If your agency's client names each shortlisted candidate and gives you a clear next step by email, keep email; if you keep chasing them to establish who they mean or what they want, test a recruitment client portal. Use the three-candidate example and copyable feedback request below to check whether your recruiter can act on each answer.
When is email enough?
Email works when each response identifies the candidate, the next step, the reason or outstanding question, and who confirms the decision. The recruiter then records the action and owns the follow-up.
If your ATS already provides a client-review feature that does this, keep it. Avoid creating a second place for decisions without agreeing which one the team will use.
Start with approved profiles: our candidate profile guide covers preparation. If the problem is the document rather than the client's response, use the ATS template versus candidate presentation software comparison.
Three candidates: a complete email versus ambiguous replies
Fictional example. An agency submits three approved profiles for a finance-manager role. The agreed criteria are manufacturing reporting experience and team leadership. The hiring manager decides, a finance colleague comments, and the recruiter owns follow-up.
A complete reply from the hiring manager says:
- A: “Invite to interview; manufacturing reporting fits.”
- B: “Clarify whether they led the reporting team or contributed as an individual.”
- C: “Do not progress for this role; the submitted profile does not show the required manufacturing reporting.”
These answers are usable. The recruiter can arrange A's interview, ask B the specific question and record C's role-specific decision. B is not rejected. C's response describes what the submitted profile shows, not everything the candidate can do.
Now compare two replies:
Hiring manager: “First one looks good; ask about leadership.”
Finance colleague: “Agree, except the last profile.”
Which candidate needs the leadership question? What does “except” mean? Who has confirmed the next action? Do not infer A/B/C from message order or record the third profile as rejected. Ask for candidate IDs and an explicit next step.
Moving the complete response into a portal adds no decision value by itself. Keeping the ambiguous response beside a profile may help establish its subject, but the client still needs to clarify the action.
Copyable client feedback request
Subject: [Role] — decision needed on candidates A, B and C
Please review the approved profiles [link / named files]. For each candidate, reply with:
- Candidate ID.
- Next step: interview / clarify a point / do not progress for this role.
- The role criterion behind your decision, or the question to resolve.
- Who is confirming the decision.
Please respond by [agreed date/time]. If that is not workable, tell [recruiter] when you can review. [Hiring decision-maker] confirms the final decision if reviewers differ.
For a portal, ask: “On each candidate profile, mark your interest and leave a comment saying whether you want an interview, need a point clarified or do not want to progress them for this role.”
Manual decision cards for A, B and C
These cards are filled in by the recruiter, outside the portal. The entries below use the complete fictional response; follow-up dates remain blank until agreed.
A — interview
- Role / shortlist reference: Finance manager / A–C.
- Candidate ID and profile version/reference: A / approved submitted profile A.
- Client response and respondent: “Invite to interview; manufacturing reporting fits.” — hiring manager.
- Criterion / question: Manufacturing reporting fits.
- Decision confirmed by: Hiring manager.
- Next action and responsible person: Recruiter confirms interview arrangements with client and candidate.
- Agreed follow-up date: __________
- Open disagreement or missing answer: None in this response.
B — awaiting clarification
- Role / shortlist reference: Finance manager / A–C.
- Candidate ID and profile version/reference: B / approved submitted profile B.
- Client response and respondent: “Clarify whether they led the reporting team or contributed as an individual.” — hiring manager.
- Criterion / question: Team leadership: led the team or individual contribution?
- Decision confirmed by: Hiring manager; clarification requested, not interview or rejection.
- Next action and responsible person: Recruiter asks candidate B that specific question.
- Agreed follow-up date: __________
- Open disagreement or missing answer: Candidate's clarification outstanding.
C — do not progress for this role
- Role / shortlist reference: Finance manager / A–C.
- Candidate ID and profile version/reference: C / approved submitted profile C.
- Client response and respondent: “Do not progress for this role; the submitted profile does not show the required manufacturing reporting.” — hiring manager.
- Criterion / question: Required manufacturing reporting not shown in the submitted profile.
- Decision confirmed by: Hiring manager.
- Next action and responsible person: Recruiter records the role-specific decision and reason.
- Agreed follow-up date: __________
- Open disagreement or missing answer: None in this response.
Copy this blank record for your shortlist:
Role / shortlist reference: __________
Candidate ID and profile version/reference: __________
Client response and respondent: __________
Criterion / question: __________
Decision confirmed by: __________
Next action and responsible person: __________
Agreed follow-up date: __________
Open disagreement or missing answer: __________
Test a portal with the same shortlist
Use the same A/B/C profiles and request the same decisions. Use this fictional example or source CVs approved for the test.
Check whether the client can read the profiles, mark interest and leave the question or reason against the right candidate. Then check what reaches the recruiter. Can your recruiter fill in each candidate's card with the client's decision, any unanswered question and the person responsible for the next action, without piecing together an email chain? If reviewers disagree, the named hiring decision-maker resolves it.
TalentVeil lets you share a curated shortlist in a branded client portal. Clients review profiles, mark interest and leave per-profile feedback. Recruiters see when the link is opened and receive view/action notifications. An opening or notification is not approval; the recruiter still confirms the next action.
Keep structured email if it passes this test. If it repeatedly fails, see TalentVeil's candidate presentation workflow and book a meeting there. Use this shortlist to discuss how clients review profiles and leave feedback.