You just refreshed your candidate dashboard and are looking at an ambiguous portal update, wondering whether a human finally reviewed your qualifications or if your resume fell into an automated applicant tracking black hole.
Here is the operational reality: "Under Consideration" on Workday means your application cleared baseline automated filters and was actively flagged by a talent acquisition specialist for the hiring manager's review shortlist. You are no longer in the general applicant queue. You are in the active evaluation tier.
That is positive news, but it does not tell the entire story. What happens next, how long you should expect to wait, and what tactical actions you must take depend on where your application sits along Workday's backend workflow in 2026.
Quick Note: Is Your Company Actually Using Workday? More companies than you think run their hiring through Workday's backend. If you applied through a careers portal at any of these companies, you are in Workday: Nvidia, Salesforce, Tesla, Airbnb, Target, Walmart, Bank of America, JP Morgan, Deloitte, Accenture, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, or most Fortune 500 firms in general. According to Workday's enterprise disclosures, the platform powers HR operations for over 10,500 organizations worldwide. If you see a login screen asking for your email at a subdomain ending in
.myworkdayjobs.com, this guide applies directly to your situation.
All 12 Workday Application Statuses Explained (2026 Guide)
Companies configure Workday differently, but every candidate pipeline follows a predictable sequence. Here is the full status map translated into plain English, along with typical timelines and what action you should take:
| Workday Status | Recruiter Reality & Meaning | Typical Duration | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New / Application Received | Resume uploaded to database. Zero human or automated screening has occurred. | 1 to 3 days | Wait. Do not message the recruiter yet. |
| In Progress / In Process | System has your file. You are sitting in the screening queue waiting for a recruiter to open your resume. | 3 to 10 business days | Wait 5 to 7 days, then keep applying elsewhere. |
| Recruiter Review | A talent acquisition specialist has opened your profile and is actively screening qualifications. | 2 to 5 days | Polish your LinkedIn profile; recruiter will check it. |
| Under Consideration | Passed initial screening. A human recruiter shortlisted you and flagged your file for hiring manager review. | 1 to 3 weeks | Prepare for phone screen; reach out to internal referrals. |
| Route for Additional Review | Forwarded to a secondary evaluator (hiring manager, team lead, or cross-functional peer). | 3 to 7 business days | High positive signal. Keep email alerts active. |
| Preliminary Conversations Underway | Enterprise-specific stage (e.g., Barclays) meaning you have been selected for an initial recruiter screening call. | 3 to 7 business days | Check spam folder daily for scheduling links. |
| Interview / Interviews Underway | Active interview loop. Rounds are being scheduled or feedback is being logged. | 1 to 4 weeks | Prepare interview notes and send same-day thank-you notes. |
| Offer in Process / Offer Pending | Verbal recommendation approved; comp and finance teams are signing off on formal compensation package. | 2 to 7 business days | Do not resign yet. Review market benchmarks for counter-offers. |
| Background Check / Pre-Hire | Contingent offer signed; third-party screening (Checkr, Sterling, HireRight) is verifying employment and credentials. | 3 to 10 business days | Submit requested documentation promptly; do not give notice to current employer until cleared. |
| Process Complete | Soft rejection. The role is still active for others, but your individual candidacy has concluded. | Final status | Archive role; pivot momentum to other applications. |
| Not Retained / Not Selected | Formal rejection. Candidate profile was dispositioned out of the active requisition. | Final status | Review job requirements; re-apply to new requisitions. |
| Inactive / No Longer Under Consideration | Requisition closed or application formally archived after rejection. | Final status | Definite closure. Reapply to other teams or companies. |
Did your date update with no status change? If your portal timestamp changed to today but your status label stayed identical, that is a system audit event, not an application status. For the technical breakdown of the 7 backend triggers that cause this, read our dedicated guide on Workday Date Updated but Status Didn't Change.
In Progress vs. Under Consideration: Direct Side-by-Side Comparison
The transition between "In Progress" and "Under Consideration" is where most search confusion occurs. Candidates often see these two labels across different applications and assume they mean the same thing. Internally, they represent two completely different tiers of candidate qualification:
| Evaluation Dimension | In Progress / In Process | Under Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Stage in Funnel | Automated database intake & ingestion | Active candidate shortlist |
| Human Touchpoint | Zero (unopened or basic parsing match) | Talent recruiter screened qualifications |
| Hiring Team Visibility | Hidden from department hiring manager | Displayed on hiring manager review slate |
| Candidate Pool Size | 100% of applicants (250 to 1,000+ resumes) | Top 15% to 20% of qualified applicants |
| Interview Probability | 5% baseline applicant probability | 30% to 50% for top-tier candidates |
| Typical Duration | 3 to 10 business days | 1 to 3 weeks (longer for alternates) |
| Immediate Action Required | Wait 5 to 7 days; continue external applications | Prep for phone screen; verify email and spam daily |
Workday Date Updated but Status Didn't Change: What It Means
In Progress, In Process & Under Review: What They Mean
"In Progress" means your application landed in the system. It has not been rejected. It has not been reviewed by a human. It is sitting in a database queue waiting for someone on the other side to open it.
