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ATS: Manage a vacancy pipeline

Use the vacancy pipeline to view applicants by stage, move applicants through the hiring process, compare applicants with AMI, and customise stages for a specific vacancy.

Who it’s for: ATS administrators, hiring managers, and recruitment users with vacancy access

Platform: Sense ATS

Available on: Elite tier and above, or Professional tier with ATS add-on

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

☑️ Access to Sense ATS

☑️ Permission to view the vacancy

☑️ Permission to manage applicants or vacancy pipelines, if required

☑️ Applicants already linked to the vacancy, if you want to move or compare applicants

☑️ A pipeline already attached to the vacancy

🖊️ Note: ATS access and permissions are currently managed by Sense Workplace Support. Self-service permission management through Sense Portal is confirmed on the product roadmap and is currently in development.

Overview

Each vacancy has its own pipeline. The pipeline shows the stages for that vacancy and where applicants currently sit in the hiring process.

From the Pipeline tab, you can:

  • view applicants by stage

  • expand or collapse stages

  • select applicants

  • download CVs

  • compare and summarise applicants with AMI

  • move applicants to another stage

  • reorder the vacancy pipeline stages

  • add or remove stages for that vacancy

  • create a new stage for use in the vacancy pipeline.

🖊️ Important: Editing the pipeline from a vacancy changes that vacancy only. It does not update the original pipeline template in ATS > Settings > Pipelines.

Navigation path

ATS > Vacancies > [select vacancy] > Pipeline

Open the vacancy pipeline

1. Go to ATS > Vacancies.

2. Select the vacancy.

3. Open the Pipeline tab.

The vacancy pipeline opens, showing the stages used for that vacancy.

Applicants appear under the stage they are currently assigned to.

Vacancy Pipeline tab showing applicants grouped by pipeline stage.

Understand the pipeline layout

Each stage is shown as a column in the vacancy pipeline.

A stage can include:

  • the stage name

  • the stage description

  • the number of applicants in the stage

  • applicant cards with More actions (...) menu

  • a collapse or expand icon

  • the stage colour

Stages are shown in the order configured for the vacancy pipeline.

Vacancy pipeline showing stages such as Applied, Short listing, Assessment, Phone Screening, Interview, Hired, and Rejected.

Expand or collapse stages

You can collapse stages to make the pipeline easier to scan.

To collapse all stages:

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Click Collapse all.

To expand all stages again:

  1. Click Expand all.

You can also collapse () or expand () an individual stage using the icon on that stage.

Select applicants

Select one or more applicants to open the action bar at the bottom of the page.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview..

  2. Tick the checkbox beside an applicant.

  3. The action bar appears.

    Vacancy pipeline showing an applicant selected and the action bar open at the bottom of the screen.

The action bar can include:

  • Select all applicants

  • Deselect

  • Download CVs

  • Compare and summarise

  • Move to stage

Download applicant CVs

Use Download CVs to download CVs for selected applicants.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Select one or more applicants.

  3. Click Download CVs.

The selected applicants’ CVs are downloaded.

🖊️ Note: If an applicant does not have a CV attached, there will not be a CV available to download for that applicant.

Compare and summarise applicants with AMI

Use Compare and summarise when you want AMI to compare selected applicants.

This can help you review applicant information more quickly, especially where applicants have uploaded CVs or supporting documents.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Select more than one applicant.

  3. Click Compare and summarise.

    Vacancy pipeline action bar showing Compare and summarise available after multiple applicants are selected.

  4. Review the AMI comparison.

    Compare and Summarise results showing applicant ranking, reasoning, and summary with AMI chatbox.

🖊️ Note: Compare and summarise is available when more than one applicant is selected.

Move an applicant to another stage

Use Move to stage to move an applicant through the vacancy pipeline.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Select the applicant.

  3. Click Move to stage.

    Vacancy pipeline action bar showing Move to stage available after an applicant is selected.

  4. Select the stage you want to move the applicant to.

    Move applicants to a new stage modal showing available pipeline stages.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Confirm the move.

    Move applicants confirmation modal confirming the selected new stage.

The applicant is moved to the selected stage.

Bulk move applicants to another stage

You can bulk move multiple applicants if they are all currently in the same pipeline stage.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Select multiple applicants from the same stage.

