> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.join.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.join.com/getting-started-with-join/hiring-process.md).

# Hiring process

JOIN is a **complete** hiring tool — from writing and publishing your job ad and getting you applications to sending the final offer to hire a candidate.

Once your job is live and applications start coming in, JOIN gives you the tools to manage every step in one place. You can screen candidates, collaborate with your team, schedule interviews, send emails, and reject applicants without leaving the platform. This guide walks you through the full process.

Here’s what you can do in JOIN:

<table><thead><tr><th width="237.161376953125">Task</th><th>What you can do in JOIN</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Create job ads</td><td>Write job ads manually or use AI to create a first draft.</td></tr><tr><td>Publish jobs</td><td>Publish your job ad and start receiving applications.</td></tr><tr><td>Customise application forms</td><td>Choose required documents and add screening questions.</td></tr><tr><td>Screen applications automatically</td><td>Use <a data-footnote-ref href="#user-content-fn-1">Knockout Questions</a> to reject candidates who miss essential requirements.</td></tr><tr><td>Manage candidate progress</td><td>Create stages that match your process and assign a custom pipeline to each job. Move candidates through pipeline stages, hire them, or reject them.</td></tr><tr><td>Automate candidate communication</td><td>Send application confirmations and stage-based emails with templates.</td></tr><tr><td>Assign your hiring team</td><td>Give teammates job-level access with the right permissions.</td></tr><tr><td>View candidates</td><td>Open <a data-footnote-ref href="#user-content-fn-2">candidate profiles</a> to review CVs, applications, and activity history.</td></tr><tr><td>Find the right candidates</td><td>Search, filter, sort, and customise your application views.</td></tr><tr><td>Take bulk actions</td><td>Move, reject, tag, export, or remove multiple applications at once.</td></tr><tr><td>Collaborate on decisions</td><td>Leave notes, @mention teammates, and use tags to keep context with each candidate.</td></tr><tr><td>Evaluate interviews</td><td>Use scorecards to collect structured feedback from your hiring team and compare candidates.</td></tr><tr><td>Schedule interviews</td><td>Connect Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 calendars and send interview invites. Calendars sync automatically and candidates can schedule interviews using booking links.</td></tr><tr><td>Communicate with candidates</td><td>Send emails, use shared templates, create private conversations, and schedule emails to be sent later. Manager your dedicated hiring mailbox.</td></tr><tr><td>Protect candidate data</td><td>Manage candidate data in JOIN and support GDPR-compliant workflows.</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Step-by-step hiring process

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

### Create and publish your job

Create your job ad in the Job Editor, then add the application form, workflow, and hiring team. When everything is ready, click `Publish` to start receiving applications.

Each published job is automatically shared through [organic multiposting](/promoting-jobs/organic-multiposting.md). This distributes it to eligible free job boards based on your plan, job location, and board requirements.

{% hint style="danger" %}
To post organically on LinkedIn, you must connect a verified LinkedIn Company Page to JOIN. You must also enable basic job posting in LinkedIn. See [LinkedIn setup](/integrations/external-profiles/linkedin.md).
{% endhint %}

When your job is published, open the `Postings` sub-tab within a job to see every channel where it is posted and its current status. See [Postings status](/promoting-jobs/postings-status.md).&#x20;

Visit the [Store](/promoting-jobs/paid-multiposting.md) to explore options to promote your job for extended reach and visibility.

For the full setup flow, see [Job creation](/jobs/job-creation.md).

{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-on" %}
Publish all current job openings together when possible. This strengthens your SEO and maximises organic reach across job boards.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Set up hiring pipeline

A pipeline is the series of stages a candidate moves through during your hiring process — from application to final decision. Set it up before applications arrive, so your process matches how your team actually hires.

You can add custom stages such as `Phone interview`, `Assessment`, or `Team fit round`.

To set up or customise a pipeline, go to `Settings` → `Pipelines`.

{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-on" %}
Create different pipeline templates for different role types. For example, use a shorter pipeline for junior roles and a more structured one for senior hires.
{% endhint %}

For the full setup flow, see [Pipeline management](/candidates-and-applications/pipeline-management.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Filter candidates automatically

If a role has hard requirements, such as language skills, a work permit, or availability, you can screen for them automatically with Knockout Questions. Knockout rejections are based on application form answers. Candidates who do not meet the criteria are rejected automatically before they reach your pipeline. [Read more](/jobs/job-creation.md#screening-questions)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Invite your team

If hiring managers or teammates need to review candidates, invite them to JOIN instead of forwarding CVs by email.

To invite a team member, go to `Settings` → `Team`.

Once assigned, they can open candidate profiles, leave notes, and track progress.

For more, see [Member management](/account-settings-and-billing/member-management.md) and [Hiring team](/jobs/hiring-team.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Review incoming applications

All incoming applications from different job channels appear in the `Applications` sub-tab of each job. You can review and manage candidates directly in JOIN, without exporting files or any manual work.

