---
title: "Workday Application Status Meanings: Every Label Decoded"
description: "Workday application status meanings depend on the employer: In Progress means active, not reviewed. See every label, what it means and your next step."
canonical: https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings
author: "Dhrumil Barot"
author_bio: "Dhrumil is a job search and hiring outreach expert. Dhrumil built Jobfinder AI so applications reach the hiring managers who decide, not an inbox nobody reads."
published: 2026-11-15
updated: 2026-11-15
---

# Workday Application Status Meanings: Every Label Decoded

By [Dhrumil Barot](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/about#founder), Founder. Published 2026-11-15. Updated 2026-11-15. 11 min read.

What every Workday application status means, from In Progress to Completed, based on employer HR docs, plus the next move for each label.

On this page:

- [Workday application status lookup table](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#workday-application-status-lookup-table)
- [What Jobfinder AI does with Workday applications](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#what-jobfinder-ai-does-with-workday-applications)
- [How do Workday statuses actually work?](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#how-do-workday-statuses-actually-work)
- [What do the most common Workday statuses mean?](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#what-do-the-most-common-workday-statuses-mean)
- [Do Workday status changes send an email?](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#do-workday-status-changes-send-an-email)
- [Assessment, Interview and Offer statuses](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#assessment-interview-and-offer-statuses)
- [Who can tell me my real status?](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#who-can-tell-me-my-real-status)
- [FAQ](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/workday-application-status-meanings#faq)

**TL;DR:** A Workday application status tells you where your application sits in one employer's pipeline, not what a recruiter thinks of you. "In Progress" means active and not rejected, "Under Consideration" usually means a hiring manager flagged you, and "Completed", "Not Selected" or "No Longer Under Consideration" mean the application is closed. Jobfinder AI applies through Workday career sites for you and then emails a verified hiring contact, so you are not left reading labels.

[Try Jobfinder AI on your own search](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/ai-job-finder): upload your CV, review your first matches and approve your first batch of outreach before anything is sent.

Workday application status meanings are set by each employer, not by Workday. Every company that hires through Workday configures its own stages and decides which label a candidate sees in Candidate Home. So "In Progress" can mean that HR has not yet checked your minimum qualifications at one employer and that you are already interviewing at another. The table below gives every common label, what it usually means, what it means at employers that publish their setup, and the one thing to do next. Every employer fact on this page comes from that employer's own HR documentation, read on November 15, 2026, and each one is linked.

## Workday application status lookup table

| Status you see | Usually means | Application open? | Your next move |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Submitted / Application Received | It reached the employer's system | Yes | Expect a confirmation email within 1 day |
| Active | Open, no decision yet | Yes | Nothing; keep applying elsewhere |
| In Progress / In Process | Active and not rejected; stage unknown | Yes | Follow up with a named person after 5 to 7 days |
| Under Review / Recruiter Review | HR or a recruiter is screening | Yes | Wait; follow up once |
| Under Consideration | A hiring manager flagged you | Yes | Prepare for a screen |
| Sent to dept / Forwarded | HR passed you to the hiring team | Yes | Prepare; the team may call or email |
| Screen / Phone Screen | A call is planned or done | Yes | Watch email and phone |
| Assessment | A test is waiting for you | Yes | Open My Tasks within 24 hours |
| Interview | You passed screening | Yes | Check spam for the invite |
| Reference Check / Background Check | Pre-offer or pre-hire checks | Yes | Answer requests the same day |
| Offer / Offer in Progress | An offer is being prepared | Yes | Wait for the written offer |
| Not Selected / No Longer Under Consideration | Declined for this role | No | Apply to other roles |
| Completed | Closed: a decline or a canceled job | No | Treat it as closed |
| Recruitment Canceled | The job will not be filled | No | Watch for a repost |
| Withdrew / Withdrawn | You were removed at your request | No | Reapply only if still open |

Two exact values to remember: at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, every decline reason except a withdrawal shows the candidate the status Completed on the Inactive tab, and every active stage after Review shows In Progress on the Active tab ([UW-Madison HR](https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/candidate-view-by-job-application-status/)).

## What Jobfinder AI does with Workday applications

Jobfinder AI is an AI job search agent. It reads openings from employer career sites that run on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workday and SmartRecruiters, ranks them against your CV, and fills supported employer application forms. It submits a form only when every required answer can be given truthfully from your profile. Then it emails a verified hiring contact at the company from your own inbox, and you approve the first batch of outreach before anything is sent.

That matters for Workday in one specific way: a status label can sit unchanged for weeks, and nobody at the employer is obliged to update it. A short email to the person who owns the role gives you a channel that does not depend on someone clicking a button in Workday. What Jobfinder AI does not do: it cannot see inside an employer's Workday account, so it cannot tell you your real stage either. Nobody outside the employer can.