  3. Click Move to stage.

    Vacancy pipeline showing multiple applicants selected in the same stage with Move to stage available in the action bar.

  4. Select the stage you want to move the applicants to.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Confirm the move.

🖊️ Note: You can bulk move multiple applicants only when all selected applicants are in the same pipeline stage. If selected applicants are across different stages, bulk move is not available.

Understand action bar availability

The actions available depend on the applicants you select.

Selection

Available actions

One applicant selected

Download CVs, Move to stage

Multiple applicants selected in the same stage

Download CVs, Compare and summarise, Move to stage

Multiple applicants selected across different stages

Download CVs, Compare and summarise

No applicants selected

No action bar

🖊️ Note: Additional actions may appear if your organisation has ATS-related workflows configured in Sense Automate.

Use the applicant More actions menu

Each applicant card in the pipeline has a More actions (…) menu.

From this menu, you can:

Action

What it does

View details

Opens the applicant profile for this vacancy.

Move to a vacancy

Moves the applicant from the current vacancy to another vacancy. This option is not available for applicants in a Hired status stage.

Duplicate

Copies the applicant to another vacancy while keeping them on the current vacancy.

Delete

Removes the applicant from this vacancy. This option is not available for applicants in a Hired status stage.

Vacancy pipeline showing the applicant More actions menu with options to view details, move to a vacancy, duplicate, or delete.

🖊️ Note: This is a quick way to manage an individual applicant while working from the pipeline.

👉 For full applicant management guidance, see ATS: View and manage an applicant profile.

Edit the vacancy pipeline

Use Edit pipeline to update the stages used by this vacancy.

This changes the vacancy pipeline only. It does not update the original pipeline template.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Click Edit pipeline.

    Pipeline tab showing Edit pipeline option.

✅ The Edit pipeline modal opens.

Edit pipeline modal showing an overview of the current vacancy pipeline, Customise grab handles, and Manage stages option.

From here, you can:

  • reorder stages using the drag handle ()

  • click Manage stages to add or remove stages

  • save your changes.

From the Manage stages modal, you can:

  • select or deselect stages for the vacancy pipeline

  • use + Create new to create and add new stages to the pipeline.

Reorder stages in a vacancy pipeline

You can reorder stages from the Edit pipeline modal.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Click Edit pipeline.

  3. Use the drag handle beside a stage to drag it into a new position.

    Edit pipeline modal showing drag handles beside each stage, which can be used to reorder stages in the vacancy pipeline.

  4. Click Save.

🖊️ Note: Reordering stages from the Edit pipeline modal only changes the stage order for this vacancy. It does not update the original pipeline template in ATS > Settings > Pipelines.

Add or remove stages from a vacancy pipeline

Use Edit pipeline > Manage stages to select or clear the stages used by this vacancy.

This changes the vacancy pipeline only. It does not update the original pipeline template.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Click Edit pipeline.

    Pipeline tab showing Edit pipeline option.

  3. Review the current stages.

  4. Click Manage stages.

    Edit pipeline modal showing an overview of the current vacancy pipeline and Manage stages option.

  5. Select or clear stages as needed.

    Manage stages modal showing stages that can be selected or cleared for the vacancy pipeline.

  6. Click Done.

  7. Drag the stage to the correct position.

  8. Click Save.

🖊️ Note: Some stages cannot be removed from a vacancy pipeline. Mandatory status stages, such as Applied, Talent pool, Hired, and Rejected, must remain in the pipeline.

🖊️ Note: If you try to remove a stage that contains applicants, ATS warns you that the stage contains applications. Move those applicants to another stage before removing the stage from the vacancy pipeline.

Create a new stage from the vacancy pipeline

You can create a new stage while editing the vacancy pipeline.

  1. Open the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview.

  2. Click Edit pipeline.

    Pipeline tab showing Edit pipeline option.

  3. Click Manage stages.

    Edit pipeline modal showing an overview of the current vacancy pipeline and Manage stages option.

  4. Click + Create new.

    Edit pipeline modal showing + Create new option for creating a new stage.

  5. Enter the stage details.

    Create new stage modal opened from the vacancy Edit pipeline option.

  6. Click Save.

  7. Select the new stage for the vacancy pipeline.

  8. Click Done.

  9. Drag the stage to the correct position.

    Edit pipeline modal showing grab handle for new stage to reorder.

