Reviewing Candidate Applications

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
  • Manage candidate in the legacy Applicant Workbench
  • Manage candidate in the latest Applicant Workbench

Filters on the legacy Candidate Workbench

User can decide between 2 views of candidate workbench: the legacy candidate workbench view and the latest candidate workbench.

When viewing candidates that have applied for the job using the legacy candidate workbench, you can display only active candidates or all candidates. If you are viewing only active candidates, disqualified statuses are excluded, and role permissions are obeyed.

It is possible to filter candidates by many different filters on the Candidate Summary page by using Filter Options:

  • Candidate type: Internal or External
  • Name: Allows for partial matches (first name, last name, middle name) and supports special characters
  • Email Address: Email address that exactly matches or you can search by using the domain name only (for example, @bestrun.com)
  • Viewed: Applications that are new or have already been viewed
  • Last Updated: Application has been updated in the last x number of days
  • Location Fields: Country, state, and city cascading picklists are supported as filter options

Additional standard and custom fields that are configured on the candidate profile can be used as additional filter options. Candidate Contact and Application data can be used as additional filter options.

Candidate Mass Disposition in the legacy Candidate Workbench

Another feature of the system is the ability to quickly disposition many candidates at once.

Candidate Disposition

Candidates can be manually dispositioned or automatically dispositioned based on the status of the requisition.

List of candidates applying for the same position on Job Requisition tab.
  • Automatic: When the requisition is closed, all remaining candidates are automatically dispositioned to a status of "Requisition Closed" (if the status is enabled).

  • Manual: To manually disposition, follow these steps:

    1. Navigate to the candidate summary for the selected job.

    2. In the Candidates section, select the entire group of applicants to move to the next step or just a few.

    3. Select the appropriate disposition action for the candidates.

      Select the suitable disposition action for the candidates.
    4. Select the appropriate status for the disposition.

      Select the suitable disposition action for the candidates.
    5. The status will be updated on the candidate summary.

      The status is updated on the candidate summary.
Check the box accordingly to select all names or just a few.

Note

You can also drag and drop the candidates to the appropriate status using the grips.

Typeahead Support in the legacy Candidate Workbench

The standard and custom picklist fields on the Job Application portlets in applicant workbench support the Typeahead feature, where selecting the textbox displays the available picklist values.

Typeahead is supported only for fields whose type is defined as picklist in the Job Application template and has a picklist id in the picklist center. Typeahead is supported for the following Job Application portlets in the applicant workbench:

  • Application portlets
  • Background fields portlets like Formal education, Previous employment and Work experience
  • More information portlets

Note that the Application Status field appearing in the Job Application portlets does not support Typeahead.

Latest Applicant Workbench Overview

All Recruiting users can refine the latest applicant process with the applicant workbench tool once this tool was enabled in instance. Users can search for individuals who have applied for specific jobs and view their details. The tool includes the following functionality:

  • Keyword search capability
  • Enhanced filtering functionality
  • Configurable columns
  • Quick actions
Screenshot of the Applicant Workbench. Information about the Applicant Workbench functionality is provided in the below paragraph.

The functionality can be enabled in Admin CenterManage Recruiting SettingsEnable Latest Applicant Workbench. Once the functionality is enabled you will see a switch in the top-right corner in the RecruitingApplicant Workbench. You can easily switch between the legacy and the latest workbench by using the switch. 

If you do not want users to be able to switch between the legacy and the latest applicant workbench, you can disable the switch in Admin CenterManage Recruiting SettingsEnable Latest Applicant WorkbenchHide Legacy Workbench.

Search, Filters, and Statuses in the latest Applicant Workbench

The search functionality enables users to search on text standard fields, custom fields, and picklist fields.

You can switch between filters and statuses in the panel on the left side of the tool. The panel can be hidden completely, if needed. A list of available filters can be updated in Admin Center → Manage Data. Filters can be combined to reduce the list of the applicants and works in OR logic. 

