If you have received enough applications but you still need to complete the hiring process, you can change your job's visibility status to closed. This allows you to continue the hiring process with current candidates without accepting new applications. You can still communicate with candidates, schedule interviews, leave reviews and complete the hiring process until you've found the right hire.
There are two ways to close your job for applications:
Via the 'Jobs' overview.
Via the job page.
By setting a closing date to automatically close your job.
Note: once you close your job opening and stop accepting applications, anyone with a link can still open the job, but the 'Apply now' button will change to 'Applications closed'.
Updating your job's visibility status via the 'Jobs' overview
From the sidebar on the left head to the 'Jobs' page.
Hover over the job you would like to close and click the three dots (...) on the right.
Click 'Closed'.
Updating your job's visibility status via the job page
From the sidebar on the left, click on a job opening under 'Your jobs' or head to the 'Jobs' page to navigate to the job.
Select the job you would like to close and then click the three dots (...) in the top right corner.
Click 'Closed'.
Setting a future closing date to automatically close your job
From the sidebar on the left, click on a job opening under 'Your jobs' or head to the 'Jobs' page to navigate to the job.
Click on the job you want to set a closing date for.
Click on the gear icon in the top right corner to navigate to the job settings.
From 'General', scroll down to 'Closing date' and select the date you want the job to be closed on. That's it!
Setting a closing date will also ensure your jobs get removed from Google for Jobs, LinkedIn and Indeed if you have enabled any of the integrations.
FAQ
What happens when I close a job opening?
When you close a job post, it will stay active but it won't be visible on your career page and applications for the job opening will no longer be accepted. You can still go through the hiring process with candidates that have already applied. You can communicate with candidates, schedule interviews and complete the hiring process until you've hired the right candidate.
You can use the closed status when you have received enough applications or reached a stage where no new applications are needed, but you still need to complete the hiring process.
Jobs with a closed visibility status can still be found under the 'Active' tab on the Jobs page.
Can candidates still access the URL for the job?
Candidates with the URL can access the job opening even when it's closed, but they won't be able to apply as the 'Apply now' button changes to 'Applications closed'.
When do I stop accepting applications for a job?
This is entirely dependent on your job and hiring process. However, the right time to close your job for applications is when you’ve received enough applications and think the quality of candidates is enough to fill the position. It makes sense to close the applications in a timely manner to respect your career page visitors, properly notify your team members and get your statistics in order.
What’s the difference between a closed job and private job opening?
Closed and private job openings are not the same! Both are seen as active jobs and take up a job slot, but there is a slight difference:
A closed job means you've closed the applications for your job and you no longer want to receive new applicants. You're ready to schedule candidate interviews and continue the hiring process with your current batch of candidates.
A private job post means the job opening is not visible to the public. For example, this is useful when hiring internally. You can share a unique private link to this job post so potential applicants can visit and apply.
Most companies make their job posts publicly available, allowing anyone to apply. When they have enough applicants, they close their applications and start reviewing and communicating with candidates. When they've hired someone, it's time to archive the job.
For a complete overview of all different job states, check out this article on Homerun's job states.