Pipeline management

A pipeline represents the journey each application takes and helps you track and screen applications. This article explains how to customise and manage hiring pipelines in JOIN

A pipeline in JOIN represents the journey an application takes from the moment a candidate applies until they are either hired or rejected. Think of it as a visual workflow that mirrors your internal hiring process. Each stage in the pipeline reflects a step in your recruitment funnel — for example, Screening, Phone interview, Assessment, Offer, and Hired.

By using pipelines, you can:

• Structure your hiring steps consistently across teams

• Track where each application is in the process

• Apply automated actions (like emails or reminders) based on the stage

• Sort and reorder candidates to prioritise who to review first

Pipelines improve visibility, collaboration, and efficiency, especially when hiring at scale. All candidates automatically enter the first stage of the pipeline when they apply.

You can access pipelines within JOIN in two ways:

• Go to Settings > Pipelines to create, edit, or manage pipeline templates

• Go to the Applications sub-tab in any published job to view and manage the pipeline for that specific position

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Default pipeline

The default pipeline is the hiring flow that will be automatically applied to all new job postings, unless manually changed during job creation or editing.

Default pipeline stages (non-editable)

JOIN includes three default pipeline stages that cannot be removed or renamed:

• Screening

• Offer

• Hired

These stages are essential for managing the hiring flow and are present in every pipeline. You can add customisable stages in between them, but these three must remain in any pipeline template.

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Creating a pipeline

To create a pipeline:

1. Go to Settings > Pipelines

2. Click the + Add pipeline button

3. Enter a name and structure your hiring stages

4. Assign a stage type (e.g. Interview, Assessment, Case Study, etc.)

5. Use suggested stage names or create custom labels

You can enable two optional settings:

• Toggle Default pipeline to make this your new default for all future jobs

• Toggle Auto-reject applications to automatically reject candidates stuck in the Screening stage for a set time

Only users with System Admin or Standard roles can create, edit, or delete pipeline templates. Limited Users cannot edit pipeline templates, but they can move candidates between stages in a specific job. Pipelines can be seen by everyone in the account.

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Editing a pipeline

To edit an existing pipeline:

1. Go to Settings > Pipelines

2. Select an existing pipeline or click Edit pipeline

3. Adjust the hiring process as needed

You can:

• Change the name of the pipeline

• Add, remove, and reorder your hiring stages

• Assign or reassign stage types

• Use suggested stage names or create your own

• Toggle Default pipeline to set it as your default

• Toggle Auto-reject applications as needed

When you edit a pipeline currently in use, changes will affect all associated job postings. If you remove a stage with active candidates, you’ll be prompted to reassign them to another stage before saving.

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Managing a pipeline

Once a job is published, you can manage the applications you receive using the job’s pipeline.

1. Go to Jobs tab

2. Open the Active sub-tab

3. Select the job you want to manage

4. Click the Applications sub-tab

You will land on the Active applications view.

Use the toggle at the top to switch between Active and Rejected applications. Each tab shows the total number of applications in that state.

You can:

• Switch between Cards and Table views from the View settings menu ( icon at the top right)

• Move candidates between stages

• Apply bulk actions like Move to, Reject, Export, or Tag

By default, the pipeline opens in Cards view.

Sorting and ordering

Open the View settings menu to customise how applications are displayed. You can adjust sorting, ordering, and which data appears on each card or in the columns of the table.

In the View settings menu, you can control how applications are arranged:

• Sort by: Time in stage, Applied on, Name

• Order by:

  • New to old / Old to new (for time-based sorting)

  • A to Z / Z to A (for name sorting)

To restore the default configuration, click Reset next to Visible data.

View settings, including sort order and visible data, are saved on your device. They are not shared across team members.

Adjusting pipeline view

Cards

In Cards view (kanban layout), each column represents a pipeline stage. Applications appear as cards that you can customise, sort, and manage directly within the board.

Each column displays the number of applications in that stage next to the stage name. When filters are applied, these counts update accordingly. If a stage name is too long, it will be truncated, but the application count will always remain fully visible.

Customising cards

Go to the View settings menu and scroll to the Visible data section.

Here, you can:

• Toggle fields on or off to control what appears on each card

• Drag and reorder fields to change how information is displayed

Changes are applied instantly to all cards in the view.

Customise your card layout based on the information you need most. Showing only relevant fields helps you review applications faster and keeps your pipeline easy to scan.

Moving candidates between stages

Hiring managers and job admins can move candidates by dragging a card to a different pipeline stage.

As you drag a card:

• The target column is highlighted

• The active sorting rule is shown (e.g. “Board ordered by Time in stage, Old to New”)

When you release the card, it is automatically placed in the correct position based on your current sort settings.

• Users with Job role set as Reviewer cannot move candidates between stages. A tooltip will appear if they attempt to do so.

• Cards in archived jobs cannot be moved.

• Rejected applications cannot be moved to another stage.

Rejecting and undoing actions

Quick actions appear when you hover over a card:

• In active stages (except Hired): Reject candidate

• In the Rejected view: Undo rejection

• In the Hired stage: Undo hire

Users with Job role set as Reviewer do not see 'reject' or 'undo rejection' options. They can only use Add tags and Add note.

You can also right-click on a card to open a dropdown menu with available actions: Reject or Undo rejection , Add tags , Add note

Rejected applications can be restored, but rejection emails (if sent) cannot be undone. Candidates are not notified when moved between stages.

Navigating the pipeline in cards view

Each pipeline stage column spans the full height of your screen.

• You can scroll within each column independently

• Click anywhere on a card to open the candidate profile

• Document buttons open file previews

• Professional link buttons open external links

• You can take actions on multiple candidates at once using bulk selection of cards

• Select individual candidates by hovering over a card and clicking the checkbox that appears on top-left of the card

Remove applications is irreversible. Use it only when an application should no longer be stored or tracked.

Table

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Filtering applications

To filter applications:

1. Go to the Applications sub-tab

2. Click the Filters button

3. Use available filters: Pipeline stage, Application date, Tags, Country, Source

Filtering by pipeline stage

1. Click Filters

2. Select Pipeline stage

3. Choose one or more stages

This helps focus on a specific step of your process, especially in high-volume pipelines.

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Viewing active vs rejected applications

Use the Active / Rejected toggle at the top of the view to switch between:

• Active applications

• Rejected applications

Both tabs display the total count of applications for that filter.

You can move candidates from Rejected back into any active stage using the Undo rejection option.

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FAQs

Can I undo a candidate rejection?

You can move candidates from Rejected back into any stage using the Undo rejection option.

What happens when I remove an application?

Removing an application is permanent. The application will be deleted and cannot be restored.

Can I edit pipeline stages after a job is published?

Yes. You can edit pipelines in Settings > Pipelines even for published jobs.

Can I use bulk actions on applications?

Yes. Select multiple candidates to Move, Reject, Tag, Export, or Remove.

How do I filter applications by stage or status?

Click Filters in the Applications sub-tab and use fields like Pipeline stage, Tags, Country, or Source.

Are candidates notified when moved between stages?

No. JOIN does not send automatic notifications unless you’ve set up certain available automations.