Update Multiple Candidates

The article provides guidance on managing multiple candidates in a recruitment system. It explains how to update the status, move, or delete multiple candidates simultaneously. Users can select candidates from an overview table using checkboxes, enabling bulk actions. For status updates, users can choose a new status and add comments, which will notify collaborators. When moving candidates, users can select the new job opening and decide which information to carry over. A note explaining the move can also be added, which will appear on the candidates' new profiles. To delete candidates, users must confirm the action by typing "DELETE" in a pop-up box. The article emphasizes efficient candidate management through these bulk actions, streamlining the recruitment process.

  • Sep 11, 2025
  • Knowledge

Title
Update Multiple Candidates
Article Text
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Can I make changes for multiple candidates at once?

Purpose: To teach you how to update multiple candidates at once, including changing their status, moving, and deleting them. 

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Table of Contents

Bulk actions

Animated GIF showing a BambooHR candidate management page for an Account Executive role. Steps in the animation:The user checks boxes next to multiple candidates’ names in a table.A green banner appears at the top labeled Bulk editing, confirming the number of candidates selected.Candidate rows display details such as Name, Stars, Rating, Applied date, and Last Contact.The user interacts with dropdown filters and action buttons above the table.The interface shows navigation to pages of candidates at the bottom.

In the candidate overview table, you have an option to make bulk changes to all selected candidates. Selecting candidates will function like any other list with checkboxes. Check the box at the top to select or deselect all candidates.

Since we separate the candidates by page when there are more than 25 candidates, we add information on how many are selected and give an option to choose all candidates within a job opening.

Update Status
Screenshot of a modal titled Update Status. A section labeled Updating Status for: lists the selected candidates by name (redacted). Below, a field labeled New Status shows a dropdown with Reviewed selected. A Comment multiline text box appears with helper text: “This will be posted to the comments feed on each candidate.” Two buttons at the bottom: a gray Cancel button and a green Save button.

You can update the status of multiple candidates on a job opening at one time. After selecting the candidates to update within the overview table, go to the action menu and click Update Statuses. Choose the status, and you can leave a comment if you wish.

If you have set up automated emails for the job opening and change the candidate's status, they will receive the designated email according to your email schedule preferences.

If you leave a comment, your comment will apply to all of the updated candidates, and the collaborators on the job opening will receive an email that informs them of the update with your comment. Collaborators do not receive a notification if no one comments.

Move
Screenshot of a modal titled Move 2 Candidates with three numbered callouts:Dropdown field labeled Move candidates to, allowing the user to select the new hiring stage in the pipeline.Section labeled “What should move to the new profile” with three checkboxes: Emails, Comments, and Application Questions. Each option lets the user decide what candidate information should carry over to the new profile.Section labeled “Why are you moving these candidates” with a multiline text box where the user can provide an explanation or note for the move.At the bottom of the modal are two action buttons: a gray Cancel button on the left and a green Move Candidates button on the right.

Select the desired candidates in the overview table. Go to the action menu and click Move Candidates. You will then see a pop-up box with the following information:

  1. Move Candidate(s) to: Select the job opening to which you would like to move the candidates.
  2. What should move to the new profile?: Check the box next to each of the items you would like to move to the new profile (Emails, Comments, or Application Questions). Note that only users with Manage Job Openings access will see the custom questions moved from the previous job opening. Moved questions are unshareable with collaborators. Additionally, copies of each of these items will remain on each candidate's old profile.
  3. Why are you moving this (these) candidate(s)?: Enter a note to explain why you are moving the candidates. This information will show on the candidates' new profiles. Please note when you move candidates in bulk, the same note will appear on each candidate's profile.
  4. Click Move.

Upon moving multiple candidates, new profiles will create, and the previous profiles will be archived. Instead of sending multiple emails to the collaborators on the job opening to which the candidates moved, only one email will send to them with the total number of new candidates.

Delete
Screenshot of a confirmation modal titled Delete candidates?. The message inside states that deleting will remove the candidates permanently. Two buttons appear at the bottom: a gray Cancel button and a red Delete Candidates button.

Select the candidates to delete in the overview table. Go to the action menu and click Delete Candidates. You will see a pop-up box that asks if you want to delete the selected candidates, and you need to type DELETE to confirm this action. If you want to delete more than five candidates, it will not display all names but the number of total candidates that will be deleted.

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