Applicant Status Messaging Preferences

Closing the Application Loop

Our Automatic Applicant Status Messaging feature allows you, as a recruiter, to create custom messages that can be automatically sent to applicants based on their application status (Pending, Reviewed, and Declined). This feature was built in mind to assist employers with communicating more clearly to their applicants about the status of their application.

Important note: Whenever you download an applicants documents, their status will automatically change to "Reviewed" 

More on managing your applicants can be found here.

This is an easy way to communicate with your applicants throughout the application process in Handshake. Here's a guide on how to manage your Messaging Preferences: 

1. Click on your name in the right hand corner
2. Click on User Settings
3. Click on Messaging Preferences 

1. Status Messaging Behaviors 
   1. Pending:
      1. Automatically send default message // Do not send a message 
   2. Reviewed:
      1. Automatically send default message // Do not send a message 
      2. Note: Whenever you download an applicants documents, their status will automatically change to "Reviewed" 
   3. Declined: 
      1. Do not send a message // Automatically send declined message // Ask to review/edit before sending
   4. Hired:
      1. No message will be sent automatically 
         1. Note: learn more about messaging applicants here
   5. Primary/Alternate:
      1. Used for On Campus Interviews only 
      2. Handshake will email students to choose an interview slot (based on interview settings)

1. Creating Default Messages
   1. Use the blue tabs towards the top of the message box to create each custom message for the individual status change (Pending, Reviewed, Declined) 
   2. Enter your Subject line and create your message in the body section of the message box. 
   3. Tip: Click on Insert Variable to have the student's name/job title automatically filled in the email that is sent. 
   4. Click on Save Default Messages to save all three custom messages 

Note: The messaging preferences will all go off the job creator. If someone else extends the expiration date or reposts the job, it will continue to go off of the original creator's preferences. The best case scenario would be to duplicate the job to create a new one and then the preferences will be based on the new creator. 

Student Experience Examples

• When a student first applies to a job on Handshake, their status is automatically set to pending. They would then receive the following pending email notification: 
  
  
  
  
• When applicant's status is updated to Reviewed: 
  
  

• When applicant's status is changed to Declined: