Decline a candidate gracefully

Quick answer: Templates and timing that protect your employer brand.

Decline within 5 business days

Silence is the #1 employer brand killer. We auto-remind you at day 3.

Use a real reason

Generic 'we went another direction' kills trust. Use one of our outcome-anchored templates.

Step-by-step checklist

• Confirm you are in the correct CosmoQuick surface: Candidate Dashboard, Recruiter Dashboard, ATS, Tools, or Settings
• Search the command palette for the feature name before browsing menus manually
• Open the relevant object (job post, candidate, application, invoice, or workspace) and check its status
• Make one change at a time, save, refresh, and verify the expected result
• If the issue still appears, capture the page URL, screenshot, browser, account email, and last action before contacting support

Practical example

A common real-world case: a user signs up as a candidate, then realizes they need recruiter features such as posting jobs, Resume Rank, MIRA, or candidate pipelines. First check Settings → Account for account type or dual-mode controls. If switching is not available for your plan or workspace, export any candidate data you need, then either contact support to convert the account safely or create a fresh recruiter account with the correct work email.

Screenshot placeholder

[Screenshot placeholder: show the exact CosmoQuick screen, highlighted button, empty/error state, and the expected success state. Keep sensitive candidate, salary, invoice, and contact information blurred before sharing.]

Troubleshooting guidance

• If a button is missing, check your account type, plan, workspace role, and whether the page is available only on recruiter or candidate mode
• If data looks stale, refresh the page, clear filters, and check whether you are viewing the right workspace or role
• If search returns nothing, try broader terms, remove hard filters, and search by skill, role, company, email, or candidate name
• If a payment, activation, import, or integration fails, retry once and then send the error text plus screenshot to support
• For urgent hiring blockers, use WhatsApp support from the Help Center

Pro tips

• Define 'success in 90 days' before writing the JD — it makes downstream decisions 3x faster.
• Use a scorecard. Unstructured interviews are slightly worse than random at predicting performance.
• Decide your offer ceiling before you start interviewing, not after a great candidate appears.

Common pitfalls

• Hiring for 'culture fit' rather than 'culture add' — the first narrows your funnel, the second strengthens your team.
• Letting one interviewer veto without articulated reasoning; bias hides in vague 'no' votes.
• Skipping reference checks because the candidate is impressive — references catch the things interviews can't.

Frequently asked

How long should a hiring loop be?

Aim for 4 stages, ≤14 calendar days end-to-end. Longer loops lose 40% of top candidates to competing offers.

How many interviewers should I have?

3–5 unique signals is the sweet spot; beyond that, marginal value drops and scheduling time explodes.

Should I share interview questions in advance?

Yes for technical exercises (you'll see real skill, not memorized trivia) and for behavioral prompts (better answers, less anxiety bias).

Key takeaways

• Most CosmoQuick issues come from account type, workspace context, plan limits, filters, or incomplete setup
• Recruiter tools and candidate tools intentionally live in different dashboards to protect privacy and reduce confusion
• The fastest fix is usually: verify mode → clear filters → inspect status → search docs → escalate with context
• Keep this article open while performing the steps so you can compare the expected and actual state

Next steps

• Browse all categories for related guides
• Open the Help Center home to keep exploring
• Still stuck? Contact our team — average reply under 4 hours on weekdays