  10. Click Save.

🖊️ Note: Creating a new stage from Edit pipeline > Manage stages also adds the stage to ATS > Settings > Pipelines > Stages.

Stage edits and global stage behaviour

Stages are reusable across ATS.

If you edit a stage’s properties, such as its name, description, colour, or status, the change applies everywhere that stage is used.

This can include:

  • pipeline templates in ATS > Settings > Pipelines

  • vacancy pipelines that use that stage

Pipeline templates and vacancy pipelines

Pipeline templates and vacancy pipelines behave differently.

Area

What it means

Pipeline template

A reusable template created in ATS > Settings > Pipelines.

Vacancy pipeline

The pipeline attached to one specific vacancy.

When a pipeline template is selected during vacancy setup, the vacancy gets its own pipeline version. You can then change the vacancy pipeline without updating the original template.

For example, if one vacancy needs an extra Licence checks stage, you can add it to that vacancy pipeline without creating a new pipeline template.

💡 Tip: You do not need to create a new pipeline template for every small variation. If only one vacancy needs a slightly different set of stages, manage the pipeline from ATS > Vacancies > [select vacancy] > Pipeline > Edit pipeline > Manage stages.

Best practice

Use the vacancy pipeline to manage applicant progress during recruitment.

Recommended approach:

  • Move applicants through stages as their application progresses.

  • Use Compare and summarise when reviewing multiple applicants.

  • Use Download CVs when you need offline copies of applicant CVs.

  • Use Edit pipeline > Manage stages for vacancy-specific stage changes.

  • Create a new stage where you need a similar but separate stage.

Summary

The Pipeline tab in the vacancy overview lets you manage applicants through the hiring process for a specific vacancy.

Remember:

  • Each vacancy has its own vacancy pipeline.

  • Selecting applicants opens the action bar.

  • You can download CVs, compare applicants with AMI, and move applicants to another stage.

  • Bulk move is available only when all selected applicants are in the same stage.

  • Edit pipeline > Manage stages changes the pipeline for that vacancy only.

  • Creating a stage from Manage stages adds it to Settings > Pipelines > Stages.

FAQs

Click here to view answers to frequently asked questions

Q: How do I open the vacancy-specific pipeline in ATS?

A: To open the vacancy pipeline, go to ATS > Vacancies, select the vacancy, and open the Pipeline tab.

Q: How do I move an applicant to another pipeline stage in ATS?

A: To move an applicant to another pipeline stage, select the applicant from the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview, click Move to stage, choose the new stage, and confirm the move.

Q: Can I move multiple applicants to a new stage at the same time in ATS?

A: Yes, you can move multiple applicants at the same time if they are all in the same pipeline stage. Select the applicants from the Pipeline tab in a vacancy overview, click Move to stage, choose the new stage, and confirm the move.

Q: Why is Move to stage not available when I select multiple applicants in an ATS Pipeline?

A: Move to stage is not available for multiple applicants if the selected applicants are in different pipeline stages. Bulk move is only available when all selected applicants are in the same stage.

Q: What does Compare and summarise do in ATS?

A: Compare and summarise uses AMI to compare selected applicants and summarise their information for review. It is available when more than one applicant is selected within a vacancy pipeline.

Q: Does editing a vacancy pipeline update the pipeline template?

A: No, editing a vacancy pipeline does not update the original pipeline template. Changes made through ATS > Vacancies > [select vacancy] > Pipeline > Edit pipeline apply only to that vacancy.

Q: What does Manage stages do when editing a vacancy pipeline in ATS?

A: Manage stages lets you select or clear the stages used in the vacancy pipeline. It is accessed from Pipeline > Edit pipeline > Manage stages in a vacancy overview.

Q: Does creating a new stage from a vacancy add it to Settings > Pipelines > Stages?

A: Yes, creating a new stage from Edit pipeline > Manage stages in the vacancy overview also adds the stage to ATS > Settings > Pipelines > Stages.

Q: Are Stages global in ATS?

A: Stages are global reusable assets in ATS. If you edit a stage’s properties in Settings > Pipelines > Stages, the change applies everywhere that stage is used, including pipeline templates and vacancy pipelines.

Related Articles
ATS: Overview and navigation
ATS settings: Create and manage pipeline templates and stages
ATS: View and manage vacancies
ATS: Understand the vacancy overview
ATS: View, filter, and add applicants
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