Frequently Asked Questions

Short answers to the questions recruiters ask most often on Paraform. Use the section navigation to jump to a topic, or read through — many questions reference cross-links to in-depth articles for more detail.

Getting started

What is the first step?

You should have received an email with a scheduling link to set up an onboarding call. That call is an opportunity for us to learn about your areas of expertise and evaluate whether there's a mutual fit.

For a deeper look at what to focus on in your first week, see Getting Started: Your First Week.

Recruiter profile

How can I change the email address on my account?

Navigate to your profile in the upper right corner of your dashboard, select Settings, and enter your updated email address in the Email section. You'll receive a confirmation email at the new address. Open the link, enter the confirmation code sent to the old email, and log in with the new account. All your existing data transfers over.

How can I see my performance metrics?

Go to Menu → Performance in your recruiter dashboard (or visit paraform.com/performance directly). You'll see your recruiter status, rating, interview rates, past rejections, and more.

Your interview rates are the clearest signal of how you're tracking against the platform's quality bar. For context on what targets matter at different performance tiers, see Recruiter Rating and Maximize Earnings with Paraform Preferred.

Agency

How do agencies work?

With an agency account on Paraform, you can:

• Add and manage agency members. Agency members can be auto-approved to roles you're already approved on, saving time.

• Track candidates across your entire team — all the roles you and your team are working.

• Consolidate payments to a single Stripe account owned by the agency. Distribution within the agency is up to you.

• Control visibility of platform activity and rewards as the agency owner.

Agency members who join your agency don't need to be separately approved on the platform. For each role you're approved on, you can select up to 5 of your agency members to be auto-approved for that role. In your Metrics and Candidates tabs, you'll see team activity and performance, both as a whole and per member.

How can I add my recruiting agency to the platform?

Go to Menu → Agency in your recruiter dashboard to create an agency.

How can my agency members join the platform?

Don't invite them via your referral link — that lengthens the process. Instead:

1. Create your agency first (Menu → Agency).

2. Go to the Members tab.

3. Select Invite member and enter the member's email address.

4. They'll accept the invite from the email they receive.

How do payouts work for agencies?

The agency owner sets up a Stripe account for the agency. All agency members' earnings flow to that account, and internal distribution is up to the agency. See Getting Paid on Paraform for Stripe setup.

Roles

Can I be approved on to a certain role?

It typically takes under 24 hours to be approved by your Paraform talent partner. If it takes longer, reach out to your talent partner with the company, role title, and link to the role to bump the request.

Your Paraform talent partner is the person at Paraform you did your onboarding with, are in a Slack channel with, or have been communicating with via email.

See The Recruiter Approval Process for more on how approvals work.

Can I be notified of new role postings?

Your Paraform talent partner will notify you of new roles. You can also find new roles in the Browse tab — filter via Smart Filters → New to see roles posted in the past 7 days.

Can I be notified of updates on a role?

Yes. Click into the role, open Settings in the bottom left, and subscribe to either just that role or all roles you're approved on. You'll get email notifications about requirement changes, new questions, interview stage updates, FAQs, and general candidate progress.

Is a certain role paused?

If hiring for a role pauses, the hiring manager will send an announcement to all recruiters on the role. If a role is taken down due to shifts in company strategy or other external circumstances, you may be eligible for a Paraguarantee — see What if a role gets cancelled while I'm actively working on it? below.

Can I withdraw from a role?

Yes, at any time. Click into the role, open Settings in the bottom left, and select Withdraw. Withdrawing doesn't affect your rating, and you can re-apply to the role later if you want.

Proactively withdrawing from roles you can't source for is a good habit — see Platform Activity Expectations for why.

What are the strong example profiles based on?

Strong example profiles on a role posting come from one of two places: the hiring team uploaded them directly, or the Paraform team submitted profiles as samples that the hiring team then approved. When we present profiles as samples, the candidates are either current client employees or profiles already in process.

Can I match my candidate to roles?

Yes. Paraform's AI matching tool analyzes LinkedIn profiles, resumes, private notes, Parascribe transcripts, hiring manager preferences, and past interview outcomes to generate a ranked list of matching roles for each candidate in your network.

You'll find matches under the Overview tab on any candidate profile. Filter by location, industry, or other attributes to refine results, and submit candidates to roles directly from that view. Recruiters with a strong track record may even be auto-approved to submit candidates to new roles when the match score is high.

