Workday SuccessFactors Greenhouse Already Applied But No Applications Fix

You hit Submit. Maybe you even saw a “Thank you for applying” screen. Then you log back in and your ATS says “Already applied”, but Candidate Home shows 0 applications. No confirmation email. No status. No proof.

That gap is real, common, and fixable. I call it Invisible Application Syndrome: your application exists in the system enough to block a second submission, but it is not visible in the candidate portal (or it is attached to a different profile record).

This guide walks you through a practical diagnosis flow for Workday, SuccessFactors, and Greenhouse, plus the exact HR Ops escalation script to get your application linked and visible again.

If you suspect Workday created a second profile behind the scenes, this checklist goes deeper on that specific issue: Workday Candidate Home Duplicate Profiles Fix Checklist

Takeaway: Don’t keep “re-applying.” Your job is to collect proof, identify the likely failure point, and ask HR Ops for a specific back-end action.

Understand what “Already applied” really means in an ATS

“Invisible” applications usually happen because ATS platforms store multiple records that can disagree with each other.

Think of your application as a package with three labels:

1. Identity label (candidate profile)

2. Application label (job requisition + submission record)

3. Messaging label (email notifications and portal display)

You can have a situation where the system recognizes the application label (so it blocks duplicates), but your portal login points to the wrong identity label (so Candidate Home shows nothing). Or the submission exists as a draft/in-progress object that never finished the final “submit” transaction, so it blocks resubmission but does not show up as a completed application.

The most common root causes (across Workday, SuccessFactors, Greenhouse)

Here are the patterns that show up again and again:

• Duplicate candidate profiles

  • You applied once using Google/LinkedIn “quick apply,” and another time with email and password.

  • You used a personal email first, then a school email.

  • You typed your email differently (capitalization rarely matters, but aliases like name+jobs@ often do).

• SSO vs local login mismatch

  • Some portals let you “continue with Google” and also let you create a password login.

  • You end up with two logins tied to two separate candidate IDs.

• Draft/in-progress application object stuck

  • Workday is known for “application in progress” records that block re-apply.

  • A browser crash, timeout, or attachment upload glitch can prevent final submission.

• Email deliverability failure

  • Confirmation emails are often sent by third-party services and can be blocked by corporate filters.

  • If the only proof you rely on is email, you can end up with nothing.

• Requisition changes or internal merges

  • Recruiters can close a req, clone it, or merge it.

  • Your application exists but is tied to the old req ID that the portal no longer displays cleanly.

The “do not do this” list

When you see “Already applied,” it’s tempting to brute force your way through. Avoid these, because they often make cleanup harder for HR Ops:

• Don’t create multiple new accounts unless you’re testing one controlled variable (explained below).

• Don’t apply to the same job from multiple emails hoping one sticks.

• Don’t spam the recruiter with screenshots only. Ask for a specific back-end fix.

What you need to collect before troubleshooting

Set a 10-minute timer and gather the evidence you’ll need for escalation:

• The job URL and job title

• Job requisition ID (if shown)

• Exact timestamp you applied (or attempted)

• Screenshot of:

  • “Already applied” message

  • Candidate Home showing 0 applications

• Which login method you used (email/password, Google, LinkedIn, etc.)

• All email addresses you might have used

If you can’t find a requisition ID, copy the whole job URL. HR Ops can usually find the req from that.

Takeaway: Your goal is to make HR Ops’ job easy. If they can locate your candidate record and the req in under two minutes, you’ll get a faster fix.

Workday diagnosis steps for “0 applications” and invisible submissions

Workday issues usually fall into two buckets: wrong candidate profile or a stuck in-progress application.

Step-by-step: identify whether you’re on the wrong Workday profile

Do this in order, and document what happens.

1. Log out completely

   • Close all Workday tabs.

   • Open a private/incognito window.

2. Try the same employer site, different login method

   • If you used “Sign in with Google,” try email/password (or vice versa).

   • If “Forgot password” finds no account for your email, that’s a clue a different login method created your record.

