A Taleo application status shows two things: your Submission Status (your own application) and the Job Status (the posting). Out of the box, Oracle Taleo has only three submission statuses: Draft (you have not finished), Complete (you clicked Submit) and Withdraw (you pulled out). So "Submission status: Completed" on its own usually means your application was submitted, not that a decision was made. Many employers add their own labels, such as "Under Review", "Under Consideration", "Not Selected" or "Background Screening", and a few use "Completed" to mean the process is over for you. Check the employer's wording and the Job Status together before you read anything into it.
Taleo application status meanings at a glance
Labels below come from Oracle's documentation and from employers that publish what their Taleo statuses mean. Your employer may use different words for the same step.
Status | What it means | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
Draft | You started the application but did not submit it. Oracle: the candidate "has not completed his/her job application." | Log back in, finish every section and click Submit. |
Complete / Completed | The default meaning is that you finished the application and clicked Submit. At some employers it stays this way for the whole process. | Nothing yet. Check the Job Status and keep applying elsewhere. |
Completed / Updated (a date) | Your Submission Status with the date it last changed. A new date with no new label tells you little on its own. | Compare it with the Job Status. If the job is inactive or closed, treat it as finished. |
Withdraw / Withdrawn | The application was withdrawn from consideration, usually by you. | If it was a mistake, contact the recruiter quickly. |
Information Received / Application Received | The employer has your submission. | Wait. Make sure your answers to screening questions match your resume. |
Under Review | You are moving through the hiring process and may be contacted if you are a top candidate. | Prepare for a screening call. |
Under Consideration | Still active. At some employers it is the same message as Under Review. | Wait, and look for a referral at the company. |
In Progress | Still active. Usually means your application is with the hiring team. | Confirm you actually submitted, then wait. |
Additional Screening | An extra screening step, such as an assessment or a second review. | Watch your email and spam folder for instructions. |
Interview Complete | The recruiter recorded that you were interviewed. Your file is still open. | Send a short thank-you and wait for the decision. |
Approval in Progress | At some employers, a conditional offer is going through internal approval. | Have your documents ready and reply quickly. |
Consent for Background Screening | You have been emailed instructions to consent to a background check. | Complete the consent form the same day. |
Background Screening | A background check is under way. | Answer the screening vendor quickly. |
Not Selected / Application Unsuccessful | The employer chose another candidate for this job. | Apply to similar roles. You may still be considered for other jobs you applied to. |
Job Status: Open / Active | The posting is live and the employer is still reviewing. | Nothing to do. |
Job Status: On Hold | Hiring for the job is paused. | Keep applying elsewhere and check back later. |
Job Status: Inactive | The job is no longer taking applications. Employers disagree on whether review continues. | If your Submission Status still shows Completed, assume the process may be over. |
Job Status: Closed / Filled | The job was cancelled, closed or filled. | Treat it as closed and look for new postings. |
Submission Status vs Job Status: why Taleo shows two
On the "My Jobpage" or "My Submissions" tab of a Taleo career site, each job you applied to has two lines. Tufts University's Taleo guide tells applicants to open "My Jobpage", find the job title and look for "Submission Status", which "shows the current status of your application and the most recent date that the status was updated." Tampa General Hospital's FAQ adds that a submitted application appears under a "completed submission" section; if you only see a draft section, "you have not officially applied to the position."
The Job Status describes the posting, not you. The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), which runs on Taleo, publishes its job statuses: Open ("a hiring decision has not been finalized"), On Hold, Inactive ("open, but not currently accepting applications"), Closed ("closed or canceled") and Filled.
Oracle's documentation explains why wording varies so much. Each employer chooses between the default statuses and its own custom ones, can write a custom label for any step of its workflow, and can add a longer description that candidates see. If the employer has not switched on the setting that shows statuses, you may see none at all.
Does "Completed" in Taleo mean rejected?
This is the most searched Taleo question, and sources genuinely disagree.
Reading 1: "Completed" means submitted. Oracle defines the default status "Complete" as indicating "that a candidate has completed his/her job application." Oracle's page on completed submissions says a submission counts as completed when the candidate "completed a job submission and clicked the Submit button." Under this reading, "Completed" is neutral.
Reading 2: "Completed" means the process is over for you. Employers can rename statuses, and some use "Completed" as the last stop. A long-running guide on the cabin crew site that analysed the Emirates Taleo setup reports that Emirates showed "Completed" when "nothing else is going to happen to your application", meaning the candidate was not successful. The same guide says other employers show "Completed" "from the moment you submit your application" right to the end, because they never update it.
There is a third source of confusion. Inside the recruiter view, Oracle uses "Completed" for a step that is done, meaning the candidate "can move to the next step." That is a recruiter setting, not a message to you, but it explains why the word turns up at different points.
How to tell which reading applies to you:
- If "Completed" appeared the day you applied, it almost certainly means submitted.
- If your status changed from something like "Under Review" or "Interview Complete" to "Completed", the employer is probably using it as a closing label.
- If the Job Status shows Inactive, Closed or Filled and you have heard nothing, plan as if it is over. The cabin crew guide describes "Inactive" as meaning the recruiter "is no longer reviewing submitted applications."
What does "Completed / Updated" mean?
People often see "Completed" next to an "Updated" date that keeps changing. The date is the last time the status record changed (Tufts describes it as "the most recent date that the status was updated"). An internal step can move without changing the label you see, because many employers only show a handful of labels. So a new date with the same "Completed" label tells you something happened, but not what. It is not, on its own, a sign of rejection or of progress.
