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Requesting documents from a candidate

Send a candidate a secure upload link, then find, download, replace or delete what they send back.

Send a candidate a secure upload link, then find, download, replace or delete what they send back.

You can ask a candidate for a specific document from their profile. Recruit emails them a link, they upload a file without needing to log in, and the file lands on their profile for you to review. This article covers the whole cycle. For recording a right-to-work check and its status, see Right to work and governance.

Who can request documents

Only System Admins and HR users can send a document request. Members (including hiring managers and interviewers) and Agency users do not see the Request Document button. The button is also switched off when you are viewing a candidate record that belongs to another company in your group, because that record is read-only for you.

Sending a request

  1. Open the candidate's profile.
  2. In the Documents section, select Request Document.
  3. Under Document Type, choose one of the eight types: Driving Licence, Passport, DBS Certificate, Proof of Address, Right to Work, Qualification Certificate, Professional Registration or References.
  4. Select Send Request.

You will see a Document requested message confirming the request went to the candidate. If it fails, you get Failed to send document request. Please try again. and nothing is sent.

You can only ask for one document type per request. To ask for several, send several requests. Each one produces its own email and its own link. The list of types is fixed, and there is no free-text option.

The email the candidate receives

The email goes to the address held on the candidate's profile. Unless your organisation has edited it, the subject is "Please send us your" followed by the document type, and the body tells the candidate you need a copy of that document and gives them an Upload your document link. The email states that the link expires in 14 days.

You can change the wording under Settings, Templates, Email Templates, using the template with the category Document Request. The merge fields available in it are candidateName, candidateFirstName, candidateLastName, candidateEmail, companyName, documentType and uploadLink. Keep uploadLink in the body or the candidate has nothing to click.

What the candidate sees

The link opens a page headed Upload your followed by the document type, with a line saying your organisation has requested it. The candidate chooses a file and selects Upload. When it finishes they see Document uploaded and can close the page.

  • The file picker offers PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG and JPEG files.
  • The maximum size is 10 MB. A larger file is refused on the page with File is too large. The maximum size is 10 MB.
  • Files are checked when they arrive, so a file renamed to look like a PDF but not actually a PDF is rejected. The candidate sees Upload failed. Please try again.

If the candidate uploads the wrong file, they can use the same link again before it expires. Both files then appear on the profile.

Where the upload appears

Uploaded files appear in the Documents section of the candidate's profile under the heading Uploaded Document, with the file name and the date it arrived. They also appear in the Downloads list further down the profile.

Recruit does not tell you when a candidate has uploaded, and there is no list of outstanding requests. Check the profile. The document is stored as an uploaded document whatever type you requested, so a Right to Work request does not change the candidate's right-to-work status. Record that separately as described in Right to work and governance.

Expiry, reminders and resending

Each link is valid for 14 days from the moment you send the request. After that the candidate sees Link not found, with a message that the link is no longer valid or has expired and that they should contact their recruiter for a new one. The same page appears if the link is mistyped.

Recruit does not send reminders for document requests. If a candidate has not responded, or their link has expired, send a new request for the same document type. That issues a fresh link and a fresh 14 days.

Viewing and downloading documents

Uploaded documents are visible to System Admins and HR users only. Members and Agency users cannot see them in the Documents section, the Downloads list or in a bundle, and cannot open one directly.

Next to each uploaded document:

  • View opens it in a new browser tab.
  • Download saves the original file.
  • If a document shows This CV file is no longer available., the stored file cannot be retrieved and only the delete option is useful.

Downloading several items from one candidate

The Downloads list on the profile shows everything you are allowed to download for that candidate: uploaded documents, CV, application forms, cover letters, references, the onboarding pack and so on. When the list has more than one item, each row has a tick box.

  • Download as zip works with one or more ticked items and keeps every file type.
  • Download merged PDF needs at least two ticked items and combines them into one PDF called Candidate-Documents.pdf. Only items that are PDFs go in. A Word file or an image you tick is left out.

System Admins and HR users also get a Redacted copy tick box. With it ticked, the zip or merged PDF contains only the application forms, typed cover letters and one anonymised CV, with personal details removed. Uploaded documents, references, the onboarding pack and other items that cannot be redacted are left out.

Downloading for many candidates at once

On the Candidates list, and on a job's pipeline, select candidates and choose Download documents. System Admins and HR users can choose Download documents (redacted) instead. You can select up to 100 candidates. The file is built in the background and Recruit emails you a link when it is ready. The link works for 7 days and only for the person who asked for it. A candidate with nothing you are allowed to download is skipped, and the email tells you how many were skipped.

Full and redacted copies by role

For a CV, System Admins and HR users see Download (full) and Download (anonymised). Other roles get a plain Download that serves the anonymised copy. Uploaded documents have no anonymised version, which is why they are Admin and HR only.

Uploading, replacing and deleting

System Admins and HR users can also add documents themselves with Upload in the Documents section, choosing Additional or Right to Work first. Staff uploads and replacements accept PDF, Word (DOC and DOCX), RTF, plain text, OpenDocument text and HTML files, up to 10 MB. Image files are not accepted here, even though a candidate can send them through the request link.

Replace uploads a new file in the same slot and removes the old one from the profile. You get Document replaced when it works. To remove a document without replacing it, select the bin icon and confirm with Delete when asked Are you sure you want to delete this document?. You get Document deleted. Deleted documents disappear from the profile straight away. Only System Admins and HR users can replace or delete.

If something goes wrong

  • The candidate says they got no email: check the email address on their profile and their spam folder, then send a new request.
  • The candidate says the link does not work: it has expired or was copied incompletely. Send a new request.
  • The upload page says Upload failed. Please try again.: ask for a real PDF, Word or image file under 10 MB, exported from the original rather than renamed.
  • You cannot see the uploaded file: check your role. Members and Agency users never see candidate-uploaded documents.
  • Your merged PDF is missing an item: it was not a PDF. Use the zip instead.
  • You do not see Request Document: you are not a System Admin or HR user, or you are looking at a read-only record from another company.