![How a Workday application moves from submission to a decision](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/cn4g0q2b/production/ec4f05130101d0a918c5a391dabaf056261f3822-1344x326.png)

*Each employer names and orders these stages differently.*

## How do Workday statuses actually work?

A Workday status is a candidate-facing summary of a three-part record. UW-Madison's HR guide describes a candidate's profile as an Application Status (Active or Inactive), a Stage (for example Screen) and a Step inside that stage (for example Phone Screen or Resume Screen). Only the status and the stage change what you see in Candidate Home. The step does not ([UW-Madison HR](https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/candidate-view-by-job-application-status/)).

This is why one label covers many situations. Here is how UW-Madison maps its internal stages to what candidates see:

![UW-Madison maps several internal stages onto a few candidate labels](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/cn4g0q2b/production/e09f1b99b9ea3c638a912792493f5ed2afe47848-1344x502.png)

*A decline and a canceled job look the same to the candidate.*

The same guide adds a detail that most status guides miss: a frozen requisition keeps showing whatever status you had when it was frozen. So a job that is on hold can look exactly like a job that is moving.

## What do the most common Workday statuses mean?

Three labels cause most of the confusion: In Progress, Under Consideration and the rejection labels.

### What does "In Progress" mean on Workday?

"In Progress" means your application is active and has not been rejected. It does not mean a person has read it. What it covers depends entirely on the employer:

- At the University of Washington, "In Progress" means HR is reviewing your resume for minimum qualifications and eligibility, before the hiring manager sees it. The next status is "Sent to dept" ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)).
- At UW-Madison, "In Progress" covers every active stage after Review, including Interview, Assessment and Employment Agreement ([UW-Madison HR](https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/candidate-view-by-job-application-status/)).

So at one employer the label means "not seen by the team yet" and at another it can mean "you are in final interviews". "In Process" is the same idea with different wording; it is a configuration choice.

**How long does it stay In Progress?** There is no fixed time. An application stays "In Progress" until someone at the employer moves it, and that can be days or months. The University of Washington says plainly that the total time to fill a position varies and that hiring departments only contact the most competitive candidates ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)). Emerson College aims to decline unsuitable applicants within 3 to 7 days, which means a status that stays "In Progress" past 7 days there is at least not an early screen-out.

The reverse problem is common too: a status can stay "In Progress" after the job is filled if nobody closes the record, and UW-Madison notes that a frozen requisition keeps its old status. A practical rule:

- **First 7 days:** do nothing except keep applying.
- **After 5 to 7 days:** send one short follow-up to a named recruiter or hiring manager. Our [follow-up guide](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/how-to-follow-up-job-application) has the wording.
- **After 21 to 28 days with no change:** treat it as cold and put your effort elsewhere. If the posting has also vanished, see our notes on [ghost jobs](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/ghost-jobs).

### What does "Under Consideration" mean on Workday?

"Under Consideration" is usually a good sign. At Emerson College it is a stage the hiring manager uses to bookmark candidates of interest who could move on to interviews. Workday sends the candidate no email at this stage, so silence is normal ([Emerson College HR](https://hr.emerson.edu/hc/en-us/articles/19841070894227-Recruiting-Steps-in-Workday)). At Emerson the next stages are a recruiter phone screen and a manager phone screen, and neither sends an automatic email either: the invitation comes from a person.

What to do: get ready for a short screening call. Have a 2 minute summary of why you fit the role and your availability for the next week.

### Does "No Longer Under Consideration" mean I was rejected?

Yes. "No Longer Under Consideration", "Not Selected" and, at some employers, "Completed" mean the employer has closed your application for that role. The University of Washington says "Not selected" can occur any time after you apply, during HR review or during the hiring manager's review ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)).

Two cautions:

1. **"Completed" is not always a decline.** At UW-Madison, a canceled requisition also shows "Completed", whatever the cancellation reason ([UW-Madison HR](https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/candidate-view-by-job-application-status/)). Either way, this application is over.
2. **A decline for one role is only for that role.** Other applications at the same employer keep their own statuses. Apply again to a different requisition if you fit it.

### Why did my status change to "Not Selected" without an interview?

Most declines happen at screening, before any interview. At Emerson, the target for a screening decline is 3 to 7 days after you apply. Common reasons, all visible in employer documentation:

- **Minimum qualifications.** At the University of Washington, HR's first step is checking your resume against minimum qualifications and eligibility ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)). A missing required license or degree ends it there.
- **Knockout questions.** Employers can add screening questions, such as work authorization, that close an application on one answer.
- **A fast screening policy.** Emerson College tells hiring managers to decline candidates who do not meet the criteria within 3 to 7 days of their application, and every declined candidate gets an automatic email ([Emerson College HR](https://hr.emerson.edu/hc/en-us/articles/19841070894227-Recruiting-Steps-in-Workday)).
- **The job closed.** A canceled requisition can look like a decline (see "Completed" above).