You can also click the purple Filter option to type out candidate preferences and skills to narrow results further. Matching is free for all Paraform recruiters.

A note of caution: the AI is a tool, not a replacement for your judgment. Always take a second look — a recruiter's best judgment matters more than any match score.

What if a role gets cancelled while I'm actively working on it?

If a role is taken down due to shifts in company strategy or other unforeseen delays, you may be eligible for a Paraguarantee as a reward for your efforts. Reach out to team@paraform.com if you think this applies to you.

The Paraguarantee amount is calculated based on a combination of factors including submissions, interviews, and other activity on the role. It's paid out via Stripe. The guarantee is our way of ensuring your contributions are acknowledged even when outcomes are unexpected.

Candidate sourcing

How should I find candidates?

See Broadening Your Candidate Pool for a full guide to sourcing and outreach practices on Paraform.

How does the Chrome extension work, and do I need it?

The Chrome extension is required to submit candidates to Paraform. It mediates candidate ownership and tracks activity.

With the extension you can:

• Find and save qualified candidates from LinkedIn in one click

• Send AI-personalized outreach while avoiding duplicate contact

• Submit candidates instantly to open roles in Paraform

• Track progress automatically through the Paraform CRM

The extension is free for all Paraform recruiters — install it here. See Email Sourcing for how it integrates with your outreach flow.

How often should I screen candidates?

Each candidate should be screened at least once on a video or phone call before being sourced or submitted to a role. The screening call is your chance to evaluate how aligned the candidate is with the role's requirements.

Using Paraform Calls and including screening-call snippets with your submission materially strengthens your submission — hiring managers get a direct sense of the candidate in their own voice.

How does candidate ownership work?

Ownership is primarily based on which recruiter the candidate consented to first about being submitted for a given role. Key mechanics:

• Sourcing a candidate for a position doesn't grant ownership.

• Calibrating a candidate without attaching their resume doesn't grant ownership.

• Calibrating with a resume attached grants temporary 7-day ownership for that specific role.

• Submitting a candidate grants 12-month ownership for that company.

See Candidate Ownership for the full set of rules. If you believe you're running into an ownership issue, reach out to your Paraform point person with:

• A description of the issue

• The candidate's LinkedIn

• Evidence of when you first exchanged communication with the candidate

• Evidence of when the candidate consented to you submitting them for that role

Can I contact or submit a candidate who currently works at another Paraform client company?

Yes — as long as you're not actively recruiting for that same client. If you're not assigned to the company where the candidate works, you can reach out and submit them to other roles on Paraform.

Submission

Why can't I submit this candidate?

There are a few reasons submission may be blocked. Common ones:

Candidate already submitted to this company — see How does candidate ownership work? in the Candidate Sourcing section, and Candidate Ownership for the full article. If you think the block is a mistake, reach out to your Paraform point person with the evidence listed above.

You must save and mark this candidate as contacted before submitting them for this role — make sure the LinkedIn profile you've entered is correct, then:

1. Add the role to the candidate's profile (the + next to Roles on the left side of the profile).

2. Mark the candidate as sourced to the role at the bottom of the role details.

3. Change the status to Contacted under Candidate details on the right side of the profile.

You should then be able to submit.

Submissions are temporarily disabled — this usually means a candidate you submitted received a 1/4 rating. Paraform prioritizes high-quality submissions, so the system puts a temporary hold after a 1/4 rating. Check your email for a message titled "Quick Review Needed — 1/4 Candidate Rating" and follow the steps to get the block lifted. See Maintaining Proper Quality on Paraform for context.

This candidate is already in the interview process (company's ATS) — the candidate has either applied directly or been registered in that company's ATS in the past. Reach out to your Paraform point person if you want to inquire further.

Candidate is banned from this role / rejected too many times / has multiple pending submissions — our system enforces blockers if a candidate has been repeatedly rejected or submitted without being reviewed. Reach out to your Paraform point person if you want to inquire further.

Why is there a limit on the number of submissions?

Role-level submission limits keep hiring managers from being overwhelmed and protect the quality of the submission pool. If you're noticing a limit that seems unusual or blocking, reach out to your Paraform point person.

How can I mark a candidate as sourced and contacted for a role?

