Candidates Not Sending Documents? 7 Fixes That Work

Candidates not sending documents is almost never about the candidate being difficult. It happens because the ask is unclear, the upload route is awkward on a phone, and nobody follows up at the right moment. Fix those three things and most documents come in without a daily round of chasing.

In short:

• Most candidates go quiet because they hit friction: a portal login, a vague list, or a document they don't have to hand.
• Send the full list once, then chase one item at a time, in plain words, on the channel they already reply on.
• Tie every request to the start date, and say what happens if it's missing.
• Chase on a fixed timetable, not when you remember: day 1, day 3 with a call, then a final reminder on day 5.
• Right to work is the one you can't bend: no valid check, no start.

Why are candidates not sending documents?

Candidates stop sending documents when the request costs them more effort than they expected.

You see silence. Here are the five reasons behind it that come up again and again on agency desks.

The request arrives as one long list

An email with twelve items, three acronyms and a link reads like homework. The candidate opens it on the bus, decides to do it "later", and later never comes.

The upload route needs a login

Portals ask for an account, a password and a verification email before anyone can attach a file. Each step loses people, especially candidates who only use their phone.

They don't have the document to hand

A passport is in a drawer at their mum's. The DBS certificate went to an old address. Proof of address has to be "dated in the last three months", and their bills are paperless. The candidate isn't ignoring you. They're stuck and embarrassed to say so.

They don't know why it matters

"Please send your documents" has no deadline and no consequence. "We need your share code by Thursday or the Monday shift goes to someone else" does.

Your email went to junk

Bulk emails with attachments and links are more likely to land in junk. If you've never had a reply from a candidate, check that before you assume they've gone cold.

What are the 7 fixes that actually work?

The fixes that work all reduce effort for the candidate or add a clear reason to act now.

1. Send the list once, then chase one item at a time

Give the full list once, so the candidate can see the whole job. After that, every chase names one item, starting with whatever blocks the start date, usually right to work. A single clear ask gets a reply. A list of twelve gets a "will do".

2. Say exactly what "good" looks like

Don't write "proof of address". Write "a bank statement or council tax bill with your name and current address, dated in the last three months". Tell them a clear photo on their phone is fine, all four corners in shot, no flash glare.

3. Use the channel they already reply on

If a candidate answers WhatsApp in minutes but leaves emails for days, ask on WhatsApp. Keep email for formal items and for candidates who prefer it. Record which channel each candidate uses in your ATS.

4. Remove the login

Let candidates reply with a photo or a PDF. Every account they have to create is a place they can drop out. If your process needs a portal, send the direct link to the exact upload step, not the home page.

5. Tie every request to the start date

Give a date and a reason. "Your first shift is Monday 19 October. I need your share code by Thursday to confirm you with the client." Now the candidate knows the stakes.

6. Chase on a timetable, not on a feeling

Most consultants chase when they remember, which means late and in bursts. Set a fixed rhythm (see the table below) and stick to it for every candidate.

7. Ask what's stopping them

After two unanswered reminders, stop resending the list. Ask a question instead: "Is anything making this tricky? Happy to help." That often surfaces the real blocker: a lost passport, a name change, an expired DBS.

How often should you chase candidates for documents?

Chase within 24 hours of the first request, again two days later with a phone call, then send a final reminder.

Here is a suggested timetable you can copy into your diary or your ATS tasks today. It assumes a start date about a week away, so tighten the gaps if the start is sooner.

Two rules make it work. Only chase what is still missing, so nobody is asked twice for something they've sent. And log every chase on the candidate record, so a colleague can pick it up if you're off.

A worked example

Hypothetical: you place a warehouse operative for a Monday 6am start. Offer accepted Tuesday afternoon.

• Tuesday, 3pm. "Hi Sam, great news on Monday. First thing I need is your right to work: your passport, as you're a British citizen. Could we check it by Thursday?"
• Wednesday, 10am. "Morning Sam, just a nudge on the passport. Can you pop into the branch with it, or would you rather post it?"
• Thursday, 10am. No reply, and Monday is close, so you call a day early. Sam's passport is at his parents' house and he's embarrassed to say so. He agrees to bring it into the branch on Friday so you can check the original.

