Reviewing a Candidate: An HR Workflow Guide

A consistent review process helps your hiring team evaluate candidates fairly, communicate clearly, and maintain an accurate record of every hiring decision.

This guide follows the current Kraken Careers candidate screen and focuses on the practical workflow an HR professional can use from the initial application review through interviews, offers, hiring, rejection, or placement in the Talent Pool.

To begin, go to:

Careers → Candidates

Use the search and filter controls to find the candidate, then select their name to open the candidate record.

1. Check the Candidate’s Hiring Stage

The Hiring Stage tracker at the top of the candidate record shows where the candidate currently sits in your hiring process.

Your configured stages may include:

  • Action Needed
  • Needs Review
  • Reviewing
  • Contacted
  • Interview Scheduled
  • Interview
  • Interviewed
  • Evaluation
  • Offer Sent
  • Offer Accepted
  • Offer Declined
  • Hired
  • Rejected

Confirm that the displayed stage accurately represents the candidate’s current status.

Move a newly received candidate to Reviewing when assessment begins. Continue updating the stage as the candidate is contacted, interviewed, evaluated, offered a position, hired, or rejected.

Keeping stages current is important because they are used by:

  • Candidate and Talent Pool filters
  • Dashboard queues
  • Job candidate-count columns
  • Reporting
  • Candidate automations
  • Screening-question auto-move settings

An accurate stage allows the hiring team to understand the recruitment pipeline without opening every candidate record.

2. Confirm the Application

The Application Summary identifies the application being reviewed.

It contains:

  • Date Submitted
  • Candidate For
  • Location Applying For, when applicable

Confirm that the candidate is connected to the correct job and location before assessing their qualifications.

This prevents a candidate from being evaluated against the requirements of the wrong position.

3. Review the Candidate’s Contact Information

The Candidate Details section contains the candidate’s contact and address information.

It may include:

  • First Name
  • Middle Name
  • Last Name
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Street Address
  • City
  • State, Province, or Region
  • Postal Code or ZIP
  • Country

Review the information for completeness and obvious inconsistencies.

Pay particular attention to the email address before sending a communication. Email previews can be generated without a valid recipient address, but a valid address is required before an email can be sent.

Avoid changing candidate-submitted information unless you are correcting a confirmed error.

4. Review the Application Answers

The Answered Questions section contains information collected through the application questions.

Depending on the job and application form, this section may include:

  • Screening-question answers
  • Screening score
  • Fit label
  • Knockout-question results
  • Question-specific scores
  • LinkedIn Profile
  • All information provided is correct

The LinkedIn Profile and application confirmation both appear under Answered Questions in the current candidate record.

Use screening results as a review aid rather than an automatic hiring decision. A candidate’s score or fit label should be considered alongside their experience, documents, and the requirements of the position.

Apply the same job-related review criteria to every candidate.

5. Review the Submitted Documents

The Documents section contains files submitted with the application.

These may include:

  • Résumé
  • Cover letter
  • Portfolio
  • Certificates
  • Additional documents collected through upload fields

Review the documents alongside the candidate’s application answers.

Consider:

  • Whether the candidate meets the required qualifications
  • Whether their experience supports the responsibilities of the role
  • Whether the résumé and application answers are consistent
  • Whether any information needs clarification
  • Whether required documents were submitted

Avoid making decisions based on formatting, names, addresses, or other information unrelated to the candidate’s ability to perform the job.

6. Assign the Hiring Team

Use Assign Reviewer(s) under Reviewer Tools to select the people responsible for reviewing the candidate.

Reviewers may include:

  • An HR representative
  • The hiring manager
  • A department lead
  • A technical reviewer
  • An interview-panel member

Assigned reviewers may receive notifications about important candidate activity, including:

  • Review-stage changes
  • New notes
  • Reference updates
  • Interview scheduling
  • Candidate responses
  • Offer decisions

Only assign people who require access to the candidate’s information.

After changing reviewer assignments, select Save Changes.

7. Highlight Candidates Who Need Attention

Use Highlight Candidate to make a candidate more noticeable in the Candidates list.

Highlighting can be useful for:

  • Strong candidates
  • Priority follow-ups
  • Candidates awaiting a decision
  • Time-sensitive applications
  • Candidates requiring discussion

Highlighting is an organizational aid. It does not explain why the candidate needs attention and does not replace the Candidate Review Stage.

Add an internal note when other reviewers need additional context.

8. Update the Candidate Review Stage

The Candidate Review Stage selector under Reviewer Tools is used to update the Hiring Stage shown at the top of the record.

Update the stage whenever the candidate reaches a meaningful point in the hiring process.