{% hint style="info" icon="lightbulb-on" %}
From the pipeline view, you can:

* Click any application to go to that candidate profile and view their CV, cover letter, and activity logs
* Sort by `Time in stage` to surface candidates who have been waiting longest
* Move candidates between stages by dragging cards or using the `Stage` dropdown
* Select multiple candidates with checkboxes to perform bulk actions like rejections, export or adding tags.
  {% endhint %}

For more, see [Applications overview & filters](/candidates-and-applications/applications-overview-and-filters.md)
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Send emails

JOIN lets you send emails and manage rejections directly from the platform. You can also add custom templates your whole team can access.

**Messaging**\
Send candidates emails directly from their profile. Use templates to keep communication consistent and on-brand.

**Rejecting candidates**\
To reject one or more candidates:

1. Select the candidate in the pipeline
2. Click `Reject`
3. Choose a rejection template or write a one-off message

JOIN sends the email and moves the candidate to the `Rejected` stage automatically.

To set up shared templates, go to `Settings` → `Automated messages`.

{% hint style="info" %}
Rejected candidates can be restored to any active stage with `Undo rejection`. Emails that have already been sent cannot be unsent.
{% endhint %}

For more, see [Candidate Messaging](/candidates-and-applications/candidate-messaging.md), [Email Templates](/candidates-and-applications/candidate-messaging/email-templates.md), [Automated Emails](/candidates-and-applications/candidate-messaging/automated-emails.md), and [Rejecting candidates](/candidates-and-applications/rejecting-candidates.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Schedule interviews

Once a candidate is ready for interviews, you can schedule everything directly from their profile.

To schedule an interview:

1. Open the candidate profile
2. Click `Schedule interview`
3. Choose or create an interview template
4. Set the format, duration, and interviewers
5. Send the invite

JOIN sends calendar invites to the candidate and all interviewers.

Interviews sync with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Set this up under `Settings` → `Integrations`.

For more, see [Interview Scheduling](/candidates-and-applications/interview-scheduling.md).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

### Collaborate for discussions

Instead of discussing candidates over email, keep the full decision history on the candidate profile.

Tags help you label candidates with custom markers, for example: Technical fit, `Pro`, or `On hold`. Everyone with access to the job can see them.

[Notes](/candidates-and-applications/notes.md) help your team collaborate in context. You can @mention teammates, reply to notes, react with emojis, and keep track of all related conversions.

[Scorecards](/candidates-and-applications/scorecards.md) help your team evaluate and leave feedback for the candidate after an interview. This makes decisions more consistent and centralised, especially when several people are involved.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## Migrate to JOIN

If you post jobs in JOIN but then move the rest of the process into spreadsheets, email threads, or separate tools, you create avoidable work.

Everything you need to hire successfully is already built in:

| If you're currently doing this externally…                                                             | Do it in JOIN instead                                                                                                           |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Filtering CVs in a spreadsheet                                                                         | Use pipeline filters by stage, tag, answer, or date                                                                             |
| Sharing CVs with hiring managers by email                                                              | Share access to candidate profiles and use notes                                                                                |
| Tracking candidate status in a separate doc                                                            | Move candidates through pipeline stages in real time                                                                            |
| Scheduling interviews by email and slack messages back-and-forth                                       | Use built-in interview scheduling with calendar sync                                                                            |
| Sending rejection emails manually                                                                      | Use rejection templates and automated emails                                                                                    |
| Auto-disqualifying candidates manually                                                                 | Use Knockout Questions                                                                                                          |
| Creating separate profiles on different hiring platforms and sorting applications from multiple places | Post a job to enable it getting multiposted to 10+ organic job boards and applications can be viewed and managed from one place |
| Deleting candidate CVs manually to stay GDPR compliant                                                 | All data stays within the platform. We use encrypted storage in the EU and support GDPR-compliant hiring workflows.             |

***

## FAQs

<details>

<summary>Do I need to set up a pipeline before I start receiving applications?</summary>

No. JOIN applies a default pipeline to every job automatically. Setting up your own pipeline first helps candidates enter the right stages personalised for your company from the start.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can hiring managers access JOIN without seeing all jobs in the account?</summary>

Yes. Users with `Standard` or `Limited` company roles only see the jobs they are assigned to. `System Admins` can see all jobs by default.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I still export candidate data if I need to?</summary>

Yes. You can export applications from the pipeline view with bulk actions. Export is available to `System Admin` users.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Are candidates notified when I move them between pipeline stages?</summary>

No. Candidates are not notified when you move them between stages. Notifications are only sent when you message or reject them, or when you use configured automations.

</details>

***

## Related articles

* [Job creation](/jobs/job-creation.md)
* [Pipeline management](/candidates-and-applications/pipeline-management.md)
* [Applications overview & filters](/candidates-and-applications/applications-overview-and-filters.md)
* [Hiring team](/jobs/hiring-team.md)
* [Interview Scheduling](/candidates-and-applications/interview-scheduling.md)

[^1]: Knockout Questions are screening questions that automatically reject candidates when they give a disqualifying answer. Use them for must-have criteria such as work permits, language requirements, or availability.

[^2]: A candidate profile is the central view for one candidate in JOIN. It brings together their details, CV, application history, emails, interviews, scorecards, notes, and pipeline progress in one place. See [Candidate profile](/candidates-and-applications/candidate-profile.md).


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