On Workday, "under consideration" generally means: your application is still in the active pool. A recruiter or the ATS hasn't rejected you. That's it.

It does not mean:

  • You'll get an interview.
  • A recruiter has personally reviewed your resume in detail.
  • You're a top candidate.

It means: you haven't been eliminated.

Quick answer

Workday status Plain-English meaning Action
Submitted The system received your application Wait
Under consideration Still active, not rejected Apply elsewhere and follow up once
In review A recruiter may be looking Wait
Interview You are moving to an interview step Prep and confirm
Not selected Rejected or role closed Move on

For the exact query what does under consideration mean on Workday, the answer is: still active, no promise. Treat it as a neutral signal, not a positive signal.

How Workday's status fields work

Workday uses generic status labels that companies sometimes customize. The most common path:

  1. Submitted — your application is in the system.
  2. Under consideration — recruiter or ATS has accepted into the pool.
  3. Interview — actual interview scheduled.
  4. Offer — offer extended.
  5. Hired / Closed — done.

Or rejection paths at any stage.

The labels are fuzzy. Companies move candidates through internal stages without updating Workday — recruiters work in their internal ATS view, not the candidate-facing one.

What "under consideration" tells you

Almost nothing actionable. It tells you the application is in the pile and hasn't been auto-rejected. The real signal is whether you've been contacted for a next step.

How long does it last?

  • 1-3 weeks: normal Workday cadence. Recruiters batch-review weekly.
  • 3-4 weeks: role may be slow-moving but still active.
  • 4+ weeks: likely filled, frozen, or buried.

Workday status doesn't always update

A common pattern:

  • Workday shows "submitted" or "under consideration" for weeks.
  • Meanwhile, the recruiter has rejected you in their internal ATS but never updated Workday.
  • You're getting a silent "no" disguised as "still in process."

This is annoying but ubiquitous. Don't take Workday status as ground truth.

Should you follow up?

Yes — once, at the 7-10 business day mark. Reference your application date, give one specific reason you're a fit, ask a clear question. Full template.

If you can find the recruiter on LinkedIn, that's a higher-leverage contact than the Workday-default-email channel.

Follow-up template for Workday under consideration

Subject: Following up on [Role] application

Hi [Recruiter Name],

I applied for the [Role] role on [Date] and noticed my Workday status is still under consideration. I remain very interested, especially because [one specific match between your experience and the role].

Happy to share anything else that would be helpful.

Best, [Your Name]

Send this once. If there is no response, keep applying.

What to actually do

Stop refreshing Workday. The dashboard updates rarely and the status fields are placeholders.

  • Apply to 10+ roles in parallel. One application in flight is too few.
  • Follow up at day 7-10 with a specific value statement.
  • Move on at day 21 if no contact.

Sorce applies to 5M+ open jobs for you — swipe right, AI agent submits the application, repeat. 40 free a day. Stop staring at one Workday dashboard; spread your bets.

Every Workday status, decoded

Workday status What it actually means Should you act?
Submitted The system received your application. No human has looked yet. Wait. Don't email yet.
Under consideration You're in the active pool. Not eliminated, not advanced. Apply elsewhere. Follow up at day 7-10.
In review / Reviewing A recruiter is actively reading your file. Quiet — let them read.
Interview An interview has been scheduled or invited. Confirm and prep.
Reference check You're a finalist. The company is verifying. Brief your references that day.
Offer Offer extended. Negotiate. Don't accept on the call.
Hired Done. Celebrate.
Not selected / Withdrawn / Closed Rejection or role-closure paths. Move on. Same-company future apps still count fresh.

Why Workday's status fields lie

Companies configure Workday differently. A status that means "shortlisted" at Company A might mean "still in queue" at Company B. Worse, recruiters often work in their internal ATS view and forget to update the candidate-facing status.

What this means for you:

  • A status of "under consideration" for 6 weeks doesn't necessarily mean you've been silently rejected. Sometimes the role is just slow, the budget is frozen, or the recruiter went on leave.
  • A status of "in review" for 2 days could mean nothing happened — Workday auto-advances some roles on a timer.
  • The only ground-truth signal is: did a human contact you for a next step?

"Under consideration" vs other ATS systems

ATS Equivalent label What it usually means
Workday Under consideration In the pool, not eliminated
Greenhouse Application Review Recruiter has the file open
Lever New / Reviewing Same as above
iCIMS In Review / In Process Pool, post-screen
BambooHR Under Review Pool
Taleo Reviewed / Under Review Pool, post-keyword filter

If you've been on "under consideration" in Workday and "Application Review" in Greenhouse for two different companies — they're the same stage. Apply more broadly.

What recruiters actually see

The recruiter's view in Workday looks completely different from yours. They see:

  • A scored candidate list (yes, ATS scoring is real)
  • Color-coded stages (e.g. "screening", "phone screen", "onsite")
  • Notes from previous reviewers
  • Auto-generated keyword matches against the JD

Your "under consideration" label is just the candidate-facing umbrella for everyone in the recruiter's pipeline who hasn't been moved to interview or rejected. It's noisier on your side than theirs.

For more: what does 'under consideration' mean (general), how to follow up on a job application, follow-up email templates, how long to hear back from a job application, and job application status meanings.