For example:

  • Use Reviewing while assessing the application.
  • Use Contacted after the first candidate contact.
  • Use Interview Scheduled after interview arrangements are made.
  • Use Interviewed after the interview is completed.
  • Use Evaluation while waiting for additional answers.
  • Use Offer Sent after issuing an offer.
  • Use Offer Accepted or Offer Declined after the candidate responds.
  • Use Hired or Rejected when the process is complete.

After changing the stage, select Save Changes.

9. Keep Internal Notes

Use Notes to record private information for the hiring team.

Notes are appropriate for:

  • Initial screening observations
  • Questions for another reviewer
  • Interview preparation
  • Interview feedback
  • Follow-up reminders
  • Concerns requiring additional review
  • Reasons supporting a decision
  • Internal next steps

Notes are not shown to the candidate.

Keep notes factual, professional, and directly related to the position. Avoid recording protected personal information or opinions unrelated to the candidate’s ability to perform the job.

The Notes table shows each note’s status, title, author, date, and available actions.

10. Request References

Use Reference Questionnaire when the candidate reaches the reference-check stage.

Before sending a request:

  • Confirm the reference’s name and email address.
  • Add questions relevant to the position.
  • Review the request with Preview Email.
  • Review the questionnaire with Preview Candidate View.
  • Confirm that the candidate authorized the reference contact when required by your organization.

A questionnaire can contain up to ten questions. The first question is required.

Preview Email shows the message that will be delivered to the reference, including the resolved reference, candidate, job, and company information.

Preview Candidate View shows the questionnaire page the reference will open. It includes the questions, answer fields, instructions, and submission control.

The preview does not include the website header or footer. Preview forms are sandboxed and cannot be submitted.

When a reference responds, their answers are stored with the candidate record.

11. Choose the Appropriate Candidate Communication

Use Candidate Communication to select the workflow that matches the candidate’s next step.

Available communication types are:

  • Schedule Interviews
  • Evaluations
  • Offers
  • Hired
  • Rejection

After selecting a communication type, its corresponding tool appears beneath the dropdown.

Each communication type maintains its own history, allowing reviewers to see its status, subject, author, date, and available actions.

12. Schedule an Interview

Choose Schedule Interviews when you are ready to provide the candidate with potential interview dates.

Before sending:

  • Enter the first potential interview date.
  • Optionally enter a second date.
  • Review or update the subject.
  • Enter instructions for the secure interview page.
  • Add attachments when needed.
  • Preview the email.
  • Preview the candidate-facing interview page.

The first interview date is required.

The Message entered in the interview composer is displayed on the secure interview page. It is not automatically included in the notification email unless the configured email template includes the communication-message placeholder.

Use Preview Email to verify the notification the candidate will receive.

Use Preview Candidate View to verify:

  • The candidate instructions
  • Potential interview dates
  • Date-selection controls
  • The optional candidate message field

After receiving the email, the candidate can open their private link, choose an available date, and leave an optional message. Their response is saved with the candidate record.

Update the Candidate Review Stage when the interview is scheduled.

13. Send an Evaluation

Choose Evaluations when the candidate needs to provide additional information.

Evaluations may be used for:

  • Role-specific questions
  • Written assessments
  • Follow-up qualification questions
  • Availability questions
  • Information required before an interview or decision

An evaluation can contain up to five questions.

Before sending:

  • Review or update the subject.
  • Enter the candidate-facing message.
  • Add attachments when required.
  • Confirm that the questions are clear.
  • Check the question order.
  • Preview the email.
  • Preview the evaluation page.

Preview Candidate View shows the message, questions, answer fields, optional candidate message field, and submission control.

When the candidate submits the evaluation, their answers are saved with the candidate record.

14. Send an Offer

Choose Offers after the hiring team has approved an offer.

Before sending:

  • Confirm the candidate’s name and position.
  • Confirm that all required approvals are complete.
  • Review compensation and employment details.
  • Attach the correct offer documents.
  • Review the subject.
  • Enter the complete offer message.
  • Preview the email.
  • Preview the candidate-facing offer page.

The candidate-facing page displays the offer message and controls for accepting or rejecting the offer.

Preview controls cannot accept or reject the offer. Functional decision controls are only available through the candidate’s private link after the communication is sent.

When the candidate responds, their decision is stored with the candidate record.

Update the Candidate Review Stage to reflect whether the offer was sent, accepted, or declined.

15. Send a Hired Message

Choose Hired after the hiring decision has been finalized.

A hired message may include:

  • Confirmation of the decision
  • Start-date information
  • Onboarding instructions
  • Documents the candidate needs to complete
  • First-day contact information

Preview both the email and the secure candidate page before sending.

After sending the communication, update the candidate’s stage to Hired when appropriate.

16. Send a Rejection Message

Choose Rejection when the candidate is no longer moving forward.

A professional rejection message should:

  • Clearly communicate the decision
  • Thank the candidate for their time
  • Use wording appropriate to the stage they reached
  • Avoid unsupported or unnecessary explanations
  • Be reviewed before sending

A candidate rejected during initial screening may require different wording from someone who completed multiple interviews.

