Karat Integration Guide: Automate Technical Hiring and Improve Engineer Screening

Karat’s integration with Greenhouse connects Karat’s technical interviewing and screening services directly into your ATS workflow, enabling a consistent, measurable approach to evaluating engineering candidates. This guide explains what the integration does, which hiring teams gain the most value, and the concrete benefits you can expect when Karat and Greenhouse run together. We cover architecture and data flow, implementation steps, measurable KPIs, common pitfalls and mitigations, and practical best practices so hiring teams can plan deployment, measure outcomes, and iterate efficiently.

What the Karat–Greenhouse integration does (core capabilities)

• Automates candidate scheduling Creates and syncs interview events between Greenhouse and Karat so candidates can be booked for Karat Interview sessions without manual calendar juggling.
• Pushes interview outcomes back to Greenhouse Stores Karat Interview scores, structured feedback, and pass/fail recommendations on the Greenhouse candidate profile and scorecards.
• Manages candidate lifecycle Transitions candidate stages based on Karat results (e.g., advance, fail, hold) to keep the pipeline accurate and reduce administrative work.
• Supports Karat Qualify and Interview products Enables both top-of-funnel screening (Karat Qualify) and live technical interviews so hiring teams can choose the assessment that fits the role.

Who should consider this integration

• Engineering teams with high volume technical hiring Organizations hiring many engineers benefit from standardized interviews and consistent signals that scale across roles and regions.
• Teams that need reliable, calibrated interview signals Companies seeking objective, predictive interview data to reduce variation between interviewers.
• Recruiting operations and sourcers Sourcing teams that want faster qualification and fewer manual steps in the ATS to move candidates through the funnel.
• Companies measuring hiring funnel efficiency Organizations focused on improving time-to-hire, interview-to-offer ratios, and quality-of-hire metrics.

Data flow for the integration uses Greenhouse APIs and Karat’s backend to synchronize candidate status, interview scheduling, and interview results. When a candidate is moved to a designated Karat stage in Greenhouse, a request triggers Karat to create a session, share scheduling options with the candidate, and generate an interview event that syncs back into the Greenhouse calendar. After the Karat Interview completes, structured scores and qualitative notes are posted to the Greenhouse candidate record and optionally populate a predefined scorecard. Webhooks or API polling keep records up to date and allow downstream automations inside Greenhouse to progress candidates.

Karat product components supported and how they appear in Greenhouse

Key measurable benefits

• Reduced time-to-screen Automating the top-of-funnel screening and scheduling shortens the period between application and interview, often reducing initial screening time by days.
• Consistent, predictive evaluation Standardized interview content and calibrated Interview Engineers produce signals that correlate with later performance and improve hiring precision.
• Lower recruiter workload Fewer manual scheduling steps, fewer follow-ups, and automatic ATS updates free recruiters for higher-value tasks.
• Better funnel analytics Structured scores and pass rates feed into conversion metrics, enabling data-driven improvements to sourcing and hiring decisions.

Implementation checklist (practical steps)

• Map stages and scorecards Decide which Greenhouse stages will trigger Karat Qualify or Karat Interview and prepare corresponding scorecards or custom fields.
• Provision API credentials Create and secure API keys and webhooks in Greenhouse; provide these to Karat’s implementation team.
• Set scheduling rules Define candidate availability windows, timezone handling, and buffer times to match your interview team constraints.
• Test with pilot roles Run a small pilot with a representative role to validate data sync, scorecard mapping, and candidate experience.
• Train recruiters and hiring managers Document the new workflow, explain how Karat scores appear in Greenhouse, and set expectations for next steps after results.

Typical technical setup includes API integrations, secure key exchange, and optionally Single Sign-On (SSO) for Karat interviewer access. The integration requires mapping between Greenhouse job IDs and Karat interviewer content so that role-specific assessments are delivered correctly. Many teams also configure Greenhouse automations to change candidate stages based on Karat outcomes, minimizing manual updates.

KPIs to track post-launch

• Time from application to screen completion Measure how quickly candidates complete Karat Qualify or Karat Interview after applying.
• Interview-to-offer conversion rate Track conversion for candidates who pass Karat stages versus those who do not to validate predictive power.
• Recruiter time saved Estimate hours reclaimed from scheduling and manual status updates and convert to cost savings.
• Candidate drop-off Monitor candidate no-shows and abandonment rates during Karat scheduling and interviews.

Common challenges and mitigations

Cost and ROI considerations vary: integration itself usually carries implementation effort and potential partner fees, while recurring costs are tied to per-interview or per-assessment pricing. To estimate ROI, calculate recruiter hours saved from automation, reduced time-to-hire, and improved offer acceptance rates driven by better matching; even modest improvements in conversion rates can justify the expense when hiring at scale.

Sample workflow: from application to decision (example)

Best practices for maximizing value

• Standardize job-specific rubrics Build role-based evaluation criteria so Karat content and Greenhouse scorecards align with on-the-job requirements.
• Start with a focused pilot Pilot on one team or role to tune scheduling windows, score mappings, and candidate communications before organization-wide rollout.
• Use the data to close feedback loops Feed Karat performance and conversion metrics back into sourcing and interview training to continuously improve hiring outcomes.
• Keep candidate experience front and center Provide clear scheduling instructions and timely notifications; a smooth process reduces drop-off and supports offers.

Frequently asked integration questions