Hiring Pipeline
Track candidates through stages from applied to hired.
Overview
The Hiring Pipeline is a lightweight applicant tracker for small teams who want pipeline clarity without paying for a full enterprise system. Every candidate sits on a board that moves from Applied through Screened, Interviewed, Offer, and Hired (or Rejected), with the role they are being considered for, the date they entered the pipeline, and notes that capture interviewer impressions. It is the minimum viable ATS, optimised for founders and hiring managers who run a handful of roles at a time.
The benefit of a pipeline is not the board itself but the discipline it imposes. You can see at a glance which roles are well-stocked, which are starved, where candidates are stalling, and how long the average time-to-hire is running. Those signals make it harder to lose great applicants to indecision and easier to identify weak spots in your funnel.
How it works
You add a candidate by entering their name, the role they are applying for, the source (referral, job board, agency), and the current stage. As you screen, interview, and decide, you move the candidate through stages and append notes after each touchpoint. The pipeline view groups candidates by stage so you can see the shape of each role at a glance.
When someone is hired, mark the record complete and feed their details over to the Employee Directory. Rejected candidates stay on file as a talent pool you can revisit when a similar role opens up.
Examples
- Multiple roles open. Run a separate column or filter per role so the senior backend pipeline does not blend with the designer search.
- Interview debrief. After a final-round panel, jot each interviewer's verdict in notes so the hire decision has structured evidence.
- Funnel diagnosis. If you screen ten candidates and none pass to interview, refine your screening criteria or your job description.
- Talent pool. Six months later, search the pipeline for the strong-but-not-quite candidate and reach out about a new opening.
FAQ
Does this replace an enterprise ATS?
For small teams hiring fewer than a dozen roles a year, yes. Larger volumes typically need a dedicated platform with scheduling and assessment integrations.
Where do I store CVs?
Link to a candidate's CV in your file storage from the notes field; the tool itself is text-based.
How do I handle a rejected candidate I want to keep warm?
Tag them in notes as "future fit" and reach out when the right role opens. The record stays searchable.
Can multiple managers use the same pipeline?
The pipeline is local to one user. Coordinate hand-offs by sharing exports if needed.
What signals matter most when reviewing the board?
Pay attention to candidates stuck in one stage for too long; stalls are often a sign of unclear next steps from the hiring team.