Pipelines help you manage candidates throughout the recruitment process for a specific job posting.

Each job posting has its own pipeline, allowing you to track candidate progress from application to hiring decision.

Need to create a custom workflow?
Learn how to create a pipeline.

What Is a Pipeline?

A pipeline is a series of stages that candidates move through during the hiring process.

Sterndesk uses the following stages:

• New
• Approved
• Rejected

When a candidate applies for a job or is added manually to a job posting, an application is created and placed in the pipeline.

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Viewing a Pipeline

To view a pipeline:

1. Navigate to Job Postings.
2. Open a job posting.
3. Select the Applications tab.

You will see all applications associated with that job posting grouped by stage.

Moving Candidates Between Stages

As candidates progress through the recruitment process, you can move them between stages.

To move a candidate:

1. Open the candidate's application within the pipeline.
2. Click the ⋯ menu.
3. Select Move to Stage.
4. Choose the desired stage.

Changes are saved automatically.

Important: Moving a candidate to stages such as Approved or Rejected is only used for internal tracking. Candidates will not automatically receive an email notification when their application is moved to a different stage. If you want to inform a candidate about a hiring decision, you must send the communication separately.

Adding Candidates to a Pipeline

Candidates can enter a pipeline in two ways:

Through the Career Site

When a candidate applies through your Career Site, Sterndesk automatically creates an application and places it in the pipeline.

Manually

Recruiters can add existing candidates to a job posting using Add Candidate.

This creates a new application and places it in the pipeline.

How Do I Add an Existing Candidate to a Job Posting?

Candidate Applications

A candidate can appear in multiple pipelines if they have applications for multiple job postings.

Each application is tracked separately and can be in a different stage depending on the vacancy.

Learn how candidates enter a job pipeline:
What Happens When Someone Applies for a Job?

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Changing a Pipeline

Once a job posting has received applications, its pipeline can no longer be changed.

This prevents candidates from being moved to a different pipeline unexpectedly and ensures that their recruitment history remains accurate.

If you need to use a different pipeline, create a new job posting with the desired pipeline before receiving applications.

Open and Closed Job Postings

Pipelines remain available even after a job posting is closed.

You can continue reviewing applications and recruitment history, but closed job postings will not accept new applications.

Why Use Pipelines?

Pipelines help recruiters:

• Track candidate progress
• Organize applications
• Manage hiring workflows
• Collaborate with team members
• Keep recruitment activities structured and transparent