What's included in this guide:

• Overview
• Enabling this feature
  • Step 1 - Create an email template
  • Step 2 - Linking the email template to the candidate status
    • Identifying the correct withdrawn status
    • Linking the email template to the status 
• Self-Service Calendar Interviewer Cancellation Emails
• FAQs

Overview

Candidates have the option to withdraw their application from the candidate portal. Client system users can also withdraw an application on behalf of a candidate by updating them to the relevant candidate status.

Using the forward details feature within candidate application statuses, an automated notification can be sent to you each time a candidate withdraws their application.

For candidates who already have an interview booked via the Self-Service Calendar / Event Manager, automated emails will be sent to the interviewers to advise the interview has been cancelled. Further information on this is covered here.

Enabling this feature

Step 1 - Create an email template

Go to Settings > Communications > Email Templates 

Select Create Email Template from the left-hand menu:

• Add an email name and email subject
• Add your email content and use the following merge fields to pull in the candidate’s name and job reference number
  • {CANDIDATES.FIRSTNAME} {CANDIDATES.LASTNAME} 
  • {JOBS.JOBREFERENCE}

• Press Save and then Exit

Step 2 - Linking the email template to the candidate status

Identifying the correct withdrawn status

Some clients may have a number of different statuses to capture withdrawn candidates, but only one is linked to the Withdraw button on the candidate portal. 

You can check which status this is by going to Settings > System Customisation. Scroll down to Application Statuses and then see Withdrawn application. 

Linking the email template to the status 

Go to Settings > General Settings > Candidate Application Statuses.

• Click on the relevant candidate application status and navigate to the Forward Details tab

• Toggle to green against Forward Details
• Add the email address where the email notification should be sent to in the Send to field. To add two email addresses, use the BCC field
• Choose an email template
• Press Save

If you need the withdrawn email notification to go to different system users depending on the job the candidate has applied for, we recommend using the System Alerts feature instead. Please click here to read our System Alerts user guide.

Self-service calendar interviewer cancellation emails

If a candidate has an interview booked via the Self-Service Calendar, and their application is withdrawn, an automated email is sent to any users listed in the Interviewers tab.

This automated email will be sent if the candidate has withdrawn their application themselves from the candidate portal and if a system user has done this on their behalf by updating them to the relevant candidate status.

The automated email that is sent is the cancellation email that has been selected in the calendar event:

NB: If no email is selected in this section of the calendar event, then the automated cancellation emails will not be sent.

An automated cancellation email will also be sent to any users listed in the Interviewers tab of the calendar event if the candidates delete their profile. 

This automated cancellation email will be sent for all calendar events. 

Including events where the Candidate Self Service option is toggled off on the Event details page as illustrated below:

Please note these emails will only be generated when candidates are updated to the specified Withdraw status set in system customisation.

Please click here for steps to identify the correct withdrawn status.

FAQs

A candidate’s application has been withdrawn but the automated cancellation email has not been sent to the interviewer. Why?   

If the interview has not been booked via the Self-Service Calendar feature, then the cancellation email will not be sent. If the candidate’s interview has been booked using the Self-Service Calendar feature then these are the next things to check:

1. Is there an email template listed next to the Appointment cancellation email for interviewer(s) on the Emails tab of the calendar event? 
   If nothing has been added, then the cancellation emails will not be sent. To rectify this, add an email template in here and moving forwards the interviewer cancellation emails will be sent for any candidate applications that are withdrawn. 
2. Next thing to check is if the user who hasn’t received the email is listed in the Interviewers tab of the calendar event. Only users listed on this page will receive the cancellation emails. 
3. Has the candidate been updated to the correct withdrawn status? Some clients may have numerous different statuses to capture withdrawn candidates, but only one is linked to the Withdraw button on the candidate portal.
   
   You can check which status this is by going to Settings > System Customisation. Scroll down to Application Statuses and then see Withdrawn application. 

If you've followed the guidance notes and have some further questions, please contact our Support Team on +44(0)161 8502004.