Candidate Submission Agent | Recruit CRM

The Candidate Submission Agent is designed to simplify and standardize how you can send candidate submission emails to clients.

It enables you to generate AI-powered, structured, and professionally formatted submission emails directly from the candidate submission flow, while allowing control over instructions, layout, and branding through Admin Settings.

It helps to:

Reduce manual effort in drafting submission emails
Ensure consistency in client communication
Improve the overall presentation of candidates

Note: The Candidate Submission Agent runs on the gpt-oss-120b (Cerebras) model.

✨ How to use the Candidate Submission Agent

The feature is designed to be simple and flexible, allowing you to either use a ready-made format or create your own.

Open "Admin Settings" and navigate to "Fields Shared with Clients".
Access the Candidate Submission Agent from the panel on the right.
Select from one of the available presets, which provide a predefined structure and styling for your submission email. These presets help you get started quickly with a ready-made format that you can use as-is or customise further.

Alternatively, you can create your own format by adding custom instructions in the Instruction box. You can also select a preset and tweak its instructions to better match your requirements.

The available presets include:
• Navy & White (Professional) – Clean and corporate layout with a deep navy header, white candidate cards, and blue accent labels. Best suited for formal hiring briefs in industries like finance, legal, or technology.
• Dark Gold (Editorial) – Premium and editorial style with a near-black header, warm beige background, and gold accents. Ideal for executive search or boutique recruitment.
• Talent Grid (Spreadsheet-Style) – Compact and data-focused layout where all candidates are displayed in a single table format. Best for internal hiring teams or quick comparison use cases.
Click Preview to see how the email will look.
If satisfied, click Save Instructions. If the generated layout does not fully match your expectations, click Regenerate to create another version using the same instructions and overall structure.

Please Note

Saving instructions is allowed only after previewing.
The AI may not always follow instructions perfectly and can sometimes produce slightly inconsistent results. We recommend previewing the generated template and refining instructions if needed.
The email layout may vary slightly depending on the recipient's inbox (e.g., Gmail or Outlook).

Once saved, the system keeps the structure fixed and simply fills in candidate and job data each time you send an email.

To use the configured template, go to the job you are working on and click on Submit Candidates. Then select Email with Attachments and Candidate Grid.

Make sure the Candidate Submission Agent toggle is turned ON to generate the AI-powered submission email.

The Candidate Submission Agent toggle state will persist based on the user’s last action. This behaviour is user-specific and applies across all jobs.

Example:
If a user turns OFF the toggle while submitting candidates for a job, the toggle will remain OFF the next time they initiate candidate submission (via Email with Attachments and Candidate Grid method) for any job, until it is manually turned ON again.

You can continue with your submission process, and if needed, edit the generated email (subject, recipients, and content) before sending.

The candidate details shown in the email are based on the "Fields Shared with Clients" settings:

Any updates made at the global level (via Admin Settings) will apply to all existing and future jobs.
If fields are updated for a specific job, then the candidate submission email for that job will follow the job-specific field configuration. This ensures consistency while still allowing flexibility.

🧩 Presets available

The agent provides built-in templates to help you get started quickly:

• Navy White (Professional): A clean and professional layout

• Dark Gold (Editorial): A more premium/editorial style

• Talent Grid (Spreadsheet-Style): A compact grid-style format for quick comparison

Selecting a preset automatically fills in the instruction field, which you can further edit if needed.

You can also reset your setup back to the default preset and instructions at any time (with confirmation). Clicking on the 'Reset' option restores the default preset along with the default instruction prompt.

💡 Best practices for writing instructions

To ensure your submission emails look consistent and professional, it’s important to define each part of the layout clearly. Here’s what you should cover:

• Define the overall theme and colours clearly
Describe the look and feel of your email (for example, corporate, minimal, or premium). Specify exactly where each colour should be used, such as the header background colour, accent elements colours (labels, borders), page background colour, and card or content background colour.

Avoid vague terms like “use blue” and instead use precise values (like HEX codes) to ensure consistent results.

