> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.yena.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Screen applicants against your job criteria

> Yena reads every new application against the criteria you agreed for the job and shows you which ones are met, not met or unknown. It never rejects anyone.

Some job ads bring in a handful of applications. Some bring in two hundred. Switch on **Screen applicants against the job's criteria** and Yena reads each new application against the criteria you approved for the job. You see at a glance who meets what, and the strongest matches sit at the top of your list.

## Why recruiters screen applicants against criteria

* **200 applications on one ad.** Reading every CV properly takes a day. With the criteria line on each applicant, your first pass takes minutes.
* **The same yardstick for everyone.** Every application is read against the same list, the one your client agreed to. Applicant 180 gets the same attention as applicant 3.
* **Unknowns are flagged, not guessed.** When a CV does not say something, Yena marks it as unknown. You know exactly what to ask in the first call.
* **You stay in charge.** Yena only reads and reports. Every decision about a candidate is still yours.

## Turn it on

<Steps>
  <Step title="Give the job its criteria">
    Open the job and go to the **Job Portal** tab. Add the criteria for the role there. This is the same criteria list you use for the [client portal](/en/portal/presenting-and-criteria), with up to 6 criteria per job. Jobs without criteria are skipped.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the Link Defaults card">
    Go to **Settings** → **Client Portal** and find the **Link Defaults** card.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Switch it on">
    Turn on **Screen applicants against the job's criteria**. It reads: "Yena checks each new application against the criteria you approved for the job and shows you the result. Candidates never see this." It is off by default and applies to your whole workspace.
  </Step>
</Steps>

From now on, every new application to a job with criteria is checked. When a candidate applies through your career site or a share link, Yena waits until their CV has been read, then checks the profile once against each criterion.

## What you see

Open the job and go to the **Inbound** tab. In the **For Review** list, each applicant gets one line, for example:

> 3 of 4 criteria met · 1 unknown

The list is ordered so the strongest matches come first: most criteria met, then fewest unknowns, then newest.

Open an applicant's detail to see the full list. Each criterion shows one of three answers:

* **Yes.** The CV shows the candidate meets it.
* **No.** The CV shows the candidate does not meet it.
* **Unknown.** The CV does not say. This is never treated as a no.

If you already confirmed a criterion yourself in the portal evidence check, your answer wins. It shows **confirmed by you**.

If a CV is empty or cannot be read, nothing is shown for that applicant. Read that one yourself.

## What it never does

This is a reading aid for you. It does nothing on its own:

* It never moves anyone to another stage.
* It never rejects anyone.
* It never sends an email.
* Candidates never see it.
* Your clients never see it.

Only the professional profile and the criterion are part of the check. Personal details such as name, contact details, birthday, nationality, address and links are left out.

## When you change the criteria

If you edit a job's criteria, the old results are cleared. The next application is checked against the new list. Applicants who are already there are not checked again automatically.

<Tip>
  Set the criteria before you publish the job. Then every application is checked from the first day.
</Tip>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does it reject anyone?">
    No. It never rejects, moves or emails anyone. You decide what happens to every applicant, as before. See [Review applicants in the inbound queue](/en/careers/inbound-applicants).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does a criterion say &#x22;unknown&#x22;?">
    Because the CV does not state it. Unknown is not a no. It is a good question for your first call.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can candidates see it?">
    Never. Candidates and clients never see the result. Only you and your team do.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does it cost credits?">
    No. It is included.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>