Workday application status meaning: In Progress vs Under Consideration

Workday application status meaning depends on the employer: each company sets up its own stages, and the portal shows you a short label for a longer process. "In Progress" means your application is active and has not been rejected. It does not mean a recruiter has read your resume.

Quick answer. "In Progress" and "In Process" mean your application is still active. "Under Consideration" usually means someone flagged you for a closer look. "No Longer Under Consideration", "Not Selected", "Inactive" and "Completed" mean this application is closed. Exact meanings depend on how each employer configured Workday, so judge by time and by what people do, not by the label.

Workday application status meanings at a glance

Most Workday applications move through these stages, but each employer names and orders them its own way.

How Workday application statuses actually work

Workday says more than 11,500 organizations use its HR and finance software, including 65%+ of the Fortune 500, though not every one of them runs hiring through it. Each employer that does sets up its own stages, so the same label can mean different things at two companies. Understanding how Workday's applicant tracking system works from the employer side explains why two companies can show different labels for the same step.

Inside Workday, a candidate profile has three layers. UW-Madison's HR team describes them as the application status (Active or Inactive), the stage (for example Screen) and the step inside that stage (for example Phone Screen). Only the status and the stage change what you see. Steps inside a stage stay invisible to you.

That is why the label you see is a compressed view. Compare how two universities that use Workday describe the same word:

At one employer, "In Progress" means nobody on the hiring team has seen you yet. At the other, it can mean you are already interviewing. The label alone cannot tell you which.

"Most candidates read a Workday status as a verdict. It only tells you where your application sits in the employer's system. What changes the outcome is what you do next, and refreshing the portal is never that." Viktor Shumylo, co-founder, HirePilot

Is Workday status updated automatically?

Some changes are automatic. Employers can add screening questions that disqualify an application, such as whether you are authorized to work in the country, and a "No" can close your application right away. Most other moves need a person to click a button, so a status can sit still while a recruiter is busy or a hiring manager is away.

A status change also does not always send you an email. UW-Madison tells its recruiters that changing a status does not notify the candidate. At Emerson College, Workday emails a candidate who is declined at the Review stage, and when references are needed or an offer letter is ready. The screen and interview stages send nothing. Check your email and spam folder separately from the portal.

What each Workday status means

Application Received and Active

"Application Received" or "Submitted" confirms your application is in the employer's system. At the University of Washington, a confirmation email from the employer's Workday account follows. "Active" only tells you the application is open.

It does not mean anyone has read it. If you applied through a form that parsed your resume, open the application and check that your work history landed in the right fields.

In Progress and In Process

"In Progress" means your application is active and not rejected. It is the most common status and the least specific one.

What candidates usually think it means: someone is reading your resume right now.

What it often actually means: your application is somewhere in the active pipeline. At the University of Washington, it means HR is still checking minimum qualifications. At UW-Madison, it covers every active stage other than Review, including interviews. An application can also stay "In Progress" for weeks after the job is filled if nobody closes it.

The Workday In Process meaning is the same. None of the employer guides we checked treat the two labels differently. The wording is a configuration choice.

Under Review, Recruiter Review and Under Consideration

"Under Review" and "Recruiter Review" mean the application is in screening. Someone in HR or recruiting is deciding whether it moves forward.

"Under Consideration" is usually good news. At Emerson College it is a stage the hiring manager uses to bookmark candidates of interest who could move to interviews. Workday sends no email at this stage there, so silence is normal.

Sent to Department and Pending

"Sent to dept" or "Forwarded" means HR passed your application to the hiring team. At the University of Washington, this follows the minimum qualifications check. The hiring team then picks who to interview and may contact them by phone or email.

"Pending" means the process is waiting on something. None of the employer guides we checked define it further. It is not a decision about you.

Screen and Assessment

"Screen" or "Candidate Screening" means a recruiter or manager phone screen is planned or done. At Emerson, the recruiter screen and the manager screen are phone calls, and Workday sends no email at either stage.

In Workday, Assessment in Progress or "Assessment" means a test or questionnaire is waiting for you. Look in the My Tasks area of your candidate account and in your email, and check the task for a deadline.