That is the honest answer, but it is also incomplete. Because "In Progress" is not one scenario. It is a screen that stays the same while five different things happen behind it.
Scenario 1: Your application is genuinely unread. The recruiter has not gotten to it yet. The average corporate job posting receives 250 resumes. Four to six candidates ever make it to a human review stage. If your application was closed almost instantly, see our breakdown on how Workday knockout questions auto-reject candidates or getting rejected in 5 minutes and whether AI read your resume. If your resume was a strong match but still got filtered, see why you got rejected for a job you were qualified for. The rest sit in "In Progress" indefinitely. This is the most common scenario and the one that matches the literal meaning of the status.
Scenario 2: A recruiter is reviewing applications in batches. They opened the requisition. They are screening 50 resumes at a time. Yours is in the queue, not rejected, not shortlisted yet. The status does not change while this happens. It just sits there.
Scenario 3: The requisition is frozen. The role was approved, posted, and then something changed. Budget got pulled. Headcount got reallocated. Leadership decided to restructure the team. The job posting stays live. Candidate applications keep flowing in. Nobody is looking at any of them. Every single one shows "In Progress."
Scenario 4: You are a backup candidate. The company is interviewing their top choice right now. They do not want to reject you in case that person declines. You sit in "In Progress" as a hedge. This can last weeks.
Scenario 5: The status is lagging behind reality. Workday is not a real-time dashboard. A recruiter can reject you on Tuesday and the system does not update your portal until Thursday. "In Progress" on Wednesday means nothing if the decision was already made.
"In Progress" vs. "In Process" vs. "Under Review": "In Progress" and "In Process" are identical. Some companies configure Workday to display one, some display the other. "Under Review" means the same thing: your application is in the queue and active, but no human has necessarily seen it yet. JP Morgan heavily uses "Under Review" as their default holding state. Salesforce uses "In Consideration." They all mean your application is in the pipeline and has not been rejected.
How to Prepare for a Recruiter Call (Workday Guide)
How long should "In Progress" last?
If a role is actively hiring and you are in the queue, 3 to 7 business days is normal. If you hit 10 business days with no status change and no communication, the application is probably either still queued behind a backlog or the requisition is not being actively worked. Neither is a good sign. Neither is a definitive rejection.
At 2 weeks with no movement, deprioritize. Keep the application open. Stop checking the portal. Put your energy into other applications. If the status eventually changes, it is a bonus, not something you were counting on.
The most important transition in Workday: "In Progress" to "Under Consideration."
If you went to sleep with "In Progress" and woke up to "Under Consideration," something specific happened. A human looked at your file and made a deliberate choice to advance it. That is not automation. That is not a batch update. A recruiter reviewed your resume, compared it against the job requirements, and decided you belong in the shortlist.
Fewer than 20% of applications ever make this jump. Across the hundreds of hiring cycles I have tracked through Workday, the majority of applicants never leave "In Progress." They either get rejected or the application expires silently without a status update.
What does "In Progress" mean after an interview?
This is the question every candidate asks and nobody answers well.
You finished the onsite. The status was "Interview." Now it says "In Progress." Is that a downgrade?
Not necessarily. After interviews, Workday often reverts to "In Progress" while the hiring team compiles feedback, the recruiter waits for scorecards, or the committee deliberates. It is a holding pattern. It does not mean you failed. It means the decision is unmade.
If you see "In Progress" for more than 2 weeks post-interview with no recruiter contact, the most likely explanation is that you are a backup candidate. The company extended an offer to their first choice and is waiting for their response before closing you out. It is also possible the requisition entered the approval queue for senior-level sign-off. Either way, the status will not tell you which one. Your recruiter will. Send one short follow-up at the 2-week mark. No response is itself a response.
Signs your requisition might be frozen: The job posting remains live, but your status has not moved in 3+ weeks, the role is reposted with a new requisition ID, or the recruiter stops responding following hiring slowdowns. If you spot these signals, headcount is almost certainly stalled. Stop waiting on the portal and redirect your focus.
