Feature Highlight Dashboard Series - Part 3: Configuring Dashboards for Hiring Managers
The dashboard is an essential tool available to users in the following iCIMS solutions:
- iCIMS Connect (Legacy CRM)
- iCIMS Applicant Tracking (ATS)
- iCIMS Offer Management
- iCIMS Onboarding
Dashboards can be configured to create effective landing pages for your users, displaying key metrics, frequently used reports, and important to-do items immediately upon logging in. Just as the dashboard serves as the launching point for recruiters and other users, the hiring manager also begins their journey at the dashboard. Configuring a hiring manager's dashboard to provide an easy, streamlined experience is essential to boosting adoption and efficiency for hiring managers that do not use the system on a day-to-day basis.
Tip: Don't forget to check out the other articles in the series, such as Dashboard Management, for additional tips and recommendations. The full list of articles within the series is available in the Feature Highlight Dashboard Series section of this article.
The Hiring Manager Dashboard
The dashboard is one of the most important tools in the system for hiring managers. It displays essential information as soon as they log in as well as provides a list of items to monitor or complete. While different organizations may need to configure hiring manager dashboards differently depending on their hiring managers' level of system access, the goal of guiding the user to take appropriate actions remains the same. The dashboard can provide text-based instructions, a list of action items, and snapshots of what the pipeline is for their jobs. The key to creating effective hiring manager dashboards is providing necessary information without overwhelming a user that does not interact with the system on a daily basis.
Dashboard Panels & Widgets for Hiring Managers
Above is just one example of a hiring manager dashboard that strikes the important balance between providing the details a hiring manager needs without providing more than is necessary for their tasks. This dashboard utilizes the two (2) column layout and displays information such as how to use the dashboard, an overview of the hiring manager's assigned jobs, candidates requiring attention, and a snapshot of the pipeline for their open jobs. The panels and widgets displayed on this dashboard are outlined below.
Column 1: Introduction and Job Overview
This column contains panels and widgets that introduce the hiring manager to their dashboard, provide quick info on how to access the information they need, and display an overview of their open and pending jobs.
Panel A: Welcome
Type: Text
Widget(s): The Welcome panel contains a single text widget. Text widgets are essentially a text field displayed on the dashboard. Static text, links to other sites, images, and photos can be added to a dashboard using this type of widget. The text widget here provides a quick synopsis of the dashboard as well as a few links to the organization's documentation on how to use the system. This panel lets the hiring manager know where additional support can be found if needed. Text widgets like this could also be used to provide full instructions on how to perform certain actions or a description of the next steps a hiring manager should take.
Panel B: My Jobs
Type: Search Preview
Widget(s): This panel contains search preview widgets. Search preview widgets display a preview of the search results stemming from the attached search template. To view the full search results, a user can select the title of the search, located above the preview. The widgets included in this panel are:
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Open Requisitions - This widget displays jobs in the Approved folder assigned to the logged-in hiring manager. It uses the standard Job search template titled "Open Jobs Assigned to HM" with two extra columns added to the Output: Recruiter: Full Name and Last Approved. Other details to add to this widget could include job location, posted date, or the number of candidates within the job.
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Pending Requisitions - This widget displays jobs in the Pending Approval folder assigned to the logged-in hiring manager. It uses the standard Job search template titled "Pending Jobs Assigned to HM" with one extra column added to the output: Current Approver: Full Name. The Current Approver column informs the hiring manager if there are any jobs awaiting their own approval or where in the approval process the job is currently residing.
Tip: When creating search templates to use as search preview widgets, be mindful of the order of the columns in the output. Ensure the visible columns are useful for hiring managers, displaying all essential information at a glance. Search previews can display up to the first five (5) columns from the underlying search template's output.
Column 2: Action Items and Candidate Pipeline
This column contains action items for the hiring manager to complete relating to candidates on their jobs. It also displays a snapshot of how many candidates have been submitted to them and where those candidates are currently in the workflow. The goal of this panel is to provide the hiring manager with only the key information needed to accomplish their personal tasks. By providing a condensed list of actions, the hiring manager won't be overwhelmed by items that aren't related to their own work. Similarly, the snapshot of active candidates in their pipeline provides an at-a-glance overview that helps keep the hiring manager in the loop without supplying extraneous information.
Panel A: Candidates Requiring Action
Type: Factoid
Widget(s): This panel contains several factoids that present the total number of candidates within specific statuses that indicate hiring manager action is needed. For example, Hiring Manager Review: Submitted indicates candidates who are ready for review. This panel communicates how many candidates are currently ready for various actions across all of the hiring manager's jobs, which boosts ease of use and efficiency as the hiring manager only needs to access a single panel to view their tasks. To create easy factoids, it is best to have Recruiting Workflow bins and statuses that are complementary to key milestones or actions to be taken. The factoids contained in this panel are simply examples -- to create the factoids right for your hiring managers, create a Recruiting Workflow search with the following filters:
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Bin or Status set to the desired actionable step of the workflow
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Hiring Manager set to – Myself – (or @userid, if the filter presents an open text box instead of a list)
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Job Folder set to Approved or other open-status folders
Tip: Factoid widgets make great action-oriented reminders as they display the count of search results from the underlying search template followed by custom text. To get the most out of your factoids, use the Factoid Text setting to communicate the appropriate action to be taken, such as Candidates to Review.
Panel B: Candidates in Progress
Type: Chart
Widget(s): This panel contains widgets used to display data as graphs and charts, which, in many cases, showcase data better than search previews or reports. However, it's important to keep in mind that too many charts can add visual clutter to an otherwise effective dashboard. When using chart widgets, only the essential data should be presented. Avoid trying to communicate too many different data points on a single chart in order to keep information digestible. In this example, the chart tallies up all candidates in statuses within the Hiring Manager bin, minus any rejection statuses, on the hiring manager's open jobs. This graph provides the hiring manager some numbers they may need in a moment's notice, eliminating their reliance on others to get quick data regarding their candidates. Similar widgets to this example could be created for different milestone statuses or even how many candidates apply on a day-to-day basis. To create the report used in this example, create a Recruiting Workflow search with the following filters:
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Status set to all applicable Hiring Manager Review (or other desired) statuses. To select multiple statuses, hold the Ctrl (or Cmd) key on your keyboard and select all the relevant options in the list.
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Hiring Manager set to – Myself – (or @userid, if the filter presents an open text box instead of a list)
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Job Folder set to Approved or other open-status folders
Feature Highlight Dashboard Series
The 5-part Feature Highlight Dashboard series provides tips and best practices for creating and managing effective dashboards for different types of users of the iCIMS system. Topics covered include how to set up unique dashboards for different user groups by adding and arranging new panels and widgets. The series also provides example reports and widgets tailored to different roles that help boost efficiency, streamline the overall user experience, and promote ease of use and adoption by users. The articles within the series are listed below:
Additional Resources
