, then select Interviewing or Interviewing (with message).

Update status for multiple applicants

1. Check the box next to each candidate's name, or click Select all in the header to select every applicant in the list. 

2. Click Move to interviewing in the action bar above the applicant list for a standard status update, or click More and select Move to interviewing (with message) to include a message.

How do I correct an applicant's status?

If an applicant is moved to the incorrect status, you can update their status at any time.

1. Navigate to the Applicants tab for the relevant job.
2. Locate the applicant whose status you want to change.
3. Update the status:
   • Single applicant: Open the applicant's profile and click the Move to dropdown to select the correct status.
   • Multiple applicants: Check the box next to each candidate's name, or click Select all in the header. Then use the action bar above the applicant list to select the appropriate status.

Do applicants receive notifications when their status changes?

Students can track the status of their application. However, they will not receive any notifications when a decision is made.