Without that call, you'd have found out on Sunday night.

What should you do when a candidate won't send right to work?

If a candidate won't provide right to work evidence, they cannot start, and you should tell them that plainly and early.

This is the one document with no workaround. Without a correct check, you face a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, according to GOV.UK.

The Home Office employer's guide to right to work checks was updated on 1 October 2026. It treats an agency supplying temporary workers as their employer for right to work purposes. So the check is your agency's job. From 1 October 2026 the scheme also covers people engaged on a worker's contract, not just employees. For a manual check over a live video call, you must already have the original document in your possession. A scan, photo or screenshot is not enough. Our UK right to work checks guide covers what to ask candidates for.

Make it easy to say yes

• Ask for a share code first if the candidate has one. Candidates generate it on GOV.UK. British citizens, and most Irish citizens, prove their right to work with a passport instead.
• If they need a manual check, explain early that you'll need the original document, so they can plan a visit or post it.
• If your agency uses a certified digital verification service provider, British and Irish citizens with a valid passport can be checked digitally.
• Say why: "The law says I can't put you on shift until this is done." Candidates accept a legal rule more easily than an agency preference.

When it's DBS that's holding you up

Ask whether the candidate's standard or enhanced certificate is on the DBS Update Service. If so, get their permission and the certificate number, and run a free status check. You still need to see the original certificate and confirm it is the right level and workforce for the role. Our guide to DBS checks for agency workers covers which level each role needs.

Should you use WhatsApp to ask candidates for documents?

Yes, if the candidate is happy to use it, WhatsApp is usually where you'll get the fastest reply.

A message there feels like a chat with their recruiter, not a form. They can photograph a document and send it in seconds.

What to watch for

• Ask the candidate before moving to WhatsApp, and note their preference.
• Don't leave documents sitting in a personal phone's camera roll. Move them to the candidate record and delete local copies, in line with your agency's data policy.
• Use a work number your agency controls, not a consultant's own phone, so nothing is lost when someone leaves.

Where does Amy fit?

GettingDocs is an AI document agent for recruitment agencies that chases candidates for compliance documents over WhatsApp and email and files them to the ATS.

Amy, our AI document agent, runs the timetable above for you. She asks for each document in your agency's voice, answers candidates' questions in the thread, and keeps chasing only what is still missing. Candidates get no portal, no login and no app: just a conversation on WhatsApp or email, from your own domain.

Amy rejects blurred photos, cut-off pages and wrong documents, and asks again. Accepted documents are filed to the candidate's record in your ATS. Live integrations include JobAdder and Recruit CRM; see all ATS integrations.

Frequently asked questions

Why do candidates ignore requests for documents?

Candidates usually ignore document requests because of friction. The ask is too long, the upload needs a login, or the document isn't to hand. Splitting the request into one item at a time and accepting phone photos removes most of that friction.

How many times should I chase a candidate for documents?

A sensible rhythm is a nudge on day 1 after the first request, then a reminder and a phone call on day 3. Send a final reminder with a clear cut-off on day 5. After that, talk to the client about moving the start date or a back-up candidate.

Can a candidate start work before sending right to work documents?

No. The right to work check must be done before the first shift. Otherwise your agency risks a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker. The Home Office guide treats the agency supplying the worker as the employer responsible for that check.

Is it OK to collect candidate documents over WhatsApp?

Many agencies collect documents over WhatsApp when the candidate agrees to it. Use a number your agency controls, move files to the candidate record promptly, and follow your data protection policy on storage and deletion.

Should I ask candidates for all their documents at once?

Send the full list once, so the candidate knows everything you need and why. Then chase one item at a time, starting with whatever blocks the start date. Repeating the whole list in every reminder makes it look like nothing you received was noticed.

Stop chasing by hand

Is chasing documents eating the hours you should spend placing candidates? Book a call and we'll walk through your current chase process, show Amy working with your ATS and give you a custom quote.

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Please note: this article is general information, not legal advice, and was correct at the time of writing (October 2026). Rules and guidance change, so please check the latest guidance from the Home Office and the Disclosure and Barring Service before relying on it.