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What's in a candidate brief

4 min read · Jan 22, 2026
Quick Answer

A candidate brief includes profile details, experience summary, tech stack alignment, screening question answers, and engagement signals. It replaces the first screening call.

Purpose of the candidate brief

The candidate brief gives you everything needed to decide: should we talk?

It replaces the information you would typically gather in a first screening call:

  • Who is this person?
  • What is their background?
  • Do they meet our requirements?
  • Are they seriously interested?

With a good brief, you can skip first screens and move directly to meaningful conversations.

Brief sections explained

Basic profile

Name: The developer's full name as they use it professionally.

Profile photo: Their photo from daily.dev. Helps you recognize them in meetings.

Current role: Their job title and company. Shows where they work now.

Location: City/country. Important for timezone and relocation considerations.

Experience summary

Seniority level: Junior, Mid, Senior, Staff, Principal, Lead, etc.

This is based on their profile and signals, helping you quickly gauge fit for your role level.

Years of experience: Approximate total professional experience.

Relevant background: Key highlights from their career relevant to your role.

Tech stack

Technologies: Languages, frameworks, and tools they know.

Alignment: How their skills match your job requirements.

This section shows overlap with your tech stack. Green indicates strong matches; gaps are noted.

Screening question answers

Your questions: The exact questions you added to the job.

Their answers: What they wrote in response.

This is often the most valuable section. These are answers specific to your role, not generic profile information.

Example:

  • Q: "Are you authorized to work in the US without sponsorship?"
  • A: "Yes, I am a US citizen."

Engagement signals

Activity summary: High-level indicators of their interests and engagement.

Career direction: Signals about where they are heading professionally.

Note: We summarize signals rather than exposing raw data. This protects developer privacy while giving you useful context.

Additional information

CV/Resume: Link to their CV if they provided one (not always available).

Profile link: Link to their daily.dev profile for more context.

Last active: When they were last engaged on the platform.

How to use the brief

Quick qualification

Check these first:

  1. Screening answers (do they meet must-haves?)
  2. Seniority level (right experience level?)
  3. Location (works for your setup?)

If any are disqualifying, pass quickly.

Deeper evaluation

If basics check out:

  1. Review tech stack alignment
  2. Read their experience summary
  3. Consider engagement signals
  4. Look at their screening answers for quality and thought

Preparing for conversation

If you approve:

  • Reference their screening answers in your call
  • Note interesting experience to discuss
  • Have specific questions based on their background

What is not in the brief

We do not include:

  • Raw activity data (what articles they read)
  • Salary expectations (unless they shared)
  • Other companies they are talking to
  • Private information from their profile

Requesting more information

If the brief is not enough:

  • Before approval: You can pass and wait for other candidates
  • After approval: Ask directly during your conversation

We do not share additional information before introduction.

Brief quality

Brief completeness depends on:

  • What the developer shared in their profile
  • How detailed their screening answers are
  • How much activity history exists

Some briefs are more detailed than others. A shorter brief does not mean a worse candidate.

Troubleshooting

Brief seems incomplete?

  • Some developers have minimal profiles
  • Focus on screening answers they provided
  • Ask for more context after introduction

Cannot see CV?

  • Not all candidates provide CVs
  • You can request one after introduction

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Only if they provided one. Not all candidates include a CV. You can request one directly after the introduction is made.

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