Reviewing Applications
How to screen incoming applications, review candidate submissions, and take action on applications.
Why It Matters
Screening is the gateway to your pipeline. A fast, consistent review process keeps candidates engaged and prevents your inbox from becoming a bottleneck. Kit gives you the tools to review efficiently and take action without switching contexts.
The Review Inbox
When you open a job posting, applications are organized into three sections:
| Section | What’s Here |
|---|---|
| Needs Screening | New applications waiting for initial review (when screening is enabled) |
| My Reviews | Applications where you’re assigned as a reviewer on the current stage |
| Completed Reviews | Applications where your review is already submitted |
This layout ensures you always know what needs your attention first. Start with Needs Screening, then work through My Reviews.
Screening Applications
Screening is an optional gate on the Application Form stage. When enabled, submitted applications are held for manual review before advancing to the next stage.
Enabling Screening
On the Application Form stage configuration, toggle Screening Enabled. You can also set a Screening Message — this is shown to candidates while they wait, so they know their application is being reviewed.
The Screening Workflow
- A candidate submits their application
- The application appears in Needs Screening
- You review their submission (form answers, resume, etc.)
- Either Advance the candidate to the next stage or Reject them
Without screening enabled, candidates automatically advance to the next stage after submitting their application.
When to Use Screening
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| High-volume roles where you need to filter quickly | Low-volume roles where every candidate is worth evaluating |
| Roles requiring specific credentials or qualifications | Internal referrals that have already been vetted |
| When you want to control the flow of candidates into later stages | When you want candidates to start assignments immediately |
Reviewing Submissions
Each stage type produces different submission content. Here’s what you’ll see when reviewing:
| Stage Type | What You Review |
|---|---|
| Application Form | Form field answers — text responses, uploaded files, selected options |
| Code Assignment | GitHub repository link, code diff, submission timestamp |
| Portfolio Upload | Uploaded files — PDFs, images, design files |
| Questionnaire | Written answers to each question |
| Video | Watch completion status and percentage |
| Video Recording | Recorded video response from the candidate |
Click on any stage in the application timeline to open a detail modal with the full submission content for that stage.
Application Detail Page
The application detail page is your command center for a single candidate’s journey through a job. It’s divided into several sections:
Header
Shows the candidate’s name, email, and the current application status. Action buttons (Advance, Reject) appear here when available.
Status Box
Displays the current stage name and progress status. If the candidate is waiting on a submission or review, you’ll see that here.
Quick Fields
The sidebar shows quick field values (salary expectation, availability, etc.) for fast reference. Click any value to edit it inline.
Timeline
A visual representation of the candidate’s progress through each stage. Colored dots indicate completed (green), in progress (blue), and pending (gray) stages. Click any stage to view its details.
Notes
Team notes about the candidate, in reverse chronological order. Add new notes with rich text, @mentions, and confidential toggles.
Communications
Email thread between your team and the candidate. Shows all sent and received messages with timestamps.
Taking Action
From the application detail page, you can take two primary actions:
Advancing
The Advance button appears when:
- The application is active (not rejected or withdrawn)
- The current stage’s requirements are met (submission received, reviews complete)
- There’s a next stage in the pipeline
Clicking Advance completes the current stage and moves the candidate to the next one. The candidate is notified and your team’s Slack channel receives an update (if connected).
Rejecting
Click Reject to open the rejection form. Enter an optional reason (visible only to your team) and confirm. A rejection email is scheduled based on your account’s email delay setting (configurable in hiring settings, default 24 hours).
Viewing Stage Details
Click any stage in the timeline to open a modal with stage-specific content. What you see depends on the stage type — form answers for application forms, code links for assignments, scores for reviews, interview details for live interviews.
Quick Checklist
- Check the Needs Screening section daily for new applications
- Enable screening on application form stages for high-volume roles
- Set a clear screening message so candidates know their application is being reviewed
- Review My Reviews section for stages where you’re assigned as a reviewer
- Use quick fields to capture candidate metadata during review
- Add notes with @mentions to keep your team informed about candidate progress