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Sending assessments to candidates via CSV

Learn how to bulk send assessments to candidates in Hire via CSV upload, so you can assess candidates with greater ease and speed.

Updated over a week ago

This article applies to all Hire users in the PI2 platform.

Have a lengthy list of candidates to assess for a job? Rather than manually add each person's details, you can upload a CSV with their information and Hire will send out assessments in one easy motion.

Note: Sending the Cognitive Assessment requires cognitive access. If you don't have access and would like to send the CA, reach out to a cognitive admin.

Tip: Prefer to skip the details altogether? Create and share a candidate assessment link, and your candidates will be prompted to enter their information before taking the PI assessment(s).

How to send candidate assessments via CSV upload

  1. Log in to the PI software.

  2. Select Hire from the top navigation bar.

  3. Search for the relevant job from the Hiring Center.

  4. Click the "Add candidates" button on the right-hand side.

  5. A side panel titled "Add candidates" will open.

  6. Click the tab titled "Add another way."

  7. Expand the section titled "Add candidates with a CSV upload."

  8. Select whether to send the Behavioral Assessment, the Cognitive Assessment, or both.

    Note: The Cognitive Assessment options will only be selectable if you have cognitive access. To request access, reach out to a cognitive admin.

  9. Next, you'll be asked to upload your CSV file. Your file should have three column headers (make sure these are entered exactly as written):

    • EmailAddress

    • FirstName

    • LastName

  10. (Optional) Download our CSV template if you need help. (Our file comes with pre-populated headers, so you can ensure the formatting is correct before you start entering data.)

  11. Enter the candidates' details into your file. (You can include a maximum of 1,000 candidates with a single file.)

  12. Once finished, save your file and return to Hire.

  13. Click the "Upload CSV file" button.

  14. Your computer's file manager will open.

  15. Select your CSV file.

  16. If successfully uploaded, you will see your file in the bottom-left corner.

  17. (Optional) Choose whether to auto-send the Behavioral Report to candidates upon completion of the Behavioral Assessment.

  18. Once satisfied with your file and settings, click "Send Assessments" to confirm.

What happens after I upload and send assessments?

Any candidates listed in your CSV file will be added to Hire (if they didn't already exist in Hire). If the candidates already existed but were associated with a different job, they will be moved to the current job.

Exception: Candidates are only moved from an existing job in Hire if you have ownership or "edit" access to that job. If you do not have owner/edit access, the candidates will not be moved.

Likewise, the selected assessment(s) will be sent to the listed email addresses. If any candidates have already been assessed for a different job in Hire, they will not be asked to complete the assessment(s) again.

How do I know my CSV upload was successful?

Upon uploading your CSV, you will see the following success message to confirm:

This message only confirms that your CSV was successfully processed. Our system will then attempt to send the requested assessments to the email addresses provided in the file.

If the upload was 100% successful, you will receive the following email:

If the upload had some (or 100%) errors, you will receive the following email:

Tip: If your upload had errors, it's likely because the email(s) associated with the candidate(s) was incorrect. Verify that:

  • The candidate's email is up-to-date

  • There are no errors or typos

  • The correct email domain is listed (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)

FAQs

General questions

If I select "Both Behavioral and Cognitive Assessment," in what order are they sent?

Both assessments are sent to the candidate at the same time. The candidate will see 2 separate emails in their inbox with the following subject lines:

  • "Take the PI Behavioral Assessment"

  • "You're invited to take the PI Cognitive Assessment."

Can I email candidates a link to complete the assessment(s)?

Yes. To do so, create a candidate assessment link for the job and share it with each candidate via email.

Can I use the CSV upload to send an additional Cognitive Assessment attempt to a list of candidates?

No. Our system will only send the Cognitive Assessment to a candidate if they've never taken the assessment before.

Instead, you can manually grant additional Cognitive Assessment attempts from each candidate's Cognitive Target Fit page.

Troubleshooting

I can't select the Cognitive Assessment. Why?

Sending the Cognitive Assessment requires cognitive access. If you don't have access and would like to send the CA, reach out to a cognitive admin.

I uploaded the CSV but nothing happened. Why?

Several things may be happening. To troubleshoot:

  • Check your email. If you received an email saying your upload had errors, it's possible some (or all) of the candidates listed were not sent the assessments.

  • Check the Hiring Center. It's possible the CSV processed correctly, but the candidates already existed under a different job. If you're an admin, check your overall candidates list to see if the candidates in question are associated with a different job. (If they are, here's how to move them.)

My CSV upload had errors. What do I do?

If your upload had errors, it's likely because the email(s) associated with the candidate(s) was incorrect. Verify that:

  • The candidate's email is up-to-date

  • There are no errors or typos

  • The correct email domain is listed (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)

Try the upload again. If issues persist, please reach out to our support team.

Additional support

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