If the same thing happens across many applications, the problem is usually targeting or resume match, not Workday. Our guide to the [ATS black hole](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/ats-black-hole-what-to-do-instead) covers what to change.

## Do Workday status changes send an email?

Often not. UW-Madison's HR guide states that changing a candidate's status, removing them from consideration or closing the requisition sends no notification at all; recruiters must message candidates separately ([UW-Madison HR](https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/candidate-view-by-job-application-status/)). At Emerson College the pattern is mixed:

| Stage at Emerson College | Email from Workday? |
| --- | --- |
| Review (on decline) | Yes |
| Under Consideration | No |
| Recruiter or manager phone screen | No |
| Interview | No |
| Reference Check | Yes, to submit references |
| Offer | Yes, to view the offer letter |
| Background Check | No; the vendor emails you |

Emerson also notes the background check takes about two weeks (roughly 14 days) ([Emerson College HR](https://hr.emerson.edu/hc/en-us/articles/19841070894227-Recruiting-Steps-in-Workday)). So check your email and spam folder separately from the portal, and add the employer's Workday sender to your safe senders. The University of Washington, for example, confirms applications from uw@myworkday.com ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)).

## Assessment, Interview and Offer statuses

UW-Madison says most people finish its Workday application in 20 to 30 minutes ([UW-Madison Jobs FAQ](https://jobs.wisc.edu/faq-workday)), but the later stages take far longer and each one asks something different of you.

**Assessment.** A test or questionnaire is waiting. Open the My Tasks area of Candidate Home and look for a deadline. This is the one status where waiting costs you.

**Interview.** You passed screening. At Emerson the interview stage sends no automatic email, so the invitation comes from a person. If your status says Interview and your inbox is empty, check spam, wait 1 day, then write to the recruiter.

**Reference Check and Background Check.** Answer the reference request or the vendor's authorization email within 24 hours. At Emerson, the reference request comes from Workday and the background check email comes from the vendor.

**Offer.** The offer is being prepared or approved. Do not resign anywhere because of a dashboard label, and do not give 2 weeks' notice before you sign; wait for the written offer and read its terms.

## Who can tell me my real status?

Only the hiring team. The University of Washington's applicant help desk says it has no access to individual hiring decisions and sees the same information you do ([UW Jobs](https://www.washington.edu/jobs/after-applying/)). Workday the company does not run the employer's hiring either, so contacting Workday support will not help.

The useful contact is the recruiter or hiring manager for the role. Quote the requisition number shown in Candidate Home (for example REQ-0000123456), the job title and the date you applied. Our guide on [how to email a hiring manager after applying](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/how-to-email-hiring-manager-after-applying) shows how to find the right person and what to write. Jobfinder AI does this step for you: after it applies, it emails a verified hiring contact from your inbox, once you have approved the first batch.

## FAQ

### Is "In Progress" on Workday a good sign?

It is a neutral sign. It means you have not been rejected yet. At the University of Washington it means HR is still checking minimum qualifications; at UW-Madison it can mean you are interviewing.

### What is the difference between "In Progress" and "Under Review"?

Both mean active. "Under Review" usually points to screening by HR or a recruiter, while "In Progress" can cover any active stage. Which is further along depends on how the employer set up Workday.

### Does Workday tell me when I am rejected?

Sometimes. Emerson College sends an automatic email to declined candidates. UW-Madison's Workday sends nothing when a status changes, so recruiters must message candidates separately.

### Can I reapply after "No Longer Under Consideration"?

You can apply to other open requisitions at the same employer, and each keeps its own status. Reapplying to the same requisition rarely helps unless the employer reopens it.

### Why does my application say "Completed" when I never heard back?

At UW-Madison, "Completed" appears for any decline and for a canceled job, and the status change itself sends no message. Treat it as closed.

### Can Jobfinder AI see my Workday status?

No. No outside tool can see inside an employer's Workday account. Jobfinder AI applies through supported Workday career sites and then contacts a verified hiring person, which gets you an answer a label cannot.

Stop refreshing the portal. [Start your search with Jobfinder AI](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/ai-job-finder): it finds roles that fit your CV, applies where it can answer truthfully, and emails the hiring manager after you approve the first batch. For the form step itself, see our [job application autofill comparison](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/blog/job-application-autofill).

---

Written by [Dhrumil Barot](https://www.jobfinder-ai.com/about#founder). Dhrumil is a job search and hiring outreach expert. Dhrumil built Jobfinder AI so applications reach the hiring managers who decide, not an inbox nobody reads.

[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bdhrumil), [X](https://x.com/fyidhrumil)