hcm

Recruiting (ATS)

ENTERPRISEEstimated read: 10 min· Updated 2026-08-30

Recruiting (ATS)

EnterpriseAdmin

/hcm/recruiting/ats is the recruiting Applicant Tracking System. The workflow: a requisition is opened + approved through a multi-step chain; candidates apply through the careers page or get sourced; interviews produce scorecards with a structured rating + rationale; rejected candidates receive an EEOC-categorized reason with an optional AI-drafted note; accepted candidates receive a signed offer; on accept, an employee lifecycle record is created automatically. The job feed publishes in Indeed-compatible XML + a JSON Feed for syndication.

TL;DR — Open HCM → Recruiting → ATS. Create a requisition. Route it through approval. Publish to the careers page + external job feeds. As candidates apply, the recruiting pipeline moves them through stages with scorecards. Offer to one; lifecycle kicks in on accept.

Requisitions

  1. Click "+ New requisition"

    Opens the requisition form.

  2. Position details

    Title, level (career framework), comp band reference, hiring manager, location, employment type.

  3. Hiring panel

    Pick the interviewers + the loop ordering.

  4. Approval chain

    Multi-step (typical: hiring manager → skip-level → HR → CFO/ Finance for budget). Each step is configurable per workspace.

  5. Submit for approval

    Audit log records HCM_REQUISITION_CREATED. Routes through the approval chain; each approver gets the requisition in their Action Inbox.

  6. Approved

    Audit log records HCM_REQUISITION_APPROVED. The requisition is now publishable.

Publish to the careers page + feeds

FieldWhat it doesAccepted values / default
Careers pagePublic workspace careers page.Workspace-branded; lists every open requisition with apply form.
Indeed-compatible XML feedXML feed for syndication to Indeed (and other XML-consuming aggregators).Auto-published on requisition open; auto-removed on close.
JSON FeedMachine-readable JSON of open requisitions for custom integrations.Same shape as careers page; useful for chatbots, custom sites, partner careers pages.
Signed-HMAC candidate portalCandidate-side surface for application status + scheduling.HMAC-signed candidate links so candidates don't need an AxisSynapse account.

Candidate pipeline stages

The stage list is workspace-defined; a typical pipeline:

FieldWhat it doesAccepted values / default
AppliedCandidate submitted application.Visible to recruiter + hiring panel.
Recruiter screenPhone or video screen with recruiter.Scorecard + advance / reject decision.
Hiring manager screenConversation with the hiring manager.Scorecard + decision.
Technical / craft interviewPer-discipline depth.Scorecard with technical signal.
On-site loopMulti-interviewer loop.Scorecard per panel member.
DebriefPanel discussion + hire / no-hire decision.Decision recorded; rejected candidates get categorized reason.
OfferOffer extended.Comp + equity + signing details from the requisition's band.
ClosedOffer accepted, declined, or candidate withdrew.Lifecycle kicks in on accept.

Interview scorecards

A structured scorecard with rating + rationale per dimension:

FieldWhat it doesAccepted values / default
Rating scale1-5 mapped to STRONG_YES / YES / NEUTRAL / NO / STRONG_NO.Workspace can rename labels but the scale is constant.
Per-dimension ratingRating per evaluation dimension (technical, communication, culture-add, etc.).Dimensions defined per requisition or per role.
Rationale (required)Free-text explanation per dimension.Calibration-friendly; helps debrief decisions.
RecommendationOverall hire / no-hire signal.Captured separately from per-dimension ratings.

EEOC-categorized rejection

Rejected candidates receive a reason categorized by EEOC-tracked categories. AxisSynapse supports 12 categories + a 50%-dominant- rejection flag that surfaces when a single reason dominates the funnel disproportionately for any demographic group.

FieldWhat it doesAccepted values / default
Reason categoryEEOC-tracked rejection reason.Lack of experience, location mismatch, comp expectations, skills mismatch, etc.
Optional AI-drafted noteAI suggests a candidate-facing rejection note based on the category + scorecard.Recruiter edits before sending; PII anonymized in the AI prompt.
Dominant-rejection flagFlags a category that dominates rejection for a demographic group disproportionately.Surfaces in DEI dashboards for review.

AI rejection drafter posture

The AI sees the scorecard categories + the EEOC reason — never the candidate's name, email, or demographic data. The recruiter reviews + edits before sending. The output is a suggestion, never auto-sent.

Offer + acceptance

  1. Click "Extend offer"

    Opens the offer form pre-filled from the requisition's comp band reference.

  2. Adjust comp

    Within the band by default; out-of-band offers require an HR approval step.

  3. Equity, signing, benefits

    From the band's targets + any individual deviation.

  4. Submit

    Offer letter generated from the workspace's signing template (see Document signing). Audit log records HCM_OFFER_EXTENDED.

  5. Candidate accepts / declines

    HCM_OFFER_ACCEPTED / HCM_OFFER_DECLINED recorded. On accept, the lifecycle workflow opens a new-hire record (see Employee lifecycle).

Every field, explained

FieldWhat it doesAccepted values / default
RequisitionThe open role.Multi-step approval; published to careers + feeds.
Stage listPipeline stages.Workspace-defined order; common 7-stage pattern shown above.
ScorecardStructured interview evaluation.1-5 rating + rationale per dimension; recommendation captured separately.
Rejection categoryEEOC-tracked reason.12 categories + dominant-rejection flag.
AI rejection drafterSuggested candidate note.Editable; PII-anonymized prompt.
OfferComp + equity + benefits.Generated from comp band; out-of-band requires HR approval.

Audit codes

For EEOC compliance review + SIEM ingestion, this surface emits:

See Reference → Audit codes for the canonical description of each.

Common gotchas

  • "Requisition stuck in approval." Check the chain — an approver may be on leave. Workspace policy can specify backups.
  • "Indeed feed isn't showing my requisition." External aggregators have their own polling; the feed updates within an hour. Indeed itself can take 24-48 hours.
  • "Scorecard submitted but the recommendation didn't move." Recommendation is independent of per-dimension ratings; the panel's debrief consolidates.
  • "AI drafter wrote a note in the wrong tone." Edit; the AI is a suggestion engine. Workspace can tune the drafter's baseline guidance.
  • "Out-of-band offer auto-rejected." Out-of-band requires HR approval; route via the comp-review pattern if outside workspace policy.

Troubleshooting

Error codeWhat it meansFix
REQ_APPROVAL_CHAIN_STUCKAn approver is non-responsive.Reassign via the approval chain editor.
REQ_BAND_MISSINGRequisition references a comp band that doesn't exist.Create the band or pick a different one.
OFFER_OUT_OF_BAND_BLOCKEDOffer outside band without HR approval.Route through HR or reduce.
CANDIDATE_DUPLICATECandidate already in pipeline.Merge records via the candidate detail.

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