Overview
Knockout questions allow your team to automatically reject candidates based on responses in their job application. You can use knockout questions to consistently enforce non-negotiable requirements, such as work eligibility, required certifications, or location requirements.
Knockout questions are configured as automation rules for a specific job post. When a candidate applies, Gem evaluates the rule conditions and can automatically reject the candidate and optionally send a rejection email on a schedule.
Requirements
- Your team uses Gem ATS.
- Admin access to your Gem account.
- Access to a job to add or edit knockout questions.
Add a knockout question
You can add a knockout question from several places in the job post details. To get to the job post details:
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search for, filter by, or scroll to the job you want to add a knockout question for.
- Select the job title as it appears in the list.
- The job post details displays. From here, you can add a new knockout question from any of the following areas.
- The Application rules section of the Job posts tab.
- The Default questions section of the job post details page.
- The + New rule button on the Automation tab.
- Select any of fields on this page to add or update settings for this knockout question. Required fields are indicated by an asterisk * next to the field name.
- When your rule settings are set, select the Save rule button in the top right.
Field name | Description |
*Rule name | The internal name for this rule. This name is only visible to your team in Gem. |
Status | This field is automatically set to Active. If this rule is deactivated later, this field updates to Inactive. |
When… | The event that triggers the rule. This is automatically set to Candidate applies. |
*Job post | The job post that this rule applies to. This is automatically set to the job you’re currently editing. |
Application question | The question that’s displayed to candidates that this rule evaluates, e.g. “Are you eligible to work in the United States?”. |
Operator | The condition of the value in relation to the application question. |
*Value | The value that triggers this rule to be applied to this application. |
Then… | The action that is taken on the application when this rule is applied, e.g. Reject with message. |
*Rejection reason | The reason listed in the candidate’s application for why they were rejected. Only members of the hiring team can see this field. |
Email template
(Reject with message only) | Optionally apply an email template to structure the automated rejection email. This template can include tokens. |
Schedule for
(Reject with message only) | When the rejection email sends after the candidate submits their application. |
*Send from
(Reject with message only) | The email address from which the rejection email is sent. |
CC
(Reject with message only) | Optionally add additional email addresses to CC on this rejection email. |
*Subject
(Reject with message only) | The subject line of the rejection email. |
*Message
(Reject with message only) | The body of the rejection email. |
After you save the new rule, it appears in the list of automation rules for that job.
View list of knockout questions for a job
To view the knockout questions configured for a job, complete the following steps.
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search, filter for, or select the job you want to review.
- Select the Automation tab.
The list of automation rules displays. Any rule that evaluates application questions can be used as a knockout question.
Edit a knockout question
To edit a knockout question, complete the following steps.
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search, filter for, or select the job you want to update.
- Select the Automation tab.
- In the rule row, select the options menu (three dots), then select the Edit option.
- Update any of the rule fields listed.
- Select the Save rule button.
After you save the rule, the updated settings apply to future applications for that job post.
Deactivate a knockout question
Deactivating a knockout question turns it off for this job. New applications won’t be subject to the conditions of this knockout question.
You can always reactivate a deactivated knockout question at a later date. The steps to deactivate and reactivate a knockout question are the same.
To deactivate a knockout question without deleting it, complete the following steps.
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search, filter for, or select the job you want to deactivate.
- Select the Automation tab.
- In the rule row, select the options menu (three dots), then select the Deactivate option.
After you deactivate this rule, Gem no longer evaluates applications against it. This rule is still listed in the list of rules with a status of Inactive.
Delete a knockout question
Deleting a knockout question permanently removes it from this job. New applications won’t be subject to the conditions of this knockout question.
Alert: This action can’t be undone. If you only need to temporarily turn off a knockout question, we recommend deactivating that rule instead.
To delete a knockout question, complete the following steps.
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search, filter for, or select the job you want to delete.
- Select the Automation tab.
- In the rule row, select the options menu (three dots), then select the Delete option.
After you delete this rule, Gem no longer evaluates applications against it. This rule disappears from the list of rules for this job.
Understand which rule applies first
Rules are evaluated top to bottom on the Automation tab. The first rule that matches the application details determines the automation outcome.
After the first matching rule is applied, Gem does not evaluate additional rules for that application. For example, if the candidate has already been rejected, the candidate won’t receive additional rejection messages if they trigger additional knockout question automations after the first one.
Reorder automation rules
To update the order of rules in a job post, complete the following steps.
- In the main sidebar, select Jobs under the ATS header.
- Search, filter for, or select the job you want to reorder rules for.
- Select the Automation tab.
- In the rule row, select the drag handle to the left of the automation rule for which you wish to update the priority.
- Drag the rule to its new position.
The list updates immediately. The new order applies to new applications for this job post.
Additional resources
To learn more about application questions, check out the following resources.
Relevant articles
Have any issues or questions on this topic? Please feel free to contact your dedicated Gem Customer Success Manager directly or our Support team at support@gem.com.