Recruiter Handoff Checklist
A recruiter handoff should let the next authorized person continue the right work without guessing. It brings together the job context, candidate information, questions and next action. It should not scatter complete resumes or private conversations across unnecessary copies.
Use this checklist when transferring a candidate to a hiring manager, specialist interviewer or another responsible reviewer. Clarify who receives the handoff and what they need to do before preparing it.
Confirm the recipient and purpose
Identify the job and the specific next step. A handoff for an initial manager review differs from interview preparation or an offer discussion. State which action is requested and who has authority to decide it.
Check that the recipient is entitled to the candidate information and that the destination belongs to the intended employer or workspace. Familiar names are not enough when the same recruiter handles several clients or roles.
Use the Hiring Brief as the shared job context. Include its current version or a clear reference so the recipient does not review against an outdated requirement.
Transfer a concise candidate summary
Describe relevant work using the information supplied. State the source and review stage. Distinguish a resume applicant, someone already interviewed and a limited sourced profile; these are not interchangeable inputs.
Keep the candidate’s individual contribution clear. If the resume describes a team achievement, do not turn it into personal ownership during the handoff. Summarize only what the recipient needs for the requested action.
Include confirmed interest or practical conditions only when they have actually been discussed. A shortlist entry does not establish availability or willingness to meet the employer.
Use the handoff checklist
- Correct job, client or workspace reference.
- Current essential requirements and relevant preferences.
- Candidate identity and the permitted source of information.
- Review stage and actual status.
- Relevant experience with a clear source.
- Important unanswered questions, separated from concerns.
- Confirmed candidate expectations or conditions.
- Requested next action and its owner.
- Agreed timing and who communicates with the candidate.
- Appropriate access and handling of documents.
Treat this as a private worksheet. It does not imply shared team seats or a native document-transfer feature in Jalvexa.
Prepare a fictional handoff
For a production planner interview, a fictional handoff might say:
Please review for a role-focused interview. The candidate’s supplied resume describes maintaining a production schedule. A recruiter conversation clarified that they updated changes after supervisor approval. Experience deciding priorities during a material shortage remains unanswered. Please explore a specific disruption, their individual actions and the planning constraints. Interest in the interview has been confirmed; a time has not yet been agreed.
This summary is useful because it identifies the task, input, limitation and next question. It does not claim the candidate independently owned decisions that remain unestablished.
Assign communication and follow-up clearly
Decide who contacts the candidate and who supplies feedback to the recruiter. Otherwise two people may send conflicting messages or each may assume the other has followed up.
Record what has actually been communicated. A prepared contact draft is not a sent message. An agreed internal review date is not an interview appointment with the candidate. Keep internal plans separate from confirmed external events.
If an answer or decision is late, follow the employer’s process for checking it. Do not advance the status merely to make the handoff appear complete.
Check limits of a sourced preview
Jalvexa sourced previews are private one-hour previews of available name, title and location. Do not treat that preview as a permanent resume record or imply that it contains a full history. Preserve the existing retention and access controls.
A limited profile can justify questions, but it does not establish qualifications or interest. If the next reviewer needs information not supplied, say so rather than filling the summary with plausible details.
The candidate evaluation guide and recruiting workflow guide help connect review notes with the next stage. Jalvexa supports job-specific evaluation, shortlist work, contact preparation and hiring progress. Contact drafts are prepared and approved, not automatically delivered.
Explore Jalvexa for Recruiters, compare plans or create a Recruiter account. A good handoff leaves the recipient with the right context and a clear responsibility, while keeping unnecessary private detail out.