Gem admins can customize job application forms by configuring fields and adding custom questions. Each application template includes default fields (e.g., name, email), along with any custom questions you create.
Below, we walk you through setting up, managing, and using custom application questions in Gem ATS.
Creating a custom question
1. In your Gem toolbar, navigate to “ATS” → “Templates”
2. From the “Application questions” tab, click “+ Add question”
3. A form will appear, prompting you to:
- Select an answer type (Short Answer, Long Answer, Single-Select, Multi-Select)
- Enter the application question
- Provide an optional description for additional context
- Add the available answer choices (if using Single-Select or Multi-Select)
Complete the form and click “Publish” in the top-right corner. This will save the question to your question library for future use.
Managing your questions
Once created, custom questions cannot be deleted for data integrity reasons but can be edited or archived.
To edit a question: Navigate to your Application questions page. Click into the question you want to update and make your changes.
To archive a question, you can either:
- Open the question and click the “Actions” dropdown, then select “Archive.” (Note: A question must be published before it can be archived.)
- From the Application questions page, click the three-dot (ellipsis) icon beside the question you’d like to archive, and click “Archive”
Adding custom questions to a job application
When creating a job in Gem ATS, you'll also create a job post—the public page where candidates see the job description and application form. Here’s how to add a custom question to a job application:
- In your Gem toolbar, go to ATS → Jobs
- Find the job you want to update and click “View job details →”
- Click on the “Job posts” tab
- Locate the relevant job post and click the three-dot (ellipsis) button, then “Edit.” (If no job post exists, click “+ New job post” instead.)
- In the popup, scroll down to the “Custom questions” section (under “Application form”)
- Use the “Search by question text” box to find and add your questions. Once they’re added, click “Save and close.”
Question visibility options
- Hidden: The question won’t appear in the job post
- Optional: The question will appear, but candidates are not required to answer
- Required: Candidates must answer the question before submitting the application
Privacy settings
- Private: Only Gem admins can view candidate responses
- Not private: Before the hire, all team members with access to the application can view responses. After the hire, only Gem admins, hiring managers, and recruiters can see the responses.
To publish your job post and make it visible to candidates, toggle the “Published” slider to ON.
You can preview how your job post appears to candidates (including the custom questions) anytime by clicking the “Preview” button on the Job Posts page.
Viewing candidate responses
Once a candidate submits their application, their responses appear under the “Resumes” tab of their Gem application.
Accessing responses via the ATS
- In your Gem toolbar, go to ATS → Jobs
- Navigate into the relevant job
- From the Talent pipeline view, click the candidate’s name to open their profile
- Navigate to the “Resumes” tab
Accessing responses via Application Review
- In your Gem toolbar, go to ATS → Jobs
- If the job has applications in the “Application Review” stage, click “✦ Start reviews”
- Gem will default to showing the Resumes tab for each candidate, where you can review their responses
This streamlined setup ensures your team can efficiently customize applications, collect key candidate information, and review responses within Gem ATS.
➡️ Next, you’ll post jobs to external job boards!