📊 Your 12 Key Columns (In Order)
1. Candidate Name
Full name (First Last)
2. Position
Job title applying for
3. Date Applied
YYYY-MM-DD format (2026-08-01)
4. Source
LinkedIn | Indeed | Referral | Job Board | Campus | Direct
5. Status
Pipeline stage (Initial → Hired or Rejected)
6. Interview Round
Pending | Technical | Round 1 | HR | Final | Complete
7. Rating (1-5)
1=Poor ... 5=Excellent
8. Feedback
Interview notes (50-150 characters)
9. Next Steps
What happens next (Schedule X, Offer, Archive)
10. Follow-up Date
YYYY-MM-DD when to contact them
11. Salary Expectation
₹XXL - ₹XXL or salary range
12. Notice Period
15 days | 30 days | 60 days | etc.
🎯 Daily Workflow (10 min)
☀️ MORNING (10 min)
- Check "Follow-up Date" = TODAY
- Filter by Status = "Interview Stage"
- Review "Next Steps" for all active candidates
- Note calls/emails needed
💼 DURING DAY
- Update Status after each interaction
- Add Feedback immediately (why yes/no)
- Schedule Next Steps & Follow-up Date
- Use Comments for team discussions
🌙 EVENING
- Review all entries updated today
- Ensure Follow-up Dates are set
- Add Rating where missing
- Archive any rejected candidates
📋 Predefined Status & Interview Round Values
Candidate Status
Initial Screening
Interview Stage
Offer Extended
Rejected
On Hold
Hired
Interview Rounds
Pending
Technical Screening
Round 1
HR Round
Final Round
All Rounds Complete
⚡ Efficiency Hacks (Save Hours Per Week)
Quick Wins
- Filter by Status to see pipeline stage breakdowns
- Sort by Follow-up Date (oldest first) to catch overdue follow-ups
- Sort by Rating (highest first) to focus on best candidates
- Filter by Source to track which channels convert
- Archive rejected candidates to separate sheet monthly
- Use Conditional Formatting to highlight high-priority candidates
- Set up data validation dropdowns to prevent typos
- Create a Dashboard sheet with metrics/formulas
🚫 Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Inconsistent date formats
Use YYYY-MM-DD always (2026-08-01)
❌ Vague feedback
"Good" tells you nothing. Be specific: "Strong Java skills, weak on system design"
❌ Missing follow-up dates
This causes candidates to slip away
❌ Status typos
Use data validation to prevent inconsistency
❌ No team alignment
Use comments to discuss candidates together
❌ Never archiving
Keep tracker clean by moving old data monthly
📈 Key Metrics to Track (For Your Dashboard)
| Metric |
What It Shows |
| Total Candidates Tracked |
Pipeline size |
| Interview Stage Count |
Active candidates in process |
| Offer Extended Count |
Moving toward closure |
| Rejection Count |
Funnel analysis |
| Average Rating |
Quality of candidates |
| Conversion Rate by Source |
Which channels work |
| Time to Hire |
Process efficiency |
🔧 Quick Formulas (For Automation)
Total Candidates: =COUNTA(A2:A100)
Interview Stage: =COUNTIF(E:E,"Interview Stage")
Offer Extended: =COUNTIF(E:E,"Offer Extended")
Rejected: =COUNTIF(E:E,"Rejected")
Average Rating: =AVERAGE(G2:G100)
Days Since Applied: =TODAY()-C2
LinkedIn Sources: =COUNTIF(D:D,"LinkedIn")
✅ Weekly Checklist
- MONDAY: Review entire pipeline (Status, Feedback, Follow-up dates)
- TUESDAY: Reach out to candidates with "Next Steps" assigned
- WEDNESDAY: Update candidates on interview scheduling/results
- THURSDAY: Add feedback from this week's interviews
- FRIDAY: Plan next week's follow-ups + Archive old entries
⏰ Time Investment vs. Return
TOTAL: ~1 hour/week → Prevents missing candidates, improves hiring quality
🚀 Next Steps
- Download your template (Advanced Excel or Basic CSV)
- Add your column headers
- Add your first 5 candidates
- Set up data validation dropdowns
- Create a Dashboard sheet with formulas
- Share with your team
- Establish daily update routine
You'll see results in 1 week. Better organization = Faster hiring.