The Recommend Next Step feature gives Hiring Managers a one-click button to move a candidate forward in your submittal workflow, directly from a sendout email, their Engage candidate profile, or any submittal table. This article covers what it is, how it works, and how to configure it end-to-end.
What Is Recommend Next Step?
BrightMove has included a Recommend Hire button that Hiring Managers can use to accept a candidate from a sendout. Recommend Next Step builds on that by letting you define a specific submittal status as the designated "next step" in your workflow. So instead of immediately recommending a hire, the button moves the candidate into whatever stage makes sense for your process, like Client Interview or Submitted to Client.
Once configured, the button label updates to match your company's terminology, and the whole experience runs automatically from there.
Where the Button Appears
Once active, the button renders in five places:
The Contact submittal table
The Requisition submittal table
The Applicant submittal table
The Candidate Profile view in Engage
Sendout quick link emails sent to Hiring Managers
How It Works
When a Hiring Manager clicks the button, BrightMove moves the candidate into the configured Next Step status and automatically creates a submittal activity. The success page uses your company's configured button label.
When the Next Step Button Renders
All of the following must be true for the button to appear:
A submittal status has been designated as the Next Step
The Hiring Manager contact has the Recommend Next Step permission enabled
The submittal is not already in the Next Step status
If the Next Step status is a Placement status, the contact also has the Accept Applicant Immediately permission
When It Falls Back to Recommend Hire
The standard Recommend Hire button appears only when all three of the following are true simultaneously:
No Next Step status has been configured for the company
The Hiring Manager contact has the Accept Applicant Immediately permission enabled
The submittal is in a status marked Report as Submittal
If any one of those three conditions isn't met, neither button will render.
A Few Important Behaviors
Only one status can be designated as the Next Step at a time
If a company has a status marked Report as Submittal, a submittal activity will be created from a sendout action even if a Next Step status is also configured
BrightMove does not check whether the Next Step status is marked "Report as Submittal" when deciding whether to render the button
New companies: When a new BrightMove account is created, the Accepted status is enabled as the Next Step by default. You can leave this as-is or swap it out for a different status in Submittal Workflow settings to match your process.
Configuration - Super User Setup
Complete the following steps once and your Hiring Managers are ready to go, no ongoing maintenance required.
Step 1: Customize the Button Label (Optional)
You can rename the button to match your company's language. The default label is Recommend Next Step.
Go to Company Preferences
Find the Recommend Hire Label field under Labels & Terminology
Enter your preferred label — for example, Recommend for Interview or Move to Next Step
Save — this label will appear everywhere the button renders, including the success confirmation page
Step 2: Designate a Next Step Status
Go to Settings > Submittal Workflow
Locate the status you want to use as the Next Step (e.g., Client Interview, Submitted to Client)
Toggle Next Step on for that status
Once a Next Step status is active, all declined statuses and all other non-Next Step statuses will be disabled from selection; only one can be active at a time.
You can also manage this from the Create/Edit Status modal, which includes a Next Step checkbox alongside other status options like Allow Interview, Placement, Decline, and Report As Submittal.
Step 3: Enable the Permission on Hiring Manager Contacts
The button will only render for Hiring Manager contacts who have the Recommend Next Step permission enabled. This permission is off by default.
For each Hiring Manager who needs access:
Navigate to Settings in BrightMove
Go to the Client Contact permissions settings
Enable Recommend Next Step
If your Next Step status is a Placement status, also enable Hire Applicant Immediately
Tip: Work through your Hiring Manager contacts in bulk before sending your first sendout that uses this feature. Once the permission is set, it carries forward automatically; you won't need to revisit it unless a new contact is added.
Note: To have the Decline button work on the hiring manager sendout/Engage, the contact will need the Decline Applicant Immediately permission. It is best practice to add that while you're here, if it is not enabled already.
Troubleshooting Checklist
Symptom | Likely Cause | What to Check |
"Recommend Next Step" button is not appearing in the HM email | Report as Submittal is not enabled on the candidate's current status, or the HM lacks the required permission | Confirm the candidate's status has Report as Submittal toggled on; confirm the HM has the |
HM receives "Unable to Process Request" error after clicking the button | Missing permission | Confirm the HM has the |
Candidate was moved to the accepted/hired status instead of the intended Next Step status | No Next Step status is configured | Verify that exactly one status in the Submittal Workflow has the Next Step flag enabled; if none is set, the system defaults to the accepted/hired status |
Candidate was moved to an unexpected status | Multiple or incorrect Next Step configurations | Confirm only one status has Next Step enabled; a Decline status cannot be set as Next Step |
Button label still displays "Recommend Hire" instead of custom label | Custom label field is blank or empty | Open the Next Step status in Submittal Workflow settings and confirm a label has been entered; blank fields default to "Recommend Hire" |
Feature not working for a company set up from an RPO template | Next Step configuration was not copied over during setup | Confirm the Next Step status and custom label were carried over correctly from the RPO template during company creation |
Hiring Manager Permission Check
Next Step Status Type | Permissions Required |
Non-placement, non-decline (e.g. Interview, In Review) |
|
Placement (hire) next step |
|
Decline | Cannot be configured as Next Step — use the decline flow separately if granting |
What Recruiters Need to Know
Once a Super User has completed setup, your day-to-day experience is minimal, but here's what to keep in mind:
The button your Hiring Managers see is labeled whatever your company configured (default: Recommend Next Step)
Clicking it moves the candidate to the designated Next Step status and logs a submittal activity automatically, no manual steps required on your end
If a Hiring Manager reports the button isn't showing up, the most likely cause is that the Recommend Next Step permission isn't enabled on their contact profile, check that first.
Only one Next Step status can be active at a time, if your workflow changes and you need to update it, a Super User can swap it out in Submittal Workflow settings
Questions or Setup Help?
Contact BrightMove Support if you need help configuring your submittal workflow or Hiring Manager permissions.