3. Check profile fields that hint at a different record

   • Is your name missing a middle initial you usually use?

   • Are address/phone fields blank even though you filled them?

   • Do you see a different “candidate profile completeness” state than you expect?

4. Search your email for any Workday portal invites

   • Sometimes the “Create account” link is unique to a candidate record.

   • If you find multiple invite emails from different times, you may have multiple records.

Real-world scenario:

Maya applied using LinkedIn on her phone. Later she tried to check status on her laptop using email and password. Workday said “Already applied,” but Candidate Home showed nothing. HR Ops found two candidate IDs: one tied to LinkedIn SSO and one local. They merged the accounts and the application appeared instantly.

If this sounds familiar, use the deeper Workday-specific checklist here: Workday Candidate Home Duplicate Profiles Fix Checklist

Step-by-step: detect a stuck “application in progress” in Workday

Workday portals vary, but many show hints that a draft exists even when Candidate Home is empty.

1. Navigate back to the job posting.

2. Click Apply.

3. If you see any of the following, you likely have a stuck record:

   • “You have already started applying”

   • “Continue application”

   • “Application in progress”

   • A pre-filled application form that does not reach a final submit screen

Then try this controlled reset (low risk):

• Clear cookies/site data for that employer domain.

• Re-open in private browsing.

• Log in using the same method you originally used.

• Attempt to continue the application flow.

If you still can’t submit and Candidate Home stays at 0, stop. This is no longer a candidate-side fix.

What to ask for in Workday (the exact back-end actions)

When you escalate, ask HR Ops for one of these specific actions (use the script later):

• Confirm whether multiple candidate IDs exist for your email/name

• Merge candidate profiles (Workday can consolidate accounts)

• Move the application from “In Progress” to “Submitted” or delete the stuck draft so you can resubmit

• Attach the existing application to the correct candidate profile so it appears in Candidate Home

Takeaway: In Workday, “Already applied + 0 applications” is usually a record mismatch, not a recruiter ignoring you. Ask for a merge or an application re-link.

SuccessFactors and Greenhouse fixes for missing applications and emails

The symptoms look similar, but the mechanics differ.

SuccessFactors: “Account already exists” and invisible applications

SuccessFactors has a classic failure mode: you try to apply, but it claims you already have an account, or you can log in but see no applications.

Here’s what typically causes it:

• Your profile exists under a different email variant.

• You were invited to apply (or started an application) using one address, then tried to create an account with another.

• The system has a partial record from a previous attempt.

Candidate-side diagnosis steps:

1. Try password reset for every email you might have used

   • Personal email

   • School email

   • Any alias you use for job apps

2. Check whether the employer uses multiple SuccessFactors portals

   • Some companies have different portals for regions or business units.

   • If you applied on one site and log in on another, Candidate Home can appear empty.

3. Look for an “invite to apply” email thread

   • The invite link can be tied to a specific candidate record.

If you hit the “account already exists” wall, this guide is the fastest path to untangling it: SuccessFactors Account Already Exists Fix Guide for Candidates

What to ask HR Ops for in SuccessFactors:

• Confirm candidate profile ID and which email is the login identifier

• Merge or update the email on the correct profile

• Link the application to your active login account

Greenhouse: recruiter emails not arriving and application not visible

Greenhouse behaves a bit differently because many candidate experiences are routed through email-based workflows and separate candidate records.

Common causes of “I applied but nothing happened” in Greenhouse:

• Your email provider silently filters recruiter messages.

• You unsubscribed from a notification type.

• The recruiter sent messages to a different address than the one you’re checking.

• A candidate record exists, but your messages are attached to another profile (duplicate).

Candidate-side diagnosis steps:

1. Search across inbox, spam, and promotions for the company domain and common Greenhouse sending patterns.

2. Check if your email client is auto-threading messages oddly, so you miss them.

3. Send one clean test email to the recruiter (or careers inbox) from the address you used to apply:

   • Ask them to reply and confirm which email they see in their system.

