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Candidate Notes

Recording internal notes and observations about candidates

Shaun Corness avatar
Written by Shaun Corness
Updated over a month ago

Getting Started

Notes help you document important information about candidates, collaborate with your team, and maintain a record of your assessment throughout the recruitment process.

Accessing Notes

To add or view notes:

  1. Open candidate details by clicking View Details

  2. Click the Notes tab

  3. You'll see any existing notes

  4. You can add new notes below

Adding Notes

Creating a Note

To add a note:

  1. Go to the Notes tab

  2. Find the text area for entering a new note

  3. Type your note (up to 2,000 characters)

  4. Click Save

  5. Your note appears in the notes list

What to Include in Notes

Useful information to record:

  • Interview feedback – Your impressions and observations

  • Qualifications – Assessment of candidate fit

  • Concerns – Any questions or red flags

  • Strengths – Positive observations

  • Next steps – Action items or follow-up needed

  • Team discussions – Collaboration notes

Viewing Notes

Note Display

Each note shows:

  • Author name – Who wrote the note

  • Note content – Full text of the note

  • Date and time – When the note was created

Notes are displayed in chronological order with most recent first.

Last Note Preview

In the candidate list view, you'll see the last note preview:

  • Shows first 50 characters of the most recent note

  • Shows "..." if the note is longer

  • Shows "-" if no notes exist

  • Hover to see the full note

This gives quick visibility into recent activity without opening each candidate.

Best Practices

Professional Standards

Keep notes professional:

  • Use objective, factual language

  • Avoid personal opinions or stereotypes

  • No inappropriate or discriminatory comments

  • Maintain professionalism standards

  • Remember notes may be reviewed

Useful and Timely

Make notes valuable:

  • Record important information promptly

  • Include specific observations

  • Document decisions and reasoning

  • Update after interviews or key events

  • Keep information current and relevant

Clear and Organised

Structure notes well:

  • Be concise but clear

  • Use line breaks for readability

  • Lead with key information

  • Include context for future readers

  • Make notes easy to scan

Sharing Notes

Visibility

Notes are visible to:

  • You – Always visible to the note author

  • Your team – Visible to other team members working on the vacancy

  • Record keeping – Part of candidate's permanent record

Team Collaboration

Use notes for:

  • Sharing feedback – Document interview results for team review

  • Collaborative assessment – Build consensus with colleagues

  • Progress tracking – Record candidate movement through pipeline

  • Documenting decisions – Show reasoning for stage changes

Data Protection & Privacy

GDPR Compliance

Notes contain personal data about candidates and must be handled in accordance with data protection regulations, including GDPR:

  • Lawful basis – Only record information relevant to the recruitment decision

  • Data minimisation – Include only necessary information about candidates

  • Accuracy – Ensure notes are factual and correct

  • Retention – Notes are retained as part of the candidate record according to your organisation's data retention policy

  • Candidate rights – Candidates may request access to their notes under data subject access requests

Keep notes professional, relevant, and defensible as they may be subject to review or disclosure under data protection laws.

Troubleshooting

I can't add notes:

  • Check your permissions

  • Ensure the candidate record is accessible

  • Try refreshing the page

  • Contact support if the issue persists

Notes aren't saving:

  • Verify your internet connection

  • Check that the note contains text

  • Ensure you clicked Save

  • Try again if it fails

  • Contact support if problems continue

I can't see notes I wrote:

  • Notes may take a moment to appear

  • Try refreshing the page

  • Verify you're viewing the correct candidate

  • Contact support if notes are missing

I need to edit a note:

  • Currently, notes cannot be edited after creation

  • Add a new note with the correction if needed

  • Reference the previous note for context

  • Contact support for special requests

Need more help? Click "Need Help?" in your profile dropdown or contact our support team for assistance.

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