What does 'under consideration' mean on Workday?

How Workday application statuses work

Workday is an applicant tracking system used by thousands of employers across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. When you apply through a company's careers portal built on Workday, the system assigns your application a status that updates as the hiring team takes action.

The most common statuses you will see are: submitted, under consideration, interview, offer, and not selected. Some employers customise these labels, so the exact wording can vary. Under consideration sits between the initial submission stage and any formal interview scheduling.

• Submitted: your application arrived and is waiting for a human to open it.
• Under consideration: a recruiter has looked at your profile and kept you in the running.
• Interview: the team wants to speak with you and scheduling is underway.
• Offer: a formal offer has been extended.
• Not selected: the employer has decided not to move forward with your application.

What under consideration actually means

When your status changes to under consideration, it usually means one of two things. Either a recruiter has manually reviewed your resume and decided you meet the minimum requirements, or an automated filter has passed your application to a shortlist queue for human review.

In practice, under consideration is a holding status. The hiring team knows you exist and has not ruled you out, but they are still comparing candidates, waiting for more applications to come in, or coordinating internally before moving anyone to the interview stage.

It does not mean you are the top candidate. Multiple applicants can sit in under consideration at the same time. Think of it as being on the shortlist rather than being selected.

How long under consideration typically lasts

The honest answer is that it varies widely, but most candidates see movement within two to four weeks. For roles with a hard deadline, the status often resolves faster once the posting closes. For evergreen postings that stay open continuously, you could sit in under consideration for six weeks or longer.

Factors that affect the timeline include the seniority of the role, the number of applicants, internal approval processes, and whether the hiring manager is available. Senior or specialised roles tend to take longer because more stakeholders are involved in the decision.

If you applied in late November or December in the US, Canada, or the UK, expect delays around public holidays. Australian employers slow down noticeably in late December and January due to the summer holiday period.

Whether you should follow up

Following up is reasonable, but timing and method matter. Reaching out too early can come across as impatient; waiting too long means the decision may already be made.

A good rule of thumb is to wait at least two weeks after your status changed to under consideration before sending a follow-up. If the job posting listed a specific close date, wait until three to five business days after that date.

Send a short, polite email to the recruiter or hiring contact if you have their details. If you do not, a message through LinkedIn is acceptable. Keep it to three sentences: confirm your continued interest, reference the role by title and the date you applied, and ask if there is any update on the timeline.

1. Wait at least two weeks, or until after the posted close date.
2. Find the recruiter's name from the job posting, LinkedIn, or the company website.
3. Send one short email. Subject line: 'Follow-up: [Job Title] application, [Your Name]'.
4. In the body, confirm your interest, mention the role and application date, and ask about next steps.
5. If you hear nothing after another two weeks, it is reasonable to send one final message before moving on.

Follow-up message template

Use this template as a starting point and adjust the details to match your situation. Keep the tone professional and brief.

Subject: Follow-up: Senior Marketing Manager application, Jordan Lee Hi [Recruiter name], I applied for the Senior Marketing Manager role on 3 October and noticed my application is listed as under consideration. I remain very interested in the position and would welcome any update on the timeline or next steps. Please let me know if you need anything further from me. Thank you for your time. Jordan Lee

Do not apologise for following up. Do not ask why you have not heard back. Keep the focus on your continued interest and a clear, easy question for the recruiter to answer.

What to do while you wait

The most important thing you can do while your application sits under consideration is keep applying to other roles. One application in review is not a pipeline. Hiring decisions can fall through for reasons that have nothing to do with your qualifications, including budget freezes, internal promotions, or a role being restructured.

Use the waiting period to research the company more deeply so you are ready if an interview is scheduled quickly. Review the job description again and think through examples from your experience that match each requirement.

If you are applying to multiple roles at once and finding it hard to track statuses across different portals, a tool that centralises employer replies and flags interview requests can reduce the chance of missing a response.

• Continue applying to other roles so your pipeline stays active.
• Set a calendar reminder for your follow-up date so you do not forget.
• Research the company, its products, and recent news so you are prepared.
• Review the job description and prepare two or three strong examples for likely interview questions.
• Check your spam folder regularly in case an interview invitation lands there.

How Break-In Bad helps with Workday applications

Break-In Bad applies directly on Workday on your behalf, using the resume and cover letter it builds from facts you confirm. After submitting, it takes a screenshot as proof so you can see exactly what was sent. Employer replies, including any status updates or interview requests, come into one inbox with alerts so you do not have to check multiple portals manually.

If you are applying to several Workday roles at once, having applications tracked in one place and interview reminders sent the day before can help you stay organised without missing a response while you wait on an under consideration status.