After confirming the LinkedIn profile is correct:

1. Add the role to the candidate's profile (the + next to Roles on the left side of the profile).

2. Mark the candidate as sourced to the role at the bottom of the role details.

3. Change the status to Contacted under Candidate details on the right side of the profile.

You should now be able to submit.

Candidate status

Can I speed up feedback for this candidate?

To push feedback, we recommend communicating directly with the hiring manager. Navigate to the candidate's profile in the role and open the Activity tab — hiring managers are notified when messages are sent there.

You can also reach out to the talent partner for the role, or your Paraform point person via email or Slack.

The candidate has moved to the next round or been rejected — can we get this updated?

If the status hasn't been updated on the platform, reach out to the talent partner for the role or your Paraform point person.

How does candidate interview scheduling work?

The hiring manager communicates with your candidate about scheduling. Recruiters don't currently schedule interviews on behalf of candidates through Paraform.

If the interview was already scheduled outside Paraform but isn't reflected on the platform, use the Set interview date feature on the candidate profile to track it. Note that this feature tracks the date internally — it doesn't actually schedule a slot between the candidate and the hiring team.

Communication

How do I respond to a hiring manager's question?

Navigate to the candidate's profile in the role and open the Activity tab. Hiring managers are notified when messages are sent there.

Can I get more feedback on this candidate?

Use the Activity tab on the candidate's profile to ask the hiring manager directly. You can also reach out to the talent partner for the role or your Paraform point person.

My candidate got rejected and I want to respond.

If you disagree with the rejection feedback, go to the candidate's profile in the role, open the Activity tab, and send a message — the hiring manager is notified.

You can also reach out to the talent partner for the role or your Paraform point person.

Platform features

How can I refer a recruiter?

Click the Refer a recruiter button on your main recruiter dashboard.

How do Curated Lists work?

See Curated Lists for the full guide.

How do Paraform Calls work?

See Paraform Calls.

How does Parascribe work?

Parascribe is Paraform's AI-powered note-taker for candidate calls. It automatically joins your calls, captures transcripts, and generates structured notes — all private to you.

After a call, you can:

• Review the transcript directly in the candidate CRM

• Rewatch the full recording

• Search transcripts instantly

• Ask Parascribe direct questions about the candidate or the conversation

Parascribe is completely free. The insights captured during calls enhance Paraform's AI matching so we can better recommend roles each candidate is suited for. See Paraform Calls for setup and usage.

How do Email Sequences work?

See Email Sequences. To create one, go to the Sequences tab in your dashboard and follow the setup flow.

How do Snippets work?

Snippets are short clips from your Parascribe-recorded candidate calls. When your Parascribe was on the call, snippets appear at the bottom of the submission form so you can attach them to a submission. Hiring managers see the candidate's voice directly, which is a strong differentiator — especially for customer-facing roles. See Paraform Calls for more on capturing and attaching snippets.

Payments

How can I set up Stripe?

Go to Menu → Earnings in your dashboard and click Add payment method to set up Stripe off-platform. See Getting Paid on Paraform for the full payment flow.

Is Stripe the only payment method?

Stripe is the primary payment method we use, but we can be flexible for recruiters with specific needs. If you have concerns about Stripe and want to use an alternative (like invoicing), email finance@paraform.com.

How do Full Hire reward payments work?

Full hire rewards are paid in three installments: 30, 60, and 90 days after the candidate's start date. Track when your installments are going out from the All Payments section of your Earnings tab.

How do Contractual Hire reward payments work?

For contractual hires, we work with the candidate and the client at the end of each month to determine billable hours, then pay out your share of that amount.

How long does it take for payments to show up in my dashboard?

• Full hire: 30, 60, 90 days after the candidate's start date. Track via the All Payments section of your Earnings tab.

• Mid-round boosts: paid every 2 days.

• Challenges: paid every week.

If you're expecting a payment that hasn't shown up, reach out to your Paraform point person.

How long does it take for payments to show up in my Stripe?

Once a payment is marked as paid on Paraform, it takes 1–10 business days to appear in your Stripe account, depending on the payment type and your account setup.

Tax concerns?

As an independent contractor, you're responsible for paying your own taxes on Paraform earnings. A 1099 form will be issued at the end of the year summarizing your earnings. Stripe automates 1099 tax reporting and filing — see Stripe's docs for details.