Interview

"Interview" means you moved past screening. The status can change before anyone writes to you, and at Emerson the interview stage sends no automatic email. The invitation comes from a person.

If you see this status and nobody has contacted you, check your spam folder. If it is empty, wait 24 to 48 hours and then write to the recruiter.

Offer, Background Check and Hire in Progress

In Workday, Offer in Progress or "Offer" means the employer is preparing or approving an offer. At Emerson, Workday emails the candidate when the offer letter is ready to view.

At Emerson, the background check runs through an outside vendor, the email comes from that vendor rather than from Workday, and the check takes about two weeks. "Reference Check" there comes with a Workday email asking you to submit your references.

"Hire in Progress" or "Hired" means onboarding has started. Complete the tasks the employer sends you.

No Longer Under Consideration, Not Selected and Inactive

The No Longer Under Consideration meaning is direct: you were declined for this specific role. At the University of Washington, "Not selected" can appear at any time after you apply, during HR review or during hiring manager review.

"Inactive" is broader. At UW-Madison, both a decline and a canceled job move the application to the Inactive tab. If the job is frozen, your status stays where it was.

Can you reapply? Usually, if the posting is still up. Unless your resume changed a lot or the rejection came from a wrong answer on a screening question, the result will likely be the same. A decline for one role usually does not block you from other roles at the same company, so apply to those that fit.

Process Completed

Of all the labels, the Workday Process Completed meaning is the easiest to misread. "Process Completed" or "Completed" does not mean you passed. At UW-Madison, "Completed" is the label for any decline other than a withdrawal and for a canceled job. Treat it as closed.

Withdrawn

"Withdrawn" or "Withdrew" means you asked to be removed from consideration. Apply again only if the role is still open and you are ready to commit.

Workday Under Consideration vs In Progress, and In Process

Under Consideration vs Interview. "Under Consideration" usually means you are on a shortlist and waiting for a hiring manager to choose who to interview. An interview status means that choice is made, though the invitation may arrive later than the status change.

How long the Workday hiring process usually takes

There is no public data on how long each Workday stage lasts. What exists is time to fill for the whole hire. SHRM puts the median time to fill nonexecutive positions at 39 calendar days in 2026.

That number covers the whole hire, not any single stage, so your application can sit in one stage for most of that time. The weeks between applying and hearing back are where candidates start guessing, and reading post-submission silence without guessing starts with knowing which stage you are in.

Employers set their own internal pace, too. Emerson College asks its hiring managers to decline candidates who do not meet the criteria within three to seven days of applying. If your application is still active after that point at an employer like that, it suggests you passed the first cut there, though the policy does not guarantee it.

Why Workday application status doesn't change for weeks

The job is frozen. At UW-Madison, a frozen job leaves every candidate in whatever status they had when it froze.

The work happens outside Workday. Phone screens, interview scheduling and reference calls often happen by email and phone. The recruiter may never update the status in between.

Offer approvals take time. Before a status changes to "Offer", the recruiter may need sign-off from finance or department leadership. Each approval adds days.

You are a backup candidate. The company may be finishing interviews with its first choice and keeping you active in case that person declines.

Nobody closed the job. A role can be filled while other applications stay "In Progress" until someone cleans up the list.

What you should do based on your Workday status

How to follow up on a Workday application

Write to a person, not to the portal. The recruiter named in the job posting or the hiring manager for the team is the right contact.

A vague "just checking in" gives the recruiter nothing to answer. A follow-up email that names the role, the date you applied and one reason you fit does, and sent on day three or four it keeps you visible while the hiring team is still making decisions.

How to check your Workday application status

Every employer runs its own Workday site, so you check each application separately.

1. Go to the careers site of the company you applied to.
2. Sign in with the same email you used when you applied.
3. Open Candidate Home.
4. Go to My Applications.
5. Look at the Active tab for open applications and the Inactive tab for closed ones.

Illustration of a Workday My Applications page. The layout and labels vary by employer.

Each company has a separate account. If you applied to 10 companies on Workday, you have 10 logins and 10 places to check.

