What are Automatic Rejection Workflows?
Automatic Rejection Workflows allow you to create rules that automatically move applicants into the Rejected stage if they do not meet critical requirements. These rules help you enforce minimum qualifications consistently, save time for your hiring team, and ensure that only applicants who meet your baseline criteria remain in the active queue.
Automatic Rejection Workflows can be configured for:
- Critical Questions – Applicants who answer one or more “Critical Questions” incorrectly can be automatically rejected.
- AutoScore Questions – Applicants who score below a minimum threshold on AutoScore questions can be automatically rejected.
How do I configure my rules for Automatic Rejection Workflows?
Admins can set up Automatic Rejection Workflows from the Admin > Workflow Helpers > Rejection Rules tab. Each rule type appears in its own container and includes configuration options and defying each workflow follows the existing features built around rejecting applicants.
Critical Question Automatic Rejection
- Toggle On/Off: Enable or disable this rule.
- Send Rejection Email After [X Hours]: Choose when a rejection email should be sent (24, 48, or 72 hours).
- Disposition Code: Apply a specific disposition code (if enabled in your site).
- Rejection Message: Select which rejection email template should be sent.
AutoScore Automatic Rejection
- Toggle On/Off: Enable or disable this rule.
- Threshold Setting: Select a score percentage (in 5% increments) below which applicants are rejected.
- Send Rejection Email After [X Hours]: Choose when the rejection email should be sent (24, 48, or 72 hours).
- Disposition Code: Apply a disposition code (if enabled in your site).
- Rejection Message: Select the rejection email template to send.
Note: Automatic Rejection Workflows are global settings. Once enabled, they apply to all applicants moving forward for all jobs using AutoScore and/or Critical Questions. They are not designed to be turned on for individual questions or sections. This means you should carefully consider which questions you mark as Critical and/or what AutoScore threshold you define, since those settings will automatically apply to every applicant.
How do the rules apply to applicants?
When an applicant completes their application, the system immediately checks whether they meet the conditions you’ve set in any active Automatic Rejection Workflows.
- If no rejection rule is triggered, the applicant enters your normal applicant queue.
- If a rejection rule is triggered, the applicant is automatically moved into the Rejected stage and flagged as pending rejection.
Note: Automatic Rejection Workflows only apply to Part 1 of the application process.
Note: If you have both Critical Question and AutoScore rules turned on, the system will evaluate the applicant against both. If the applicant fails to meet the criteria for either rule, they will enter the rejection process.
What happens when an applicant doesn’t meet the minimum criteria I set and enters the automatic rejection workflow process?
When an applicant triggers an Automatic Rejection Workflow:
- Applicant moved to Rejected stage: The applicant’s file is automatically placed in the Rejected stage and a disposition code (if enabled) is applied.
- Rejection Scheduled badge: A red badge (“Rejection Scheduled”) appears in the top right of the applicant’s file, showing that a rejection email is pending.
- Stream entry created – A stream entry is logged with a noting the scheduled rejection details. This stream entry will be added “by the system” since programmatic rules, not an individual user, triggered the action.
- Email delivery after set time: Once the selected time period (24/48/72 hours) elapses, the rejection message is sent to the applicant.
Before the email is sent, you can cancel the scheduled rejection:
- Open the applicant file.
- Click Cancel Scheduled Rejection at the bottom of the Stages pane.
- Move the applicant to a different stage and confirm.
- The system updates the stream with the cancellation action. The applicant is never notified that a rejection was scheduled.
This gives recruiters flexibility to override automated rules if needed, while still automating most unqualified applicant handling.