Lock-in Period for Candidates Submitted by External Recruiters

Introduction

To help organizations manage vendor relationships more fairly and avoid disputes, Keka Hire now supports a lock-in period for candidates sourced by External Recruiters (Only-Sourcing) — also called EROS.

This new free role is designed for vendor recruiters who only source candidate profiles and do not participate in the full hiring process. It enables clear candidate ownership and aligns with standard contractual obligations.

What’s New

• New role: External Recruiter (Only-Sourcing)

  • Can add candidate profiles, notes, and tags

  • Can view candidate progress, but cannot edit, hire, or access pre-boarding

• Lock-in period:

  • Assigns exclusive candidate ownership to the EROS who first adds a candidate

  • Prevents internal or other external recruiters from sourcing the same candidate during the lock-in

  • Default duration: 6 months, configurable per vendor

• First-touch attribution: Candidate is locked to the first EROS who adds them, regardless of job

• Conflict-free hiring: Internal recruiters and direct applicants can only act after the lock-in expires

Lock-in Period for Candidates

Enable Lock-in Period for EROS in Settings

1. Go to: Hire > Settings > User Management 
   
   

2. Scroll down on the pages for paid users to locate the "Add Recruiter" option.
   
   

3. Enable: Lock-in Period for External Recruiters (Only-Sourcing)

4. Set the lock-in duration (e.g., 90 days). This is configurable per vendor.
   
   

What Happens When a Candidate is Added

• If an EROS adds a candidate:

  • Candidate is locked to that recruiter for the configured duration

  • Lock applies across all jobs

• If another recruiter (internal or external full access) or the candidate themselves tries to apply:

  • They are blocked if within the lock-in period

  • Direct applicants can only apply once the lock-in ends

Note: The system prevents duplicate ownership — if a candidate is already locked, another EROS cannot submit them again.

Field Reference

A new read-only candidate field is now shown in the candidate profile:

Why This Matters

For Recruiters

• No more duplicate ownership conflicts

• Clear attribution and payout tracking

• Candidates receive a better experience — no repeated outreach

For Admins

• Supports compliance with agency contracts

• Reduces risk of billing disputes

• Aligns with legal and procurement workflows

Next Steps

Start by enabling the lock-in setting under your external recruiter settings. For questions or help configuring roles or durations, contact support.