Does Workday automatically reject candidates?

Yes, in specific cases. Employers can set screening questions that disqualify an application automatically. If a job requires a nursing license and you answer "No", the system can reject you as soon as you submit. The same can happen with work authorization or visa sponsorship questions.

What to do if your answer was a mistake: write to the recruiter named in the posting, explain the error in one or two sentences and ask whether you can reapply. Do not submit a second application without asking, because a duplicate can look careless.

At Emerson, the hiring manager makes the decision in the Review stage. Software can rank applications, but someone usually decides who moves forward, and using the same terms as the job description helps that software read your resume the way you intended.

Why Workday applications feel so long

Workday forms often run across several pages and ask you to retype what is already on your resume. In our test in October 2026, a multi-page Workday application took 4 to 6 minutes with the HirePilot extension filling the fields from your profile, and you still review every answer before you submit. The minutes that remain go to steps only you can do, like creating an account on the employer's site or answering "How did you hear about us", and completing a Workday application faster mostly means preparing those once.

Track every Workday application in one place

A status is not an outcome, and candidates know it. In a r/recruitinghell thread asking about the worst part of applying for jobs today, the first reply is a single word, "Workday", with 205 upvotes.

The first reply in the thread names Workday as the worst part of applying for jobs.

Since each company runs its own Workday site, your applications are spread across separate portals with no shared view. Applications you submit with the HirePilot extension are saved to your job tracker automatically, and you move each one to the next stage, such as Interview or Offer, when the employer does.

The HirePilot tracker shows every application by stage, from Draft and Applied to Interview.

While you wait, the one thing you control is reaching a person. From the tracker, Recruiter Outreach identifies the hiring manager or relevant decision-maker for the role and drafts a personalized message. HirePilot surfaces the right contact in under 2 minutes, because reaching the hiring manager directly is the one step a Workday portal cannot do for you.

What to do this week if your Workday status is stuck

That is the real Workday application status meaning: the state of a database record, not what the recruiter thinks of you. Act on time and on people instead.

• Check your spam folder and the My Tasks area of each candidate account.
• Note the date you applied for every open application.
• On day three or four, send one follow-up to a named person.
• Keep applying while you wait.
• Keep every application, stage and contact in one tracker.

HirePilot keeps your Workday applications, stages and contacts in one place. Start your 7-day free trial.

FAQ: Workday application status meaning

What does In Progress mean on Workday?

It is the most common and least specific label. The portal will not tell you more, so the fastest way to learn where you stand is a short message to the recruiter or hiring manager.

Is In Process the same as In Progress in Workday?

Yes in practice. If one employer shows both labels on different applications, ask the recruiter what each stands for in their setup.

What does Screening Phase In Process mean on Workday?

It means you are in the screening stage, usually a recruiter or manager phone screen. At employers such as Emerson College, screens happen by phone and Workday sends no email, so expect a call or a message from a person.

How long can a Workday application stay Under Consideration?

No employer publishes a limit. SHRM puts the median time to fill nonexecutive roles at 39 calendar days for the whole hire, so several weeks at one stage is normal. Keep applying while you wait.

What does Inactive mean on a Workday application?

The application is closed. Before you reapply, check whether the posting is still live, because a canceled job also shows as Inactive at some employers.

Why does my Workday status still say In Progress after an interview?

UW-Madison shows every active stage after Review as "In Progress", including Interview and Employment Agreement, so the label can stay the same until the application closes. Watch your email and phone, not the label.

Does Workday tell you if your application is rejected?

Sometimes. The University of Washington sends a disposition notification when you are no longer under consideration, and Emerson College sends an automatic email when a candidate is declined at the Review stage. No email does not mean you are still in the running.

Can I reapply after No Longer Under Consideration?

Yes, if the posting is still open. If the decline came from a wrong answer on a screening question, ask the recruiter before you submit again.

Can recruiters see when I check my Workday status?

Workday does not document any alert that tells recruiters when you check your status, and none of the employer guides we read mention one. Recruiters see your application, the date you applied and updates to your profile. Nothing documented suggests that checking affects the decision.