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Intermediate

Managing Your Candidate Pipeline

Organize, track, and move candidates through your hiring pipeline efficiently with stage-based workflows. Create a systematic approach that ensures no candidate falls through the cracks.

9 min read
Kumo Recruiting Team

Standard Hiring Pipeline

Applied
Screening
Assessment
Interview
Reference
Offer
Hired
1

Applied

Stage 1

Initial application received

Auto-acknowledgmentResume parsingInitial screening
2

Screening

Stage 2

First-level evaluation

Phone/video screeningBasic qualifications checkInterest validation
3

Assessment

Stage 3

Skills and technical evaluation

Technical testsCase studiesPortfolio review
4

Interview

Stage 4

Face-to-face or video interviews

Panel interviewsCultural fit assessmentTeam introduction
5

Reference

Stage 5

Background and reference checks

Reference callsBackground verificationFinal validation
6

Offer

Stage 6

Job offer extended

Offer preparationSalary negotiationContract finalization
7

Hired

Stage 7

Offer accepted, onboarding begins

Welcome packageOnboarding prepStart date coordination

Key Pipeline Management Features

Automated Stage Progression

Set rules to automatically move candidates to the next stage based on actions or time.

  • • Auto-advance after successful screening
  • • Schedule follow-ups for stalled candidates
  • • Trigger notifications for stage changes

Pipeline Analytics

Track conversion rates, bottlenecks, and time-to-hire across all stages.

  • • Stage conversion rates
  • • Average time per stage
  • • Drop-off analysis

Candidate Tagging

Organize candidates with custom tags for easy filtering and organization.

  • • Skill-based tags
  • • Source tracking tags
  • • Priority level indicators

Smart Filtering

Advanced filters to quickly find candidates by various criteria.

  • • Filter by stage, date, or score
  • • Search by skills or experience
  • • Custom saved filter views

Pipeline Management Best Practices

Keep Candidates Moving

  • Set maximum time limits for each stage to prevent stagnation
  • Send regular updates to candidates about their status
  • Schedule follow-up tasks automatically for each stage

Maintain Pipeline Health

  • Review pipeline weekly to identify bottlenecks
  • Track key metrics: conversion rates, time-to-hire, drop-off points
  • Clean up stale candidates regularly (30+ days inactive)

Improve Candidate Experience

  • Provide clear expectations about timeline and next steps
  • Send personalized communications, not generic templates
  • Provide feedback at rejection points when possible

Common Pipeline Problems & Solutions

Problem: Candidates stuck in screening stage

Cause: Unclear screening criteria or overloaded recruiters

Solution: Implement automated screening with clear pass/fail criteria and time limits

Problem: High drop-off between interview stages

Cause: Poor candidate experience or lengthy process

Solution: Streamline interview process and improve communication frequency

Problem: Inconsistent stage definitions

Cause: Different team members interpreting stages differently

Solution: Create detailed stage definitions and train all team members

Next Steps

With a well-managed pipeline, focus on optimizing specific stages:

Offer Management

Create and track job offers with approval workflows.

Recruiting Analytics

Track KPIs and make data-driven hiring decisions.