If you have access to your application confirmation page URL or any “application received” screen, save it. Greenhouse confirmations are sometimes shown on-screen even when email doesn’t arrive.

One external credibility point that helps when you talk to HR Ops: email can fail for reasons totally unrelated to your application. Major mail providers and security layers can block or quarantine automated messages. If you want a neutral, authoritative reference on how spam filtering works and why messages get blocked, review Google’s guidance on email delivery and spam policies: https://support.google.com/mail/answer/81126

What to ask HR Ops for in Greenhouse:

• Confirm whether your candidate record exists under another email

• Merge duplicate candidate profiles

• Re-send candidate communications to the correct email

• Export a PDF or screenshot of the submitted application as proof (some teams will do this)

Takeaway: In SuccessFactors and Greenhouse, the fix is often identity resolution and communication re-linking, not “apply again.” Get HR Ops to confirm the candidate record they see.

The exact HR Ops escalation script that gets action

When you escalate, you’re not trying to sound upset. You’re trying to be easy to help and specific about the back-end fix you need.

Who to contact (in order)

1. Careers site support email (sometimes listed in the footer)

2. HR Ops / Talent Operations (if you can find a generic inbox)

3. Recruiter (if already in contact)

4. Recruiting coordinator (often more operational than the recruiter)

If you only have a recruiter contact, it’s still fine, just ask them to route it to HR Ops.

Escalation email template (copy/paste)

Subject line options:

• “Workday shows ‘Already applied’ but Candidate Home shows 0 applications”

• “Request to merge candidate profiles and relink application”

Email body:

Hi [Name or Recruiting Team],

I’m seeing a portal mismatch that looks like a profile or application record issue.

Issue: The ATS indicates I’ve “Already applied” to [Job Title] (Req [ID if available]), but Candidate Home shows 0 applications, and I did not receive a confirmation email.

What I’m requesting: Could HR Ops please check whether my application is attached to a different candidate profile (duplicate account) or stuck in an “In Progress/Draft” state, and then merge profiles and/or relink the application so it appears under my login?

Details to help you locate it:

If it’s easier, I’m also happy to reapply once the draft is cleared, but I want to avoid creating additional duplicate records.

Thanks for your help, [Your Name] [Phone optional]

• Job link: [paste URL]

• Time of submission attempt: [date/time + timezone]

• Name used: [Full Name]

• Emails I may have used: [email1], [email2]

• Login method used: [Google SSO / LinkedIn / email+password]

• Screenshot: “Already applied” + Candidate Home (attached)

What to say if they respond with “just reapply”

Reply with:

Thanks. I’m happy to reapply, but the system is currently blocking submission with “Already applied.” Could you please have HR Ops delete the stuck draft or unlink the prior application from the requisition so I can submit cleanly?

What to do if you get no response

Follow up once, keeping it short:

Hi [Name], quick follow-up. I’m still seeing “Already applied” while Candidate Home shows 0 applications. Could HR Ops confirm whether there are multiple candidate IDs for me and merge/relink as needed?

If there is still no response, stop emailing daily. Your best next move is to apply to a different role at the same company only after the underlying profile issue is fixed, otherwise you risk multiplying duplicates.

Your 10-minute checklist before you send the escalation

• Screenshot: “Already applied”

• Screenshot: Candidate Home shows 0 applications

• Job URL and req ID

• Timestamp of submission attempt

• All possible emails used

• Login method noted

• One clear ask: merge profiles, relink application, or clear stuck draft

Takeaway: HR Ops can fix this quickly when you request a specific action. The script above turns a confusing problem into a straightforward ticket.

Call to action

If you’re stuck in Invisible Application Syndrome across multiple roles, don’t treat it like a personal failure. Treat it like a systems problem and escalate it cleanly.

Start by using the script above, and if Workday duplicate profiles are the likely culprit, follow the detailed checklist here: Workday Candidate Home Duplicate Profiles Fix Checklist