Handshake integration

Handshake is a college career network built to transform the recruiting experience for college students, career centers, and employers. Handshake’s mission is to democratize access to opportunity by helping every college student find the right job, regardless of where they study, what they study, or who they know. Handshake offers free and premium sourcing tools that employers can use to engage with candidates.

Handshake’s integration with Greenhouse Recruiting allows users to streamline job posting and application workflows. Candidates can apply directly through Handshake, while employers can manage custom application questions and other applicant details in Greenhouse Recruiting. Employers can also monitor how applicants progress through the interview process in Handshake.

Configure the Handshake integration

Create a job board API key

Obtain your Job Board URL and create a Job Board API key for Handshake.

Follow the steps in this article and use the information below when creating your API key:

• API type: Job Board
• Partner: Handshake
• Description: Handshake Job Board API Key

Set up a Handshake tracking link in Greenhouse Recruiting

Follow the instructions in this article. When configuring the tracking link, enter the following:

• Who gets credit: Select the appropriate user from the dropdown.
• Source: Select Handshake from the dropdown.

After the tracking link is created, copy it and share it with your Handshake onboarding team.

Connect the Handshake integration

To connect Handshake, you’ll need to enter your Greenhouse credentials in Handshake, then authorize the connection in Greenhouse Recruiting as described below.

Enter credentials in Handshake

In Handshake, navigate to Company settings, then select Greenhouse Integration.

Complete the Job Board API Key, Job Board Token, and Handshake Source Token fields using the corresponding values from Greenhouse Recruiting.

For instructions on locating these values, refer to the following sections in How to Integrate Greenhouse with Handshake:

Generate the Job Board API Key from Greenhouse and add it to Handshake

Find your job board token from Greenhouse and add it to Handshake

Generate a tracking link for the job board from Greenhouse and add it to Handshake

Click Verify.

Connect to Greenhouse

Under Harvest v3, click Connect to Greenhouse, which starts the OAuth flow.

On the authorization page in Greenhouse:

Enter email address, then click Log in to Greenhouse.

Select the Authorize using a service account checkbox. For more information, refer to Connect to Harvest v3 partner integrations.

Click Authorize.

After you are redirected to your Greenhouse integration settings page in Handshake, confirm that the Harvest v3 status displays Connected in green.

Set up webhooks in Greenhouse Recruiting

A webhook sends data to Handshake when a specified event occurs in Greenhouse Recruiting, such as when a candidate is hired. Create the following six webhooks to enable the integration’s required functionality.

Follow the instructions in this article, then use the values below to configure each webhook.

Before creating the webhooks, complete the Enter credentials in Handshake steps and click Verify.

The webhook secret key displays at the bottom of the Greenhouse Integration settings page in Handshake.

Use the following values for all six webhooks:

• Endpoint URL: https://ats.joinhandshake.com/webhooks/greenhouse/<handshake_employer_id>
• Secret key: Enter the secret key displayed at the bottom of the Greenhouse Integration settings page in Handshake.
• Error recipient email: enter an admin email address to receive notifications if errors occur

Replace <handshake_employer_id> in the endpoint URL with your unique Handshake employer ID. To locate your employer ID, sign in to Handshake and copy the numerical value included in your employer page URL.

Configure the Name and When values for each webhook as follows:

Webhook 1

• Name: post_created_handshake
• When: Job Post Created

Webhook 2

• Name: post_updated_handshake
• When: Job Post Updated

Webhook 3

• Name: job_updated_handshake
• When: Job Updated

Webhook 4

• Name: hire_candidate_handshake
• When: Candidate has been hired

Webhook 5

• Name: candidate_rejected_handshake
• When: Candidate or prospect has been rejected

Webhook 6

This webhook supports the Apply on Handshake feature by notifying Handshake when a candidate submits an application.

• Name: new_candidate_application
• When: Candidate has submitted application

Use the Handshake integration with Greenhouse Recruiting

Sync jobs from Greenhouse Recruiting to Handshake

In Handshake, create a new job or edit an existing job that does not have applications.

Use the Add job from ATS dropdown to choose a job from your Greenhouse Recruiting account.

When you select a Greenhouse job, Handshake retrieves the following details:

• Job details
• Number of positions
• Employment type
• Paid or unpaid status
• Required documents

Complete the remaining job details, select the schools where you want to post the job, then publish the posting.

Candidate applications from Handshake

Candidates can apply to linked jobs directly through Handshake. They can upload a resume or cover letter as specified on the job posting and respond to required or optional questions configured in Greenhouse Recruiting.

After a student applies in Handshake to a linked job, the application appears in Greenhouse Recruiting automatically within a few minutes.

The application includes:

• The candidate’s first name, last name, and email address
• Handshake as the candidate source
• The candidate’s resume and cover letter, when required, under the Application or Details tab > Source & Responsibility
• Responses to required and optional job-post questions

Handshake also synchronizes application statuses in real time. When a candidate is hired or rejected in Greenhouse Recruiting, the corresponding status is updated in Handshake within moments.

These status updates help employers source new applicants and analyze previous recruiting efforts more accurately.

Data accessed by the Handshake integration

Data retrieved from Greenhouse Recruiting

Handshake maps fields from the following Greenhouse Recruiting resources to populate job information in Handshake:

• Job Posts
• Job Post Locations
• Offices
• Job Board Custom Locations
• Openings
• Jobs

If you activate Apply on Handshake, Handshake also maps fields from the following Greenhouse Recruiting resources:

• Candidates
• Applications
• Candidate Educations
• Sources
• Custom Fields
• Custom Field Options

Data sent to Greenhouse Recruiting

If you activate Apply on Handshake, Handshake:

• Submits applications directly to Greenhouse Recruiting
• Adds associated attachments and candidate education information to submitted applications
• Adds custom field options corresponding to schools, majors, and education levels in Handshake to your Greenhouse Recruiting account

Application fields

Each application submitted from Handshake includes:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Resume, if the candidate attached one
• Cover letter, if the candidate provided one
• Answers to the job post's application questions, including file uploads
• Answers to demographic questions, if the job post includes them and this is enabled for your integration
• Handshake as the application source

Education fields

When a job requires education information, Handshake adds these details to the candidate's profile shortly after the application is submitted:

• School
• Degree
• Discipline (major)
• Start month and year
• End month and year

Custom field options

Greenhouse stores school, degree and discipline as custom field options. Handshake adds options to your account for schools, majors and education levels in Handshake so it can match each candidate's education to an existing option. If a candidate's school, degree or discipline doesn't match an option, Handshake leaves that education entry off the candidate's profile.

Additional resources

For additional information not covered here, reach out to support@joinhandshake.com.