Executive Summary
PyjamaHR enables your team to collaborate efficiently by allowing you to add comments, labels, and track all candidate and job activities through the Activity Timeline. These features help you centralize feedback, document decisions, and maintain a clear audit trail—crucial for effective hiring and compliance. This article covers everything you need to know to use comments, labels, and the activity timeline effectively, avoid common pitfalls, and maximize your team’s productivity.
Detailed Overview
What Are Comments, Labels, and the Activity Timeline?
Comments: Text feedback or observations added to a candidate’s profile or job application, visible to your hiring team.
Labels: Internal tags for candidate or job records, not visible to candidates.
Activity Timeline: An automatically generated chronological log of all key actions (e.g., application received, status changed, comments added) for each candidate or job.
Why Use These Features?
Centralize Collaboration: Keep all feedback and decisions in one place, accessible to relevant team members.
Maintain Context: Ensure interviewers and recruiters have the full history when evaluating or re-engaging candidates.
Audit Trail: Track who did what and when, supporting compliance and process improvement.
Reduce Communication Gaps: Avoid missed feedback or duplicated work.
Integration with Other PyjamaHR Features
Talent Pool: Comments can be added to candidates in the Talent Pool, but job-specific comments and labels are only visible within the context of that job.
Notifications: Tagging team members in comments sends them an email notification if they have turned on the setting in the Settings > Notifications
User Roles: Access to comments and timeline entries may depend on user permissions.
Step-by-Step Guide: Adding Comments, Notes, and Viewing the Activity Timeline
1. Adding Comments to a Candidate in a Job
Navigate to the Job: Go to the relevant job listing from your dashboard.
Open Candidate Profile: Click on the candidate’s name to open their application.
Go to the Comments Tab: Locate the “Comments” tab (beside “Mail” or “Timeline”).
Add Your Comment: Type your feedback in the comment box.
Tip: Use “@” to tag team members (e.g., @JohnDoe). They’ll receive an email notification.
Set Visibility (if available): Choose whether the comment is visible to all team members or only to yourself
Save/Submit: Click “Post Comment” or the equivalent button.
2. Adding Comments in the Talent Pool
Go to Talent Pool: From the main menu, select “Talent Pool.”
Select Candidate: Click on the candidate’s profile.
Navigate to Comments: Find the “Comments” tab.
Add Comment: These are visible only in the Talent Pool context.
Save/Submit: Click to save.
Important: Comments added in the Talent Pool are NOT visible in job-specific profiles, and vice versa.
3. Viewing and Using the Timeline Tab
Open Candidate Profile: Whether in a job or the Talent Pool, open the candidate’s profile.
Select the Timeline Tab
Review Activities: See a chronological list of all actions—applications, status changes, comments, assignments, etc.
Use Case: To check when a candidate applied or who changed their status.
4. Tagging Team Members in Comments
Type “@” followed by the team member’s name.
Select from the dropdown.
The tagged user will receive an email notification if the user's setting is on.
5. Tracking Who Did What (Activity Timeline)
To see who created a job or added a candidate, check the Activity Timeline in the job or candidate profile.
There are currently the following filters to filter the Activity section; you may need to scroll to find specific actions.
6. Adding Labels for each candidate
Click on the '+Add Label' tag visible in the Expanded View
Type the Label name you want to insert and click on the tick mark
You can also change the colour of the Labels by clicking on the blue circle next to 'New Label'.
Pro tip: You can also filter candidates based on the Label by navigating to the Filters panel
Advanced Usage & Best Practices
Power User Tips
Standardize Commenting: Encourage your team to always add interview feedback as comments, tagging relevant stakeholders.
Use Talent Pool Comments for Long-Term Notes: For remarks that should persist across multiple job applications, add them in the Talent Pool profile.
Tagging for Accountability: Always tag team members when you need their input or action.
Timeline for Audits: Use the Timeline to resolve disputes or clarify who made changes.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Use job-specific comments for feedback relevant to a particular role.
