With two-way communication, candidates can reply to e-mails you send from the system. The whole conversation is saved on the candidate's application, so you and your colleagues can see what has been said, without long e-mail chains in private inboxes. Candidates with an account can also send new messages to you.
Note! Two-way communication is set per organisation. This feature only applies to e-mails sent with an event linked to the contact template "Common", not to text messages, automations or messages in candidate banks.
How it works
You contact a candidate through an event with the event activity Contact applicants.
The candidate receives an e-mail with a link to your message. The message itself is not in the e-mail.
The candidate clicks the link, reads the message and replies, with or without attachments.
You and the responsible recruiter get a notification that the candidate has replied.
You read the reply and answer in the Contact tab on the candidate's application. The candidate then receives a new e-mail with a link.
The conversation can continue as long as the recruitment is ongoing.
Good to know before you activate the feature
Area | How it works |
Which messages | E-mails sent with an event that has the event activity Contact applicants, regardless of which template you use. The candidate cannot reply to text messages or other types of e-mails. |
Candidate banks and automations | Messages sent in candidate banks or through automations are ordinary e-mails, even if two-way communication is activated. The candidate cannot reply to them. |
Organisations | The setting is made per organisation and is inherited by sub-units, unless you change it there. |
User rights | You need Organisation - Candidate contact to see the tab and Organisation - Events and automations to save the setting. |
Link validity | The link is valid for 30 days and as long as the recruitment is ongoing. When the case is closed, the candidate can no longer open the link or reply. Each new message gives a new link. |
Notifications | When the candidate replies, everyone who has written in the conversation and the responsible recruiter for the case gets a notification. If a candidate with an account starts a new conversation, the responsible recruiter gets the notification. The notification is shown in the system and sent by e-mail if you have Email notifications turned on. |
Sender | The e-mail to the candidate is sent from your customised noreply address if the account has one. The candidate replies through the link, not by replying to the e-mail. |
Attachments | The candidate can attach up to 10 files per reply. You can attach one file per reply. Attachments to candidates without an account are not sent in new conversations. |
Storage | The conversation is saved on the application and deleted with it when the recruitment or the candidate's data is purged. Files the candidate sends are also saved among the application's attached files. |
Step by step
Step 1: Activate two-way communication
Go to Admin > Organisation and select the organisation.
Select the Candidate contact tab.
Under Two-way communication (e-mail), select Available.
Click Save settings.
Sub-units inherit the setting from above (The setting has been inherited from above), unless you change it there.
Step 2: Contact a candidate
Select one or more candidates in the application list.
Add an event that contacts the candidate. It can for example be called Contact applicants or Contact candidate.
Choose a template, write the message and send it.
The candidate receives an e-mail with a link to the message.
Step 3: Read the candidate's reply
Click the notification, or open the candidate's application and select the Contact tab.
Under Conversation with, you see all conversations with the candidate. Click a conversation to open it.
The conversations have statuses that show what has happened:
Status | Meaning |
New | There are messages you have not opened. |
Seen | The candidate has opened the message. |
Replied | The message has been replied to. |
Step 4: Reply to the candidate
Open the conversation in the Contact tab.
Click Reply under the latest message.
Write your reply and attach a file if needed.
Send the reply. The candidate receives a new e-mail with a link.
The candidate's experience
The candidate receives an e-mail with the subject «You have a new message regarding your application» and a link. The e-mail also says how long the link is valid.
| Candidate without an account | Candidate with an account |
Where the candidate reads and replies | On a separate page opened through the link, without signing in | In their candidate account, after signing in |
New messages | Can only reply to messages from you | Can also send new messages to you |
On the page, the candidate sees the conversation with you and can write a reply of up to 4000 characters. The page shows your organisation’s logo and a warning not to write sensitive information.
The candidate can attach up to 10 files, at most 5 MB per file. Empty files cannot be attached. When the recruitment is closed or the link has expired, the candidate sees the message «The link is no longer valid.».
Frequently asked questions
Can the candidate reply directly to the e-mail? No. The candidate replies through the link in the e-mail. That way, the reply ends up on the right application in the system.
Can candidates reply to text messages? No. Two-way communication only applies to e-mail.
Why could the candidate not reply to a message? The message may have been sent with a type of event contact other than Common. It may also have been sent through an automation or in a candidate bank, which sends an ordinary e-mail. Or the recruitment is closed, or the link is older than 30 days.
Who is notified when the candidate replies? Everyone who has written in the conversation and the responsible recruiter for the case.
Can I turn off the e-mail notifications? Yes. Turn off Email notifications in your notification panel when you are signed in. The notifications are still shown in the system.
What happens to the conversations when the recruitment is closed? They remain on the application, but the candidate can no longer reply. They are deleted when the recruitment or the candidate's data is purged.