Overview
This article helps you understand and manage the Candidate Dashboard in Access Volcanic. The dashboard provides candidates with a central hub for viewing applications, editing personal details, managing job alerts, uploading documents, and handling General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance requests.
Key benefits
Centralise candidate information in one accessible location.
Enable independent profile updates and document management.
Provide self-service job alert creation and management tools.
Support GDPR compliance with built-in data access and deletion requests.
Track candidate activity and engagement through comprehensive logs.
Streamline document uploads with drag-and-drop functionality.
Reduce admin workload by allowing candidates to manage their own profiles.
Before you start
Before managing the Candidate Dashboard, make sure you have:
Admin access to your Access Volcanic platform.
Understanding of your site's Compliance Tools.
Knowledge of which dashboard features are enabled for your candidates.
Access to Design Studio if you need to modify branding elements.
📌 Note: Admins cannot directly preview candidate dashboards. Create a test candidate account using a temporary email to experience the dashboard from a candidate perspective.
Understanding dashboard access
Candidates can access their dashboard after registering on your website. Whether via submitting your registration form, applying for jobs aor subscribing for job alerts.
📌 Note: See our Candidate accounts guide to learn more about the different ways candidates can register on your site.
Once logged in, candidates land on the dashboard as their default page. Also, if you have a Sign In/Register widget in your navigation menu, this will display Your Account (linking to the dashboard) and Log Out options.
Dashboard structure and tabs
The Candidate Dashboard organises information into four main tabs that group related functions for easy navigation.
Overview tab
The Overview tab serves as the main landing area and displays key information at a glance:
Profile details appear in the top left, showing the candidate's name and profile picture. Candidates can click Edit Profile to update their name or email address.
Compliance options allow candidates to submit data requests (e.g. Right To Be Forgotten and Subject Access Requests) if enabled in your compliance settings.
Documents section displays uploaded CVs and cover letters. Candidates can use drag-and-drop or browse functionality to upload additional files.
Job alerts and saved jobs show all current alerts and saved positions. Candidates can unsubscribe from alerts or create new ones directly from this section.
Consent information lists any privacy consents agreed to during registration, if this feature is enabled on your site.
Profile tab
The Profile tab focuses on personal account management and document handling.
Personal details allow candidates to update their name, email address, and password directly.
Document uploads show CVs and cover letters uploaded through core registration or application questions. Files uploaded via other methods may not appear here, but candidates can upload or replace missing documents using drag-and-drop.
Additional options include uploading or changing profile pictures, submitting RTBF or SAR requests if enabled, and changing passwords.
Jobs tab
The Jobs tab manages all job-related activities and preferences.
Recent applications list job titles for applications submitted by the candidate. Full application details aren't shown.
Saved jobs display positions saved for later review.
Job alerts management shows current alerts and allows creation of new ones. Job alerts default to Weekly frequency for new candidate registrations, but candidates can adjust this to daily frequency or unsubscribe entirely.
Activity tab
The Activity tab provides a comprehensive log of all candidate actions, including account creation, logins, and other interactions. Candidates can download this activity record as a CSV file for their own records.
Job alert management
Candidates can create personalised job alerts to receive relevant opportunities automatically:
🤓Tip: Provide these steps to candidates struggling to manage their job alerts.
Log into your candidate account.
Click the Jobs tab in the dashboard.
Locate the Job Alerts section.
Use the available filters to specify preferences for:
Job Title keywords.
Location preferences.
Discipline categories.
Job Type specifications.
Select your preferred frequency:
Daily
Weekly
Unsubscribe.
Click Create alert or Save to confirm.
Unsubscribing from job alerts
Candidates can unsubscribe through by changing the job alert frequency to Unsubscribe in the candidate dashboard.
📌Note: See our Job alerts guide to learn more about managing job alerts fo candidates.
GDPR compliance features
The dashboard includes built-in tools to support GDPR compliance requirements through two main request types.
Data deletion requests
Candidates can permanently delete their personal data through Right to Be Forgotten (RTBF) requests:
Log into the Candidate Dashboard.
Click Request RTBF near the profile details.
Review the RTBF statement and confirm details.
Click Submit to send the request.
Subject Access Requests
Candidates can submit Subject Access Request (SAR) to access their stored data by clicking Request SAR to view the statement text and submit their request.