Statuses are displayed as defined in the status set in Admin Center including the grouped statuses.

The central area displays a list of the applicants associated with a specific job requisition. Displayed columns can be managed through the cog wheel on the right-hand side. A maximum of nine columns, including the name of the applicant, can be displayed. Columns can be changed or reordered. 

Customization of Filters and Columns

A predefined starter kit of filters and displayed columns is available. This kit can be customized if the user has specific role-based permissions. To assign the permissions, go to ManagePermission Roles -> Select Permission Role -> Permission -> Administrator Permissions -> Manage MDF Recruiting Objectsand set the following permissions:

  • Recruiting User Personalization Objects Configuration
  • Recruiting User Personalization Object Configuration.fields

To edit the filters or display specific columns go to Admin Center → Manage Data. In the first Search field, select Recruiting User Personalization Object Configuration. In the second Search field, select List Page Type: Job Application. 

To add a new field or to change the settings on the starter kit fields, select Take Action and then select Make Correction from dropdown list. The fields and their settings become editable, so that you can change the display or filter settings, change the order in which the fields appear, or add new fields.

Fields defined on the Candidate Application or the Candidate Profile Template, including background elements, can be configured as displayable (to be available for column selection) and filterable (to be available as a filter). Refer to the topic, Supported Field Types for Applicant Management, on help.sap.com for information on what data types are supported in the Recruiting User Personalization Object Configuration MDF object.

Applicant Detailed View in the latest Applicant Workbench

Applicant details can be accessed by selecting the name of the applicant. Selecting an applicant from the list immediately expands the view to see their detailed information. At the same time, the applicant list collapses and moves to the left column, so that you can easily pick detailed views between various individuals, allowing you to compare among different applicants.

The top row in the detail view provides contact information for the applicant you're viewing. The details themselves are organized into tabs, with information separated into labeled sections. An administrator can control what portlets Recruiting users can see, add to, or edit, based on the permissions users have been assigned.

Applicant Detailed View Tabs

Detailed View TabDescription
Applicant InformationDisplays the following:
  • Application Information - information from the application
  • Screening Details - answers provided by the applicant to screening questions
  • Profile Information - the name of the applicant. The tab can also include background elements that are configured in the profile template.
  • Talent Pools - any talent pools the applicant has been added to. Users with the appropriate permission can choose the Add to Talent Pool option here.
Resume and DocumentsDisplays the contents of the applicant's resume and cover letter without the need to first download the files, or to open a different application to view them. Users can also access additional documents, such as work samples, portfolio, or certificates. Users with appropriate permissions can upload documents here directly.
CommentsDisplays comments that are part of the applicant's record. Users with appropriate permissions can add comments here directly.
ActivityDisplay various activities associated with the applicant, organized into the following categories:
  • Correspondence - communication with the applicant. In addition to email, the list can include text messages if you've included SMS in your configuration.
  • Interviewers - display a list of interviewers, as well as interview date, time, and any notes regarding the interviews.
  • Interview Results – shows interview results that are completed in Interview Central, including overall ratings, ratings per competency/skill, recommendations, and comments.
  • Offer - display offers letters that have been generated.
  • Assessments – shows the assessment status and detailed results.
  • Background Check– shows the status and results of the background check.
Applicant HistoryDisplays the Jobs Applied portlet, which lists job requisitions the applicant has applied to.

Along with the list of jobs, a Comments column displays comments from the other job requisitions which the applicant applied.

Users can also find application historical results such as:

  • Screening History (Pre-screening Questions the candidate has answered)
  • Assessment History
Audit InformationDisplays the following audit-related information:
  • Application Status Audit Trail - a list of statuses through which the candidate has passed.
  • Change History - all of the actions made in the applicant record.