Click here for an example instruction

"The header should have a dark navy background. Use a bright blue as the accent colour for labels and borders. The page background should be a very light blue-grey. Candidate cards should have a white background with a 4px blue left border."

• Specify font styles and usage across sections
Mention which fonts should be used for headings, candidate names, and body text. If you want a single font throughout, state that clearly. If you prefer a mix (for example, serif for headings and sans-serif for body), define it for each section to avoid mismatched or inconsistent text styling.

Click here for an example instruction

"Use Arial throughout - for headings, labels, and all body text. No serif fonts anywhere." Or "Use Georgia for the candidate name and headings. Use Arial for all labels, body text, and tags."

• Structure the header layout in detail
The header appears at the top of every email and contains the job role name, your company name, and optionally your logo and the client's logo. Clearly define what the header should include and how it should appear. This can include a small top label, the main job title, company name, and logo placement. Also describe styling such as font size, alignment, and positioning of each element. A well-defined header ensures every email looks structured and branded.

Click here for an example Instruction

"The header should have a small eyebrow label at the top that always reads: CANDIDATE SHORTLIST · CONFIDENTIAL. Below that, a large heading that says 'Top Talent for' followed by the job role name on the next line in the accent colour and italic. Below the heading, a smaller line showing 'Presented by [my company name]' in grey italic. If a logo URL is provided, show it as a circular image in the top right corner of the header."

• Define how candidate information should be displayed
Specify whether candidates should appear as individual cards or in a table format. Also describe how each field should be shown (for example, label-value pairs, inline text, or tags), how the candidate name should be highlighted, and how each candidate section should be separated. This helps avoid issues like misaligned fields or inconsistent layouts.

Click here for an example Instruction

Card style:

"Each candidate should appear as a separate card with a white background and a 4px blue left border. The candidate name should be the largest and most prominent element in the card. Below the name, show other details as label-value pairs - the label on the left in small uppercase blue text, and the value on the right in normal black text. Labels and values must always be on the same line, never stacked. Separate each card with a thin horizontal line."

Table style:

"All candidates should appear as rows in a single data table. Each column corresponds to a candidate field. The candidate name column should use a slightly larger bold font. Alternate row backgrounds between white and very light grey."

• Define the overall layout style
Clearly specify whether the email should follow a card-based layout, table/grid format, or any other structure to ensure consistency across all submissions.

• Provide complete instructions for logo handling
Clearly explain how logos should appear, including their position, shape (for example, circular), and alignment. Most importantly, define all scenarios: when both logos are present, when only one is available, and when no logos are provided. This prevents broken layouts or empty placeholders in your emails.

Click here for an example Instruction

"Logos should always appear as circular images in the top right corner of the header, aligned to the top of the header text. If both a client logo and my company logo are provided, show the client logo on top and my company logo below it with a small gap between them. If only one logo is provided, show just that one logo. If no logos are provided, remove the logo column entirely - do not show an empty space or placeholder."

• Define the footer content and styling
Specify what should appear in the footer, such as a confidentiality note, company name, or contact details. Also define its background colour, text style, alignment, and any borders or separators. A consistent footer ensures your emails look complete and professional.

Click here for an example instruction:

"The footer should have a white background with a 2px blue top border. Show a confidentiality note in small grey text centred or left-aligned."

Or for a tabular style:

"The footer should match the header - dark background, small light-coloured text centred. The format should be: Prepared by [My Company Name] · [Email Address] · Strictly confidential."

Make sure your instructions are detailed enough (minimum 30 characters required), not too short and clearly describe the expected format, tone, and structure.

You can use the template below as a starting point, simply fill in each section based on your preferences and paste it into the agent. Feel free to remove any sections that aren’t relevant to your requirements.

OVERALL THEME
The email should have a [describe mood: e.g. corporate / editorial / minimal] feel.