⚠️ Important: An email notification goes to your site's Main Data Representative (the designated person responsible for data protection decisions) for approval. However, any full admin can approve pending RTBF and SAR requests in the relevant area.
Candidates can cancel requests before approval, but once approved, RTBF deletions are permanent. RTBF requests only delete data stored in Access Volcanic. Data in integrated third-party systems requires separate handling.
📌Note: See our Compliance tools guide to learn more about data request management.
Customisation and admin management
Understanding dashboard customisation options helps you provide the best candidate experience.
Design limitations
The dashboard layout and structure follow platform standards and cannot be fully customised. However, you can make some adjustments:
Modify branding elements like colours, fonts, and text through Design Studio.
Update dashboard text in Theme Content via the steps in our guide.
Admin testing and preview
Admins cannot directly preview candidate dashboards. To test functionality or troubleshoot issues, create a test candidate account using a temporary email address. This approach allows you to experience the dashboard exactly as candidates do and is essential for troubleshooting reported issues.
Analytics tracking
If Google Analytics is connected to your website, you can monitor candidate dashboard engagement through several useful metrics:
Visits to /dashboard pages indicate overall candidate engagement levels.
Visits to /jobs pages show job search activity and interest.
Successful job applications serve as conversion rate indicators.
Best practices
Follow these guidelines to maximise the effectiveness of your Candidate Dashboard:
Encourage candidates to complete their profiles for better job matching opportunities.
Enable RTBF and SAR features through your Compliance Tools if GDPR compliance is important for your business operations.
Regularly test dashboard functionality using a test candidate account.
Monitor analytics to understand candidate engagement patterns and optimise accordingly.
Keep dashboard branding consistent with your main website design.
Provide clear instructions to candidates about dashboard features during onboarding.
🤓 Tip: Remember that dashboard features like RTBF, SAR, and job alerts depend on your specific site configuration and may require admin setup before candidates can use them.
FAQs
Q1: Can candidates update their email address through the dashboard?
Answer: Yes, candidates can update their email address under the Profile tab by clicking Edit Profile and making the necessary changes.
Q2: Why don't some uploaded documents appear in the dashboard?
Answer: Documents uploaded outside of core registration or application fields may not display in the dashboard. Candidates can upload or replace files using the drag-and-drop functionality in the documents section.
Q3: How can admins preview the candidate dashboard experience?
Answer: Admins cannot directly preview candidate dashboards. Create a test candidate account using a temporary email address to experience the dashboard from a candidate perspective.
Q4: Can candidates cancel RTBF requests after submission?
Answer: Yes, candidates can cancel RTBF requests before they are approved by the Main Data Representative. Once approved and processed (typically within a few business days), the deletion process cannot be reversed.
Q5: What happens to candidate data in third-party systems during RTBF deletion?
Answer: RTBF requests only delete data stored in Access Volcanic. Data in integrated third-party systems must be handled separately by contacting those system administrators directly, as this data is not automatically removed through the dashboard process.
Q6: How often do job alerts send by default?
Answer: New candidate registrations default to Weekly job alert frequency. Candidates can change this to Daily or Unsubscribe through their dashboard settings.
Q7: Can admins unsubscribe candidates from job alerts?
Answer: Yes, admins can manage candidate job alert frequencies through Admin Area → Roles → Candidates → Edit → Job Alert Frequency → Never to unsubscribe specific candidates.
Q8: What information appears in the Activity tab?
Answer: The Activity tab logs all candidate actions including account creation, logins, applications, and other platform interactions. Candidates can download this information as a CSV file.
Q9: Are there limits to dashboard customisation?
Answer: Yes, the dashboard structure is platform-standard and cannot be fully customised. You can modify branding elements through Design Studio and limited text through Theme Content settings, but layout changes are not possible.
Q10: What should I do if candidates report dashboard issues?
Answer: Contact Access Support through the Digital Assistant in your Admin Area or via the Help Centre. Include a clear description of the issue, screenshots if visual, steps to reproduce the problem, and expected versus actual results.
Q11: What are common dashboard issues candidates might experience?
Answer: Common issues include missing documents or incomplete displays, buttons not responding or functionality errors, and misaligned content or visual problems. Most issues can be resolved by contacting Access Support with detailed information.
Q12: How should candidates be informed about dashboard features?
Answer: Include dashboard guidance in your candidate onboarding process and consider creating simple instructions about key features like job alerts, document uploads, and profile management to maximise adoption and engagement.