Actions in the Applicant List

You can perform the following actions directly from the applicant list in the latest applicant workbench:

  • Change statuses with the move button - The most frequently performed action on the applicant list is to move the status of one or more applicants. A button, Move, is located prominently on the top-right corner of the list, and lets users open the Move Applicants dialog directly for their selected applicants. Recruiting users can control all applicant status changes through the Move button. For this reason, any existing business rule scenario for job applications that uses a field change (OnChange) rule to update the applicant status field is ignored in Applicant Management.
  • Add to requisition – Add those candidates to job requisition who have been forwarded to the job but have yet to apply.
  • Contact applicants – Contact applicants through email as well as text messages if the SMS feature is enabled.
  • Add a comment
  • Invite a candidates – Encourage candidates who have been forwarded to the job to apply.
  • Add applicants to talent pools
  • Forward candidates– Send potential candidates to job requisitions or colleagues.
  • Forward as applicant
  • Download resume and cover letters Note that up to 50 candidates can be selected at a time to download documents.

  • Invite a candidate as a late stage applicant (if this feature is enabled)
  • Ability to initiate (and reinitiate) assessments
  • Ability to initiate background checks with third party vendors
  • Ability to initiate Onboarding
  • View and compare details – With the View Details option, users can select multiple applicants to compare. Selected applicants then slide over to an abbreviated list for users to easily view and compare.

Additional Functionalities in the latest Applicant Workbench

Additional functionalities in the latest Applicant Workbench are as follows:

Additional functionalities in the latest Applicant Workbench

FunctionalityDescription
See the chosen namesChosen names of internal applicants appear when you enable the General Display Name feature for your instance.
See when applicants update their applicationsWhen you enable multistage applications, the updated value displays in the new column whenever applicants update their applications.
Compare applicantsChoosing multiple applicants at once creates a mini list on the screen that lets you easily compare their details.

Apply for a Job

Business Example

Apply for a job that has been posted.

Task 1: Apply to the Opening

Steps

  1. Copy the internal private posting link from the job you have posted in previous exercise

  2. Open the link in the new browser window

  3. Click Apply. Candidate Profile will display. Review the information and complete the mandatory fields if needed.

    Note

    You will be working with Candidate Profile in more detail in another module
  4. Click Next at the bottom of the screen

  5. Review the information at the candidate application. If needed, complete the mandatory fields

  6. Select Apply to complete the process

  7. Apply as an external candidate using the external private posting link and follow the above steps. Please note that you will need to create an account for the external applicant

  8. Are there differences between the internal and external applications? Do you know why?

Task 2: Search for the Candidate

Steps

  1. As the recruiter, navigate to Recruiting and look for the job requisition you posted and have candidates applied to.

  2. In Candidate column confirm that there are 2 new candidates

  3. Click on the number. Review the details available on candidate workbench

Review Candidate Applications in Legacy Canidate Workbench

Business Example

Once candidates have applied to posted jobs, the candidate summary page provides a quick view into applicant information and statuses on the talent pipeline, along with the ability to move candidates from one status to another. In this exercise, you will act as the recruiter and review candidate details and advance candidates through the talent pipeline.

Task 1: View Candidates as the Recruiter

Steps

  1. Log in as an administrator and navigate to Admin CenterRecruitingEdit Applicant Status Configuration.

  2. Check each status and make sure the recruiter can select AND view all statuses. Be sure to save any necessary changes.

    1. Find the first status you want to check and hover over Action. Select Edit to open the details of that status.

    2. Scroll down the page to view Viewable By settings. Make sure Recruiter is checked.

    3. Scroll down and view Selectable By settings. Make sure Recruiter is checked.

    4. Save your settings on the status.

    5. Save the settings on the Status Set.

    6. Repeat steps a) to e) for all other statuses.

  3. Log in as (proxy to) the recruiter.

    1. Proxy as the recruiter and navigate to Recruiting.

  4. Open the candidate summary for the posted job with applicants.

    1. Find a job with candidates and open the Candidate Summary page.

  5. Select a candidate to review. Check these items (you may need to log in as the candidate for cross-referencing):

    • Candidate Contact Information – Does it match the candidate’s information from the profile?

