Create Custom Applicant Status at Top OU Level

When defining applicant statuses, a master applicant status list is created at the top organizational unit (OU) level. This list includes the default applicant statuses, which are available by default for Recruiting. The list can also include additional applicant statuses, which are called "custom" statuses. These statuses are created by the administrator and are used to identify the various status points of an applicant during the recruiting process.

Each custom status is associated with a status type, such as Interview or Background Check. The ability to create custom statuses is only available at the top OU level.

All custom statuses can be modified or inactivated.

Note: When managing applicant statuses at the child OU level, new custom statuses cannot be created. Instead, administrators can only add custom statuses that were created at the top level OU.

To create a custom applicant status, go to Admin > Tools > Recruit > Applicant Statuses. Then click the Create Custom Status link.

Create Custom Applicant Status

To create a custom status, click Create Custom Status from the Manage Applicant Statuses page. This opens the Create Custom Status pop-up.

Complete the following fields for the status:

Language

If multiple languages are enabled, from the drop-down list select the language in which you are entering the status name and description. To localize the status name and description into other available languages, select the appropriate language from the drop-down list and enter the localized name and description in the appropriate fields.

Display Name

Enter the status name, which appears throughout the system. The character limit for this field is 50. When the Display Name of an active status is modified after the status is in use or has been used in a job requisition:

  • The new display name appears on the Default Status List page.
  • The new display name appears in the Status list on the job requisition template.
  • Any new job requisitions created after the display name is changed apply the new display name.
  • Job requisitions created before the status display name is changed continue to honor the name that existed at the time the requisition was created.

Description

Enter the description of the status. This should describe the purpose of the status and what is implied when an applicant is in that status. The character limit for this field is 500.

Type

A status type must be defined for each custom status. The status type contains specific functionality that is only available for that status type. This enables administrators to create any number of custom statuses and choose the status type for each custom status. The status type selected for a custom status determines the functionality for that step in the applicant status workflow for a requisition.

The name of a custom status in the Display Name field has no bearing on the functionality of a status. The functionality for a status is determined by the status type selected for the status. For example, an administrator wants to create a custom status with the display name of "Phone Screening." They select Interview as the status type so that , an interview process can be configured for the status. If the administrator were to select Background Check as the type, then a background check process could be configured for the status. But, since they are creating a custom applicant status for phone interviews, the administrator want to select Interview as the status type so that the interview functionality that is configured by the system can be used for the Phone Screening status.

Each applicant status can only have one associated status type.

The following status types cannot be associated with custom statuses, as they are only associated with the system-defined default statuses:

  • Closed
  • Hired
  • Offer Letter

Select from one of the following status types:

Active

When the Active box is checked, the status is active and is available to be included in applicant status workflows.

If a status is made inactive:

  • The status is no longer available for selection on the Default Status List page.
  • The status no longer appears in the Status list on the job requisition template and is not available to be added to a template.
  • Any new job requisitions created after the status is inactive do not apply the inactive status.
  • Job requisitions created before the status is inactive continue to honor the status as an active status.

Save/Cancel

After entering the appropriate information, click Save.

Or, click Cancel to cancel creating the custom applicant status.