Overview
Setting up questions that will automatically disqualify candidates based on a certain set of criteria is easy and takes just a couple of minutes. Knockout questions will auto-flag any candidates who have answered your application questions incorrectly, and you can also take it a step further to automatically remove those candidates from your new, active pipeline.
You can use our built-in profile questions, or go ahead and create a custom questionnaire.
Knockout Questions serve a dual purpose:
1. Flagging Unqualified Candidates: By adding Knockout Questions to the application, you can automatically flag candidates who do not meet the necessary qualifications.
2. Automating Rejection: You can further enhance this process by setting Knockout Questions to automatically reject candidates. This action marks them as “Not Hired” and sends a rejection letter, streamlining your hiring process.
In this article, we will cover:
- Knockout using Candidate Profile Questions
- Knockout using Custom Questionnaires
- Auto-rejecting with Knockout Questions
- FAQs
Knockout using Candidate Profile Questions
- First, head over to the Application tab on a job. This can be found by:
- Clicking the job title under Jobs
- Click Edit Job
- Click the Application tab
- Pick which profile question should become a knockout question by clicking the pencil icon in the banner of "Candidate Profile Questions".
- Note: There are only certain canned profile questions that allow a "Knockout Question" functionality, specifically because they have a "dropdown answer type":
- Highest Education Attained
- Citizen/Employment Status
- Age 18/or older
- Work Weekends
- Work Evenings
- Work Overtime
- Willing to Relocate
- Valid Driver's License AND Commercial Driver's license
- Felony Conviction
- After selecting the questions to be part of your application, click SAVE CHANGES.
- In the list of canned questions, select the dropdown carrot next to the specific question to "add disqualifying answer(s)" to the question and click the flag icon for each answer you would like to set as a "disqualifying" answer. (video below)
Please note that this step will only set up the disqualifying answers, not automatically reject any candidates who use them. If candidates select these answers when applying for the job, the application section of their profile will show the flagged questions you've set up. Please see these instructions in order to actually auto-reject candidates based on the disqualifying answers.
Knockout using Custom Questionnaires
You can also add knockout questions to your custom questionnaires. Custom questionnaires are found under Settings > Templates and can be created by Super Admins, Recruiting Admins, and Super Users.
- Click Add Question to create a new question on your questionnaire, or select the actions dropdown arrow to Edit Question if you want to add a disqualifying answer to a question you've already created.
- Click the flag to mark which answer should disqualify the candidate.
- Click Save Question.
Auto-rejecting with Knockout Questions
This feature only pertains to questionnaires sent within the application itself, not a questionnaire sent after a candidate applies.
To add auto-rejection to your knockout questions first, add in a knockout question by following the above set of steps.
- On the job application tab, click Auto-Reject Candidate
- Under Auto-reject the candidate to, use the drop-down to select which Not Hired disposition the candidate will be labeled under
- If you want this to trigger an email or rejection letter, then an email must be added to the corresponding disposition, on the workflow
- If you have added an email to this disposition, you will then select when the email will be sent from the drop-down under send emails directed to candidate
- If you have not added any email to this disposition, you will see a notification confirming this with a link to Add an email workflow helper
- Click Save to add in auto-rejection
Now candidates who incorrectly answer your knockout questions in your application will be flagged as having been auto-rejected on their candidate profile next to their name and will be automatically labeled as Not Hired, under the disposition you selected above. These auto-rejected candidates will not show up in your new candidates so you can focus on the qualified candidates. You can edit or remove this action by clicking the pencil or trash can icon.
Please note that any candidate who has been auto-rejected will still be sent any Workflow Helper emails that are in the New stage of the Workflow.
FAQ's
How can I tell if a candidate has been auto-rejected?
An auto-rejected candidate will have the label “AUTO-REJECTED” displayed in red text to the right of their name in the candidate profile.
Where can I see if a candidate submitted a disqualifying answer?
Disqualifying answers are flagged with an icon and highlighted in red in the “Job Application” section of the candidate profile. These answers indicate that the candidate did not meet the criteria.
Why can’t I add Knockout Questions to my custom questionnaires?
If you’re on a HERO subscription, the Knockout Questions feature is not included, as this plan does not support add-on features like custom knockout questions.
Will I receive the New Candidate Email Notification if a candidate's application is rejected (or "knocked out")?
No, you will not receive a notification for candidates whose applications are rejected or "knocked out."
If I set my auto-rejection email to send 3 days after rejection, will the email be sent exactly 72 hours after auto-rejection, or the morning after?
The auto-rejection email will be sent as close as possible to exactly 72 hours after the candidate is auto-rejected, not the morning after.
Why isn't my email workflow helper showing as an option when setting auto rejection?
The email workflow helper may not appear if the recipient is not set to the candidate within the “Not Hired” disposition. Ensure the workflow marks the candidate as the recipient for the email.
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