Solutions · How-to
How to track candidates and organize feedback
Whatever tool you use, candidate tracking comes down to the same few columns and habits. Set these up once and hiring gets much calmer.
The columns you need
In Google Sheets, Excel or Notion, start with:
- Name, email, role, source
- Stage (use a dropdown: Applied, Screen, Interview, Offer, Hired, Rejected)
- Date entered stage — so you can spot anyone waiting over a week
- Owner and next step
- Rating and a link to notes
How to organize candidate feedback
Use the same 3–5 criteria for everyone interviewing a role, score 1–5, and write feedback before talking to other interviewers. Keep it in one place per candidate, not in chat threads.
Building the pipeline in Excel or Sheets
Add data validation for the stage column, conditional formatting for rows older than 7 days, and a pivot table counting candidates per stage. When that becomes a chore, upload the same file to RecruitFlow.io to get a board automatically.
$149/month flat. Unlimited seats and jobs.
Sign up, verify your email, choose your plan. Import your spreadsheet and have a working pipeline today — card charged after a 3-day trial.
Get startedQuestions people ask
Is there a free recruitment tracker template?
Yes — see our free templates page for a candidate tracking spreadsheet you can copy into Google Sheets or Excel.
How do I track applicants without an ATS?
A spreadsheet with a stage dropdown, a date-entered-stage column and a weekly review works well for one role and a small team.
Related
- Free hiring templates
- Job application tracker tool
- Hiring spreadsheet guide
- Notion as an ATS
- A recruitment tracker spreadsheet alternative for small teams
- A lightweight applicant tracking system for small teams
- An ATS for small recruitment agencies and boutique firms
- An affordable ATS for startup hiring
- A flat-price ATS with no per-seat fees
- RecruitFlow.io pricing
RecruitFlow.io is an independent product, not affiliated with Recruiterflow.com or any other tool named here. Competitor pricing is summarized from public pages and may change.