COLOURS
- Header background: [colour name or hex code, e.g. dark navy / #0f2d4a]
- Accent colour (labels, borders, highlights): [colour]
- Page/email background: [colour]
- Card/content background: [colour]

FONTS
- Heading and candidate name font: [e.g. Arial / Georgia]
- Body text and labels font: [e.g. Arial]
- Serif or sans-serif preference: [serif / sans-serif / mixed]

HEADER
- Eyebrow label (small top line): [e.g. CANDIDATE SHORTLIST · CONFIDENTIAL / none]
- Main heading wording: [e.g. Top Talent for [job role]]
- Job role styling: [e.g. on second line, accent colour, italic]
- Meta line: [e.g. Presented by [my company name], grey italic]
- Logo position: [e.g. top right, circular / none]

CANDIDATE LAYOUT
- Layout style: [individual cards / table rows]
- Candidate name: [e.g. largest element, bold, top of card]
- Other fields: [e.g. label-value pairs on same line / inline dot-separated / table cells]
- Card separator: [e.g. thin horizontal line / alternating row colour / top border]

LOGOS
- When both logos provided: [e.g. client logo on top, my logo below, 6px gap]
- When one logo provided: [e.g. show that logo only]
- When no logos provided: [e.g. hide the logo column entirely]
- Logo style: [always circular]

FOOTER
- Background: [colour]
- Top border: [e.g. 2px accent colour / none]
- Text: [e.g. confidentiality note in small grey text]
- Format: [e.g. Prepared by [Company] · [Email] · Strictly confidential]

⚠️ Things to keep in mind

• Always preview before saving, as the saved version is used for all future submissions (you cannot save without previewing).

• Your latest saved instructions are applied every time, and the structure remains fixed, only the candidate and job data change.

• The system generates results based on your instructions each time and does not remember previous outputs.

• Make sure your instructions are clear and specific; avoid vague inputs to prevent inconsistent results.

• Do not leave the instruction field empty; you must either select a preset or add your own instructions.

• Do not include candidate or job-specific details in your instructions.

• If you're unsure where to begin, start with a preset and refine it with small changes instead of rewriting everything.

• If something looks off, adjust only that specific section and preview again.

• Place important instructions earlier in your input for better results.

• Only the first 20 visible candidates are included in the email.

• All saved configurations (preset, instructions, branding) are applied across all jobs for consistency.

Refer to the Dos and Don’ts below to ensure your instructions are clear, consistent, and effective -

✅ DO

• Be specific about where each colour is used (for example, header background, labels, borders)
• Clearly define all logo scenarios (both logos, one logo, or no logo)
• Ensure label and value appear on the same line if using a card layout
• Use one of the built-in presets as a starting point if unsure
• Always preview your instruction before saving

❌ DON’T

• Avoid vague instructions like “make it look professional”
• Do not include candidate or job-specific details in your saved instruction
• Do not rely on the system to remember previous outputs
• Avoid using technical terms unless you are confident; simple language works best
• Do not skip logo instructions, as this can lead to broken or misaligned layouts

❓ FAQs

Do I need to configure this feature before using it?

No. A default configuration (Talend Grid preset) is already available, so you can start using the Candidate Submission Agent without any initial setup.

Why am I unable to save my instructions after editing them?

If you modify the default or preset instructions, the system treats it as a custom configuration. In such cases, you must preview the output first, after which the Save option will be enabled.

Can I switch back to the default email while editing?

Yes. While editing the AI-generated draft, you can switch back to the default email format if required.

Can I still send emails without using AI?

Yes. You can turn OFF the Candidate Submission Agent toggle and proceed with the default email flow.

Are these settings applied per job or globally?

All saved configurations (preset, instructions, branding) are applied globally across all jobs.

What happens if I edit a preset?

Editing a preset will remove its selection and the system will treat it as a custom instruction setup.

Can I edit the AI-generated email before sending?

Yes. You have full control to modify the subject, recipients, and content before sending the email.

What happens if I leave the instruction field empty?

The system will mark it as invalid and prompt you to either enter instructions or select a preset before proceeding.

The Candidate Submission Agent helps you present candidates in a consistent, polished, and client-ready format while reducing manual effort. Once set up, it becomes a reliable way to standardise how you share talent across all your submissions. 🧠