Criteria are configured per job. You need at least one criterion before Nova can score candidates.
How It Works
From the Jobs page, click Add Criteria on a job to open the Criteria Builder. Nova guides you through setup, generates criteria, then hands you to an AI assistant that helps you refine them through conversation. You don’t need to write criteria from scratch or know exactly how to phrase requirements: Nova asks the right questions and drafts criteria for you.Provide context
Nova asks if you have additional context beyond the job description: intake call notes, hiring manager requirements, deal-breakers, target companies. Paste in any format. Skip if the job description covers it.
Answer clarification questions
Nova generates 5-7 questions based on your job description and context. Each question has multiple-choice options, and you can select more than one. These help Nova distinguish must-haves from nice-to-haves. You can skip and refine later in conversation.
The AI Assistant
The assistant guides you through refining criteria in plain language. It proactively flags issues: criteria that are hard to verify from a resume, overlapping requirements that should consolidate, or must-haves that might be too strict. You just describe what you want. Examples of things you can say:- “Add a criterion for 5+ years of Python experience”
- “Remove the startup experience requirement”
- “Consolidate the first three criteria into one”
- “Make the leadership criterion a must-have”
- “These criteria feel too strict, can you loosen them?”
Importance Levels
Each criterion has one of three importance levels:| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Must have | Required. Missing this is a disqualifier. |
| Preferred | Important, but not a blocker if strong alternatives exist. |
| Nice to have | Adds value but optional. Won’t outweigh core requirements. |
Editing Criteria
All edits save automatically:- Edit text: Click any criterion to edit inline. Saves on blur.
- Change importance: Click the importance dropdown.
- Delete: Trash icon (minimum one criterion required).
- Add new: Add New button in the criteria panel.
- Add from library: Add From Library to pull in saved criteria.
- Refine with AI: Select criteria and describe what you want in the chat.
Calibration
Calibration tests your criteria against real candidates before you enable scoring. You see exactly how candidates would score, so you can adjust criteria before they affect your pipeline.Running calibration
Ask the assistant to calibrate (or say “let’s calibrate”). Nova samples up to 5 candidates from your ATS applications for the job. You can optionally upload up to 5 additional resumes (PDF, DOC, DOCX) to include in the test. The button shows what will be tested: “Start Calibration (5 ATS + 2 uploaded)”.Results
Each candidate receives:- An overall score (1-10)
- Per-criterion breakdown: Met, Partial, or Not Met, with evidence from the resume
- Strengths and concerns
Table view
Click Table View for a matrix of all candidates vs. criteria, color-coded by status. Click any candidate to see their full assessment.Re-running after changes
After editing criteria, ask the assistant to re-run calibration. Re-runs score the same candidates, so you see exactly what changed: score deltas (e.g., 4 to 7) and per-criterion status changes (e.g., Not Met to Met).Calibration is a test run. It does not affect your live pipeline.
Starting Nova
When your criteria are ready, start screening directly from the builder. The assistant offers this when criteria look good, or you can ask (“start Nova”). Nova checks prerequisites (criteria defined, job is live) and tells you if anything is missing.Criteria Library
Save criteria that apply across roles to a company-wide library. Click the star icon on any criterion to save it. All team members share the same library. Good library candidates: tenure requirements, remote work experience, communication standards, startup experience, values alignment. To add library criteria to a job, click Add From Library, search or browse, select what you want, and click Add Selected. Criteria keep their original importance levels.Reprocessing After Changes
When you update criteria on a job that already has scores, existing scores are not automatically recalculated. Use Reprocess Applications from the job’s actions menu to re-score all candidates against your updated criteria.Scoring Input Sources
Nova evaluates candidates using data from the application:| Source | Details |
|---|---|
| Resume/CV | Primary scoring input |
| Job description | Provides context and terminology |
| Your criteria | The rules Nova scores against |
| Cover letters and portfolios | Considered when available |
| Application question responses | Included by default. Exclude in Company Settings for resume-only scoring |
| LinkedIn profile | Fallback when no resume is attached (if enabled) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I weight criteria differently?
Can I weight criteria differently?
Nova doesn’t support numeric weights. Use the three importance levels to signal priority. Must-haves are weighted more heavily than nice-to-haves in scoring.
How many criteria should I set?
How many criteria should I set?
Most jobs work well with 5-8. Fewer gives Nova less to differentiate. Too many risks penalizing candidates who are strong overall but miss a minor point. No hard limit.
What if I change criteria mid-search?
What if I change criteria mid-search?
Edit anytime. Changes apply to future scores. To update existing scores, use Reprocess Applications.
How specific should criteria be?
How specific should criteria be?
Specific enough to verify from a resume, broad enough to avoid excluding equivalent experience. “3+ years in backend development with Python or Go” works better than “5 years Python experience at a Series B+ company.”
Can I redo the initial setup questions?
Can I redo the initial setup questions?
No, but tell the assistant what changed. “I said 5 years but 3 is fine” will update the relevant criteria.