Cover letters are an optional feature that lets recruiters request (or require) a cover letter as part of a job application. Pinpoint allows you to request cover letter for job applications - either as a mandatory requirement or as a requested but optional.
When applying via the careers site, candidates can upload a cover letter as a file. Accepted formats include PDF, Word (.doc/.docx),
The Hiring team can then review the candidate cover letter as a part of their hiring process.
If cover letters are not available in your platform, please reach out to support who can enable this for you.
Cover Letter Settings for a Job
Cover letter behaviour is configured per job. There are three options:
Setting | What it means |
Shown & Optional | The cover letter field is visible, but candidates can choose to skip it |
Shown & Required | Candidates must upload a cover letter to submit their application |
Hidden | The cover letter field is not shown to candidates at all |
To configure this, go to Edit Job → Edit → Application Form and select your preferred option.
Reviewing Cover Letters
Once submitted, cover letters are available for the hiring team to review as part of the candidate's application. They can be found in Cover Letter tab of the Candidate Profile.
Managing Cover Letters in Pinpoint
Uploading and Replacing Cover Letters
Pinpoint provides flexibility for managing cover letters within the platform:
Uploading a Cover Letter: Candidates can upload their cover letter during the application process. Users and External recruiters can upload a cover letter on the candidates behalf during the manual candidate upload process.
Replacing a Cover Letter: If a candidate has already uploaded a cover letter, you can remove the existing one and upload a new version if needed.
Manually Adding a Cover Letter: If a cover letter is missing, you can manually upload it into the cover letter tab in the candidate’s application.
Issues with External Job Boards
External job boards like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and Talent.com often bypass the mandatory cover letter requirement set in Pinpoint. These platforms may only collect basic information from candidates and send it to Pinpoint, omitting required fields such as cover letters. For example:
Indeed’s native apply flow does not enforce Pinpoint’s application form requirements, allowing candidates to submit applications without a cover letter.
Candidates applying through Talent.com Quick Apply or similar features may also bypass mandatory fields.
This limitation is due to the external platforms' functionality and cannot be controlled from within Pinpoint.
Workarounds and Best Practices
To address the issue of missing cover letters, consider the following workarounds:
Add a Confirmation Question: Include a mandatory confirmation question on the Pinpoint application form, such as: “Please ensure you have added your cover letter as a supporting document for your application. Confirm you have read this.” This serves as a reminder for candidates to include their cover letter.
Use the Personal Summary Field: Encourage candidates to include their cover letter content in the Personal Summary field. Note that this may not perfectly align with anonymization preferences.
By understanding the limitations of external platforms and utilizing Pinpoint’s features effectively, you can better manage candidate cover letters and ensure a smoother application process.