Preview both the email and the secure candidate page before sending. Afterward, update the Candidate Review Stage to Rejected.

17. Preview Every Communication

Every email-sending communication provides two preview options.

Preview Email

Preview Email displays the email that will be delivered to the recipient.

Use it to check:

  • The resolved subject
  • Email branding
  • Candidate information
  • Job information
  • Company information
  • The configured email template
  • Links and action buttons
  • Spacing and readability

The links displayed in a preview are for demonstration. Unique secure links are generated when the communication is sent.

Preview Candidate View

Preview Candidate View shows the secure page the recipient opens from the email.

Depending on the communication, it may include:

  • Interview-date options
  • Evaluation questions
  • Offer decision controls
  • Reference questions
  • Complete candidate-facing messages
  • Response fields
  • Submission controls

The preview uses the current unsent form values. It does not include the website header or footer and is sandboxed against accidental submissions.

After reviewing either preview, select Back to Message, make any necessary changes, and preview the communication again.

Opening a preview does not save the communication, change its status, or send an email.

18. Understand Where the Message Appears

The Message field generally contains content displayed on the secure page opened from the email link.

It does not automatically appear in the notification email.

A communication message only appears directly inside the email when the configured template includes:

{{communication_message}}

Instructions beneath each Message field explain where the content will appear.

Always check both previews to confirm that the candidate receives the intended information without unnecessary duplication.

19. Reply to an Existing Communication

Interview, evaluation, offer, hired, and rejection communications can support replies.

Use Reply when you need to:

  • Clarify instructions
  • Correct information
  • Answer a candidate’s question
  • Provide updated details
  • Attach another document
  • Continue an existing conversation

Before sending a reply:

  1. Review or update the subject.
  2. Enter the reply message.
  3. Add attachments if required.
  4. Select Preview Email.
  5. Select Preview Candidate View.
  6. Select Send Reply.

Previewing a reply does not save or send it.

Keeping replies connected to the original communication gives the hiring team a clearer history of the conversation.

20. Move a Candidate to the Talent Pool

Use Add to Talent Pool when the candidate is not being hired for the current position but may be suitable for another opportunity.

The Talent Pool can be used for:

  • Future opportunities
  • Candidates with transferable skills
  • Candidates who may suit another department
  • Record-keeping
  • Candidates who should no longer remain in the active list

Enable Add to Talent Pool and select Save Changes.

The candidate will move out of the active Candidates list and into the Talent Pool.

21. Blacklist a Candidate Only When Necessary

Use Blacklist This Candidate only when future applications from the candidate’s email address must not be processed.

When a candidate is blacklisted:

  • Their email address is added to the blacklist.
  • Future applications using that address are not saved.
  • The blocked application is not processed.
  • The candidate is not notified.

Blacklisting is not a normal rejection action. Use it only when there is a clear and documented reason to prevent future applications.

22. Save Candidate Changes

Select Save Changes after updating:

  • Assigned reviewers
  • Highlight Candidate
  • Candidate Review Stage
  • Add to Talent Pool
  • Blacklist This Candidate

Communication modals save and send their own records separately.

If you send a communication and also change the candidate’s stage or reviewer assignments, remember to save the candidate record.

23. Review Recent Activity

The Recent Activity panel appears after the candidate information and Reviewer Tools.

It provides a chronological record of important candidate activity, which may include:

  • Reviewer assignments and removals
  • Candidate-stage changes
  • Highlight changes
  • Notes
  • Reference requests and responses
  • Interview scheduling
  • Candidate communications
  • Candidate responses
  • Offer decisions
  • Talent Pool changes
  • Blacklist changes

Review Recent Activity before contacting the candidate or changing their stage. This helps prevent duplicated work and gives HR staff the context behind previous actions.

Recommended HR Review Checklist

Before moving a candidate forward, confirm:

  • The candidate is connected to the correct job and location.
  • Their contact information is complete.
  • Answered Questions, LinkedIn Profile, and the confirmation field were reviewed.
  • Submitted documents were assessed against the job requirements.
  • Screening results were considered alongside manual review.
  • The correct reviewers are assigned.
  • Internal observations are documented professionally.
  • The Candidate Review Stage is current.
  • The communication type matches the intended hiring action.
  • Dates, questions, attachments, and offer details are correct.
  • Both the email and recipient-facing page were previewed.
  • Candidate and reference responses were reviewed.
  • Candidate-level changes were saved.
  • The final outcome is reflected in Recent Activity.

A strong candidate-review process is consistent, timely, job-related, and well documented. Kraken Careers keeps applications, reviewer collaboration, communications, responses, and hiring history together so HR teams can make informed decisions without losing the context behind them.