"In Progress" on a re-application: If you applied, got rejected, and re-applied to the same company for a different role, "In Progress" means the same thing it meant the first time: your application is in the queue. The previous rejection does not automatically flag your new application. Workday treats each requisition independently unless the employer has configured cross-req filtering, which most have not.
Is Workday Under Consideration a Good Sign?
Yes, but with clear operational caveats.
To evaluate whether "Under Consideration" is genuinely good news or a silent holding pattern, use this operational checklist:
| Candidate Scenario | Portal Behavioral Indicator | Operational Meaning | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Within Past 3 to 10 Days | Shifted from "In Progress" to "Under Consideration" | Strong Positive: Resume cleared initial ATS parsing and human recruiter shortlist. | Prepare elevator pitch; research hiring team on LinkedIn. |
| Post-Interview Loop (Days 1 to 7) | Status remains "Under Consideration" | Positive Holding State: Scorecards are being logged and debrief is pending. | Send prompt thank-you note; await recruiter follow-up. |
| Parked for 3 to 4 Weeks | Stagnant status; job requisition still active | Alternate Bench: Team is interviewing primary finalist cohort; your file is backup. | Send brief 2-sentence check-in; continue active applications. |
| Parked for 5+ Weeks | Job posting taken down or reposted | Soft Rejection / Freeze: Headcount paused or candidate hired without portal update. | Send definitive closure email; archive the requisition. |
| Status Reverts to "In Progress" | Backward status shift | Administrative Re-index: Recruiter batch error or requisition reconfiguration. | Send polite check-in note to recruiting coordinator. |
In enterprise hiring on Workday, fewer than 20% of submitted applications ever reach "Under Consideration." Most get auto-rejected or simply expire without a human ever seeing them.
So yes, this status matters. But remember the distinction: "Under Consideration" does not mean you have an interview scheduled. It means you have earned the right to be evaluated. Understanding that boundary will save you from both premature celebration and unnecessary anxiety.
What Does Under Consideration Mean on a Job Application (Workday)?
"Under Consideration" on Workday means a human recruiter or hiring manager has reviewed your application and actively moved it forward in the hiring process. Your resume passed the automated ATS keyword filter, a recruiter opened your file, and they made a manual decision to keep you in the candidate pool. You are no longer in the automated pile: you are on a shortlist.
This is different from "In Progress" (received but untouched) or "Interview" (a round has been scheduled). "Under Consideration" sits between those two: you are past the filter, but you have not yet been booked for a screen or interview.
The status typically shows up 3 to 10 days after you applied, and it can remain there for 1 to 4 weeks while the recruiter finishes building a shortlist and coordinates with the hiring manager. Seeing it does not guarantee an interview, but it does mean you are being seriously evaluated, which fewer than 20% of applicants ever reach.
If an application idles in "Under Consideration" for over two weeks, it usually comes down to how recruiters batch candidates. Hiring teams typically review applicants in tiers of five. If you are in tier two, the recruiter keeps your portal locked in "Under Consideration" while tier one completes preliminary phone calls. If a tier-one candidate drops out or underperforms, the recruiter immediately opens tier two without needing to repost the requisition.
How Different Employers Use Workday Statuses
If you are applying to specific large enterprises, they often customize Workday's default language. Here is how the most-searched corporate portals handle candidate statuses:
- JP Morgan (Under Review vs. Under Consideration): JP Morgan heavily uses "Under Review" as their default holding state. If your JP Morgan status changes from "Under Review" to "Under Consideration", it means you have passed the initial screen and are on the hiring manager's shortlist. See our full guide on JP Morgan Application Statuses.
- Salesforce ("In Consideration"): Salesforce often drops the "Under" prefix and displays "In Consideration". If you see a Salesforce "in consideration" status, it means the exact same thing: you are actively being evaluated by a human recruiter. For details on interview pacing, check our Salesforce Interview Response Time guide.
- Goldman Sachs: Goldman Sachs' Workday portal uses "Under Consideration" as a strong positive indicator. It means your resume survived automated screening and a human sourcer has opened your file. If it lingers past three weeks without a HireVue invite, the division may be recalibrating headcount.
- Barclays ("Preliminary Conversations Underway"): Barclays' Workday portal frequently shifts shortlisted candidates into "Preliminary Conversations Underway". This signals that the talent acquisition team has queued your profile for an initial recruiter screen, though candidate interview reports show a 5 to 10 business day scheduling window due to batch interview calendars.
- Oracle: Oracle's Taleo-to-Workday infrastructure displays "Under Consideration" on newer postings. It carries the standard enterprise meaning: a recruiter has reviewed and shortlisted your profile for hiring manager approval.
- Honeywell: Honeywell uses "Under Consideration" across their candidate portal. Candidates often see this status for 1 to 3 weeks before progressing to a recruiter phone screen.