    • Can you view the resumé?

    • Can you send an email to the candidate?

Task 2: Move Candidates (Individually and in Bulk)

Steps

  1. As the recruiter, move both candidates simultaneously from the New Applicant status to the next status on the pipeline.

    1. From the Action column, select both candidates by selecting the checkbox next to their names.

    2. Under Action, click Advance Candidate.

  2. Now move only one candidate to the next status in the pipeline, using a different method to move them.

    1. Drag and drop a candidate into the appropriate status.

      OR

    2. Open the candidate details and select Move Candidate, select the next status, and then choose Save.

      OR

    3. Update the Candidate Status dropdown menu.

Review Candidate Application in Latest Candidate Workbench

Business Example

Another way to manage applicants through the talent pipeline is to use latest applicant workbench. In this exercise, you will act as the administrator and enable latest application workbench and then proxy as recruiter to confirm the changes.

Task 1: Enable Latest Applicant Workbench

Steps

  1. Log in as an administrator and navigate to Manage Recruiting Settings → Candidate Summary.

  2. Select Enable Latest Applicant Workbench and select Save.

  3. Switch to Latest Applicant Workbench in Recruiting.

    1. As a recruiter or a user with permissions to Recruiting, navigate to Recruiting → Job Requisition and select the job requisition that was posted and at least one applicant has applied for this job.

    2. In the top right corner, select Switch to Latest Applicant Workbench.

  4. Confirm, that you have Latest Applicant Workbench enabled.

    1. Statuses and filters are available on the left side.

    2. List of the applicants is available in the central part of the screen.

    3. You are able to switch back to Legacy Candidate Workbench in the top right corner.

Task 2: Review Applicants in Latest Candidate Workbench

Steps

  1. While in the latest application workbench, click on the candidate name to access full candidate details.

  2. Confirm that you can see and access all candidate tabs.

    1. On the top of the screen, you should see following tabs:

      • Applicant Information
      • Resume and Documents
      • Comments
      • Activity
      • Candidate History
      • Audit Information
  3. Can you edit some of the information? If yes, why? If not, why?

  4. Move candidate to different status.

    1. While still in detailed applicant screen, select one or more candidates on the left side of the screen.

    2. Click Move button.

    3. New screen opens. In Update status line select the status the candidate should be move to.

    4. Enter the comments, if needed.

    5. Click Move.

    6. Click Close.

    7. Confirm, that candidate was moved to selected status.

Task 3: Add Another Filter and Column to Latest Applicant Workbench

Steps

  1. As an administrator, navigate to Manage Data and add new fields to the list of available filters or displayable fields.

    1. Navigate to Admin Center → Manage Data.

    2. In the search box, enter Recruiting User Personalization Object Configuration.

    3. In the second box, select List Page Type: Job_Application.

  2. Add field to the list and mark it as Displayable and Filterable.

    1. In the top-right corner, select Take Action → Make Correction.

    2. Scroll down the page. Place the cursor in Click or focus to edit field at the end of the fields list.

    3. Enter the Field ID of one of the fields defined in Candidate Profile or Candidate Application, e.g. convicted.

    4. Select Yes for Displayable.

    5. Select Yes for Filterable.

    6. Save your changes.

  3. As a recruiter or a user with access to Recruiting, navigate to Recruiting and confirm that you can filter the candidates based on newly added filter.

    1. Navigate to Recruiting → Job Requisition.

    2. Select one of the job requisitions that has applicant and click on the number in Candidate column.

    3. Confirm that newly added filter is available under filters.

    4. If you have more than one applicant that has applied for the job requisition, use this newly added filter to test the results.

  4. Confirm, that newly added field is available displayable column.

    1. While still in the main workbench page, click on the cog wheel in the top right corner.

    2. Confirm, that the newly added field is available in the list.

    3. Select the field to be displayed and save the changes. Note, that maximum of nine column can be displayed at the same time.

    4. Confirm, that new column is available in the center part of the screen.

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