Early stage statuses
Draft
The application is unfinished and nobody at the employer will review it. Finish it before the posting closes.
Information Received and Application Received
UAB uses "Information Received" to mean "You have successfully applied for the position and we have received your submission." Emirates' custom "Application Received" meant the application would be shortlisted for review. What to do: nothing at the employer, but improve your next applications with an ATS resume checker so your keywords match the posting.
Active review statuses
Under Review, Under Consideration, In Progress and Additional Screening
UAB gives all four the same text: "You are progressing through the hiring process and may be contacted if you are a top candidate." Emirates used "Application Under Review" to mean the recruitment team was reviewing it, and "Application in Progress" for the same stage. What to do: prepare a short pitch for a phone screen, and if you know someone at the company, ask for a referral now.
Interview statuses
Interview Complete
In the Emirates setup, this meant the team "simply marked on your file that you have been interviewed." The file stays open while they decide. What to do: send one thank-you message and wait for the decision timeline you were given.
Offer and pre-hire statuses
Approval in Progress
Emirates used this after a conditional offer, while paperwork and medical information were approved. Oracle's own example candidate selection workflow also includes an "Approval in Progress" status. What to do: answer HR requests the same day.
Consent for Background Screening and Background Screening
UAB's text: instructions "have been sent to your email address for completing the consent for a background screening", and then "a background screening is currently being conducted and you may be contacted for additional information." What to do: complete the consent quickly and have ID and employment details ready.
Closed statuses
Not Selected and Application Unsuccessful
UAB's "Not Selected" means "We currently have pursued another candidate for this position", and it notes you may still be under consideration for other jobs you applied to. What to do: apply to similar roles and read our guide to ATS rejection reasons for resumes before the next one.
Withdrawn
Oracle's default "Withdraw" means the candidate withdrew. UAB shows "Candidate Withdrew/Not Interested". If you withdrew by accident, write to the recruiter quickly and ask whether they can reinstate you.
How long each Taleo stage usually takes and when to follow up
There is no Taleo-wide timeline, and many employers are explicit that they will not send updates. Columbia College Chicago, which uses Taleo, says it gives no status updates unless you are selected for an interview, and that "it could take one to several weeks" before anyone reaches out. It also says all applicants get an email when the search ends.
Practical rules:
- Submitted or Under Review: wait at least a week or two. Follow up once only if the posting gave no timeline and the employer does not ask applicants to avoid status calls.
- After an interview: follow up once, a few business days after the date they said they would decide.
- Background screening: delays usually come from the vendor. Reply to every request quickly.
- Completed for a long time with an Inactive or Closed job: stop waiting and apply elsewhere.
Many employers do not email you at every step, so check the career site rather than waiting for a message.
Checklist for Taleo applicants
- Confirm the application sits under "completed submission", not drafts.
- Read the Submission Status and the Job Status together.
- Note the date next to the status, and do not panic when it changes.
- Look for the employer's own description of each status on its career site.
- Keep one copy of each resume you send, so you know what each employer saw.
- Keep applying while you wait. Apply4Me tracks the status of every application in one place, and AI auto-apply can help you keep volume up.
If you also apply through Workday portals, see Workday application status meanings for how its labels differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Submission status: Completed" mean on Taleo?
By Oracle's definition, it means you finished the application and clicked Submit. It does not mean you were hired or rejected. Some employers rename statuses and use "Completed" as a closing label, so check whether it appeared on the day you applied or later.
Does "Completed" on Taleo mean rejected?
Sometimes. In the default setup it only means submitted. Some employers, Emirates being a documented example, used "Completed" when nothing more would happen to an application. If it replaced a review or interview status, or the Job Status is Inactive or Closed, treat it as likely closed.
What does "Completed / Updated" mean in Taleo?
It is your Submission Status plus the date that status record last changed. A new date with the same label means something moved internally, but it does not tell you whether that was progress or a rejection.
What does a Taleo Job Status of "Inactive" mean?
The posting is no longer taking applications. UAB describes it as open but not accepting applications, while other sources say recruiters have stopped reviewing. If your status has not moved, assume the process may be over and keep applying.
Why does my Taleo application still say "Draft"?
You never clicked Submit, or a required section is missing. Log in, open the draft and finish it. A draft is not reviewed, and Tampa General's FAQ is clear that without a completed submission you have not officially applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Submission status: Completed" mean on Taleo?
By Oracle's definition, it means you finished the application and clicked Submit. It does not mean you were hired or rejected. Some employers rename statuses and use "Completed" as a closing label, so check whether it appeared on the day you applied or later.
Does "Completed" on Taleo mean rejected?
Sometimes. In the default setup it only means submitted. Some employers, Emirates being a documented example, used "Completed" when nothing more would happen to an application. If it replaced a review or interview status, or the Job Status is Inactive or Closed, treat it as likely closed.
What does "Completed / Updated" mean in Taleo?
It is your Submission Status plus the date that status record last changed. A new date with the same label means something moved internally, but it does not tell you whether that was progress or a rejection.
What does a Taleo Job Status of "Inactive" mean?
The posting is no longer taking applications. UAB describes it as open but not accepting applications, while other sources say recruiters have stopped reviewing. If your status has not moved, assume the process may be over and keep applying.
Why does my Taleo application still say "Draft"?
You never clicked Submit, or a required section is missing. Log in, open the draft and finish it. A draft is not reviewed, and Tampa General's FAQ is clear that without a completed submission you have not officially applied.