- Add Talent Pool comments for general candidate notes.
- Tag team members for visibility and accountability.
Don’t:
- Expect job-specific comments to appear in the Talent Pool or vice versa.
- Assume all users can see all comments—visibility may depend on permissions.
- Rely on the Activity section for advanced filtering—it’s currently limited.
Troubleshooting & Common Issues
1. Comments Not Visible Where Expected
Issue: Comments added in a job are not visible in the Talent Pool, and vice versa.
Solution: This is by design. Add comments in both places if you need them visible in both contexts.
2. Can’t Add Comments
Issue: The comment box is not working or you cannot type.
Solution: Try refreshing your browser. If the issue persists, contact support with a screen recording.
3. Deleted or Missing Comments
Issue: Comments appear to be deleted or missing.
Solution: Contact support with the candidate name, job ID, recruiter name, and approximate time. Screenshots help, but if comments are missing, provide as much detail as possible.
4. Not Receiving Notifications When Tagged
Issue: You’re not getting notified when tagged in a comment.
Solution: Check your email (including spam) and check if you have turned on the settings in the Notification Settings. Tagging sends notifications via email, not in-app. If you still don’t receive notifications, contact support.
5. Activity Timeline Hard to Use for Filtering
Issue: You want to filter or sort activities by user or action.
Solution: Currently, the Activity Timeline support filtering or sorting basis who created the job, reopened the job and similar filters. Scroll to find the relevant entry.
Comprehensive FAQs
Q1: Can I see all comments for a candidate across all jobs in one place?
No. Comments are job-specific or Talent Pool-specific. There is currently no unified view for all comments across jobs.
Q2: Can I add internal notes to a job (not a candidate)?
Not at this time. Internal job notes are a requested feature and may be added in the future.
Q3: Are comments visible to candidates?
No. Comments and labels are internal and only visible to your hiring team.
Q4: Can I add comments via API or integrate with tools like Otter.ai?
Currently, there is no API for adding comments or integrating with external note-taking tools.
Q5: How do I know who created a job or added a candidate?
Check the Activity for the former and Timeline for the latter in the candidate profile.
Q6: Can I filter the Activity Timeline by user or action?
Yes. The Activity tab does support filtering or sorting of basic requirements.
Q7: Where do I receive notifications when tagged in a comment?
You receive notifications via email.
Q8: Can I see all comments I’ve been tagged in?
There is no dedicated section for this. You will receive email notifications for each tag.
Q9: Why can’t I see my comments in the Talent Pool after adding them in a job?
Comments are context-specific. Add comments in both places if needed.
Q10: What should I do if comments are missing or deleted?
Contact support with detailed information (candidate, job, recruiter, time).
Q11: Can external recruiters add comments?
External recruiters can add comments if assigned to a job, but permissions may vary.
Q12: Can I use arrow keys in the comment box?
If you experience issues, try refreshing your browser or contact support with a screen recording.
Related Features & Next Steps
User Access Levels: Understand who can view/add comments and timeline entries (see article).
Candidate Comparison & Export: For reporting and sharing candidate data.
Talent Pool Management: For long-term candidate tracking and notes.
Recommended Next Steps:
- Standardize your team’s commenting practices.
- Train interviewers on tagging and comment visibility.
- Provide feedback to PyjamaHR if you need unified comment views or advanced filtering.
Related Help Articles:
- Understanding Access Types
- How to Export Candidate Data
Summary Table: Where Comments and Notes Are Visible
Location | Visible In Job? | Visible In Talent Pool? | Who Can See? |
Job Comments | Yes | No | Assigned team members |
Timeline | Yes (per job/candidate) | Yes (per candidate) | Team with access |
Labels | yes | No | Everyone |
Final Tips
Always clarify with your team where to add comments for maximum visibility.
Use tagging to ensure accountability and prompt responses.
Regularly review the Activity Timeline for process audits and troubleshooting.
If you need further assistance or encounter issues not covered here, please contact PyjamaHR Support with detailed information for the fastest resolution.