- Scotiabank: Scotiabank's Workday instance displays "Application Under Consideration" once your file clears the initial keyword scan. Expect 2 to 4 weeks before a scheduling update.
- US Bank: US Bank uses "Under Consideration" following initial screening, typically moving quickly within 1 to 2 weeks toward phone screens or closure.
- Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS): BMS uses "Under Consideration" post-screening, maintaining this state for 2 to 3 weeks during department-level committee evaluations.
How Long Does "Under Consideration" Actually Last?
This timeline variation is what causes candidate anxiety. Review cycles follow predictable intervals based on recruiter capacity:
1 to 2 weeks: This is the normal review cycle. Recruiters are collecting a shortlist, schedulers are reaching out to candidates in batches, and hiring managers are comparing profiles. If you are sitting at "Under Consideration" for 7 to 10 days, you are in completely normal territory. No action required.
3 to 4 weeks: The role may be paused, or the team is slow to align on decision-making. You are likely still in the running but as a secondary candidate, meaning they are watching how their first-choice candidates progress before circling back. This is the point where you can reasonably send a brief check-in to the recruiter.
5 weeks or more: Treat this duration as a probable soft rejection or frozen requisition. Roles can stall due to quarterly budget reallocations or internal lateral transfers filling the headcount. If the job posting is no longer active on Workday, that is your confirmation. Deprioritize this opportunity and redirect your focus.
The biggest tactical mistake candidates make is obsessively refreshing the portal for eight weeks, hoping the status will shift, instead of running parallel applications. Treat "Under Consideration" like an open trade: you made a solid entry, now let the process run while you move to your next opportunity.
Workday "Offer in Process" or "Offer Pending": What Happens Behind Closed Doors
If your Workday dashboard flips to "Offer in Process" or "Offer Pending", you are the hiring team's selected finalist. Across verified offer reviews and candidate feedback, one rule is absolute: never give notice or resign until you hold a signed formal offer letter with a confirmed start date.
The portal status often updates before your recruiter calls because Workday automatically flips the candidate record the moment a hiring manager initiates the offer workflow. What happens behind the scenes is a three-desk bureaucratic ladder:
- Total Rewards / Comp Review: The compensation team benchmarks your proposed package against internal equity and Radford/Mercer market percentiles (P50 to P75). Out-of-band numbers require executive justification memos.
- Finance Sign-Off: The departmental finance VP confirms headcount budget is allocated for the current fiscal quarter.
- Document Generation: HR operations generates the official PDF employment contract.
When a Workday portal flips to "Offer in Process", never give notice at your current job until formal signatures clear both sides. At tech firms, this sign-off clears in 2 to 4 business days. At Fortune 500 enterprises, approval committees take 5 to 10 business days. It can occasionally revert to "In Progress" if a hiring freeze hits or finance rejects an exception. If 5 business days pass with no word, send a warm check-in to your recruiter.
Workday "Preliminary Conversations Underway": The Barclays and Enterprise Reality
If you applied to Barclays or other multinational enterprises, "Preliminary Conversations Underway" is a common customized Workday stage.
Across major financial institutions, applicants frequently worry after seeing this status sit untouched for 1 to 2 weeks without a call. Here is what is actually happening behind the dashboard:
- Batch Staging: You survived the initial ATS filter and the recruiter moved a cohort of 10 to 15 candidates into their screening queue. It is an intentional holding state, not an administrative error.
- The Scheduling Bottleneck: Recruiters screen candidates in waves (typically 6 to 8 phone calls a week). They send self-scheduling calendar links to the top 3 or 4 candidates first. If those slots fill up, remaining candidates wait in this status until the next week's calendar opens.
- The Spam Filter Trap: Automated Barclays/Workday scheduling invites frequently trigger Gmail and Outlook spam filters. Check your junk and promotions folders daily for
@barclays.comemails.
What Does "Process Complete" Mean on Workday?
"Process Complete" is the most misunderstood status in Workday. It does not mean the company stopped hiring. It means your process ended. Nvidia, Salesforce, and other large employers frequently use this label in place of a formal rejection email, leaving candidates in the dark. If you see this status, treat it as a soft disposition: archive the role and direct your energy toward other active applications.
For a full breakdown of company-specific portal quirks, check out our Tech Application Status Dashboard for Netflix, Google, and Meta specific status translations. If you have several active submissions across the same organization, read our breakdown on applying to multiple jobs at the same company on Workday to understand what recruiters see across duplicate requisitions.
What Does No Longer Under Consideration Mean in Workday?
"No Longer Under Consideration" on Workday is a definitive rejection. Your application has been reviewed and a hiring decision has been made. You were not selected to move forward. The role may still be actively hiring with other candidates, but your file has been closed.
You can reapply to different roles at the same company immediately. This rejection does not block you from other listings. For the same role, most companies follow a 6 to 12 month informal cooling period.
For the full breakdown (including what this status means across every ATS, whether you're blacklisted, and your next 3 moves) see our complete guide to "No Longer Under Consideration".
When and How to Follow Up: Word-for-Word Scripts
Refreshing Workday every two hours will not change the outcome. What will change the outcome is a structured follow-up strategy.
Here is exactly what to do based on where you are in the timeline, along with copy-paste email templates:
Script 1: Routine 3-Week Status Follow-Up Email
If your application has been in "Under Consideration" for 3 to 4 weeks with no recruiter outreach, send this brief note:
Subject: Application Status Check: [Job Title] - [Req ID] - [Your Full Name]
Dear [Recruiter Name],
I hope your week is going well.
I noticed my application for the [Job Title] position (Requisition #[Req ID]) is currently under consideration, and I wanted to reiterate my strong enthusiasm for joining the team at [Company Name].
I am checking in to see if there are any updates regarding the interview timeline or if there are any additional materials I can provide to support the evaluation team.
Thank you for your time and guidance.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your LinkedIn Profile URL]
Script 2: Definite 5-Week Closure Email
Across candidate loops I have guided, candidates who send a structured closure email get definitive answers 50% faster. Recruiters often procrastinate on issuing formal rejections, but they respond to polite closure requests:
Subject: Requisition Update: [Job Title] - [Req ID] - [Your Full Name]
Dear [Recruiter Name],
I hope you are having a productive week.
I am writing to inquire whether the [Job Title] role (Requisition #[Req ID]) is still actively hiring. Because I am currently progressing in interview discussions with other opportunities, I wanted to confirm whether [Company Name] is moving forward with my candidacy before I finalize my schedule.
If the team has decided to pursue other finalists or if headcount has shifted, I completely understand and would appreciate a quick note so I can plan accordingly.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your LinkedIn Profile URL]
Script 3: Barclays / Preliminary Conversations Follow-Up
If your status changed to "Preliminary Conversations Underway" over 7 business days ago without a calendar link:
Subject: Scheduling Update: [Job Title] - [Req ID] - [Your Full Name]
Dear [Recruiter Name or Campus Team],
I hope you are having a great week.
I noticed my candidate portal for the [Job Title] position (Requisition #[Req ID]) updated to indicate preliminary conversations are underway. I wanted to reach out and confirm whether a scheduling invitation has been sent, as I want to ensure it was not caught by my email filters.
I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to speaking with the team.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your LinkedIn Profile URL]
If your status changed to Interview or you just finished your final round: Different companies run on wildly different decision timelines. Review our complete guide on how long to wait after a final interview before following up, with company-by-comparison windows from 24-hour fast tracks to 6-week committee cycles.
Not sure which ATS your target company uses? Workday is common at Fortune 500s, but many high-growth tech companies run on Greenhouse or Lever instead. For the full breakdown, see our Greenhouse application status guide and Lever application status guide.
Stuck in a cooldown after a rejection? See our Big Tech Interview Cooldown Periods 2026 to see when you can re-apply.
While You Wait: Use This Time Strategically
Most candidates who reach "Under Consideration" make the same mistake: they pause their entire job search and wait. That is the worst tactical move you can make.
Here is exactly how to use this waiting period to build leverage:
1. Update your LinkedIn profile today. The first thing a recruiter does after moving your status to "Under Consideration" is look you up on LinkedIn. Make sure your headline reflects your target role, ensure your last two positions showcase measurable accomplishments, and read our breakdown on the recruiter resume 6-second scan to align your profile with how corporate sourcers review candidates.
2. Prepare for the recruiter screening call now. The next step after "Under Consideration" is almost always a recruiter phone screen. Review our dedicated guide on how to prepare for the recruiter call on Workday. To prepare for the behavioral rounds that follow, study our guide on behavioral interview questions and answers.
3. Audit your technical screening readiness. You passed Workday's initial scan, but the hiring manager will evaluate your specific technical background before approving an interview loop. Make sure your resume highlights verifiable capabilities rather than generic buzzwords: see our analysis on why AI-generated resumes fail interviews.
4. Keep applying in parallel. The candidates who keep interviewing elsewhere while waiting always end up in a better spot: you negotiate from confidence instead of desperation. "Under Consideration" is not an offer. Apply to 3 to 5 comparable roles today and treat this application as one strong bet in a diversified pipeline.