🧠 What Is Aria & Where Does She Live?
Aria is an AI agent that automates:
Phone screen scheduling (self-schedule links, availability requests)
Panel availability requests
Panel scheduling & confirmations
Reschedules after declines or changes
Debrief scheduling
Once enabled for your Guide instance:
You’ll see a small Aria icon in the top-right of the Guide control panel inside your ATS.
Aria initially stays “in the background” until she has something useful to suggest.
There is no chat interface (yet) — Aria works via suggestions and automations.
Aria never emails candidates “as Aria.” She always acts as you, using your existing templates and workflows.
🧩 Core Mental Model: Copilot vs Autopilot
Copilot (default for all users and workflows)
Aria drafts actions for you and shows them in the Aria panel:
Example: “Drafted self-schedule request for [Candidate]”
You can:
Review the draft
Edit templates, times, or settings
Approve or discard
Nothing is sent or changed until you approve.
Autopilot (opt-in per step)
Once you trust Aria's suggestions for a given step, you can turn on Autopilot.
On Autopilot:
Aria automatically executes actions when the trigger happens (e.g., stage move).
You still get:
A notification that an action is about to run
A ~15-second delay to pause, edit, or cancel
Autopilot is configured per user → per job → per stage → per workflow step (e.g., “send self-schedule request,” “send candidate confirmation,” etc.).
Best practice: Start in Copilot, then selectively upgrade specific steps (like phone screens) to Autopilot once you’re comfortable.
🧠 How Aria Learns Your Preferences
Aria observes what you do for each job and stage:
Which email templates you use
Whether you send a self-schedule link vs an availability request
How you configure your calendar link
Who you CC/BCC and how you move candidate portal stages
After you run through a full workflow at least once:
Aria builds a deduced workflow for that job + stage.
Future suggestions will match what you’ve already been doing manually.
You can override anything:
Any change you make in Aria's settings becomes the new default for future candidates in that job/stage.
🔑 Trigger Rules & Ownership (Who’s Settings Are Used?)
How Aria is Triggered
Aria is triggered when a candidate moves from one ATS stage to another.
The person who moves the candidate (the “mover”) determines which settings are used:
Aria uses that user’s Aria settings for that job + stage.
If their settings are Copilot → Aria creates suggestions.
If their settings are Autopilot → Aria executes automatically (with the 15-second delay).
Ownership & Gear Icon (Settings Access)
Only the user who owns that step sees the ⚙️ gear icon on that Aria suggestion.
Common patterns:
Recruiter owns earlier stages (phone screens, initial availability requests).
Coordinator owns later stages (panel scheduling, confirmations, reschedules).
If you don’t see a gear icon:
It likely means someone else (e.g., your coordinator) owns that part of the workflow.
You can ask them to adjust Aria settings if your preferences differ.
What If Someone Else Moves the Candidate?
Example:
Recruiter A has Autopilot on for Phone Screen.
Recruiter B keeps Phone Screen on Copilot.
Hiring Manager has never configured Aria.
Results:
If Recruiter A moves to Phone Screen → Autopilot runs.
If Recruiter B moves to Phone Screen → Copilot suggestions appear.
If Hiring Manager moves to Phone Screen → nothing happens (no Aria, since they have no settings).
This ensures:
Aria never runs using the “wrong” person’s preferences.
Ownership is always at the individual user level, not by role.
👀 Candidate Experience & Safety
Aria is never visible to candidates:
Emails come from your name & email.
Messages are the same templates you would send manually.
From the candidate’s point of view:
Everything looks pixel-for-pixel identical to your usual Guide-powered workflow.
Aria manages:
Greenhouse updates
Candidate portal stages
Calendar events & invites
Slack RSVPs (if enabled)
📞 Workflow 1: Phone Screen Self-Scheduling
When you move a candidate to your Phone Screen stage:
Trigger
Recruiter moves candidate from e.g. “Application Review” → “Phone Screen” in the ATS.
Aria uses the mover’s settings for that job/stage.
Copilot Mode
Aria drafts a self-schedule request email:
Uses your preferred template.
Uses your preferred calendar link settings.
Updates the candidate portal to the first interview stage.
You can:
Edit the email
Adjust settings
Approve to send
Autopilot Mode
Once you turn this step to Autopilot:
Aria auto-drafts and auto-sends the self-schedule request.
You see a countdown and can intervene within ~15 seconds if needed.
Candidate View
Candidate receives the same self-schedule email they’re used to.
Books directly on your calendar via your existing Guide link.
🧱 Workflow 2: Multi-Step Panel (Recruiter → Coordinator)
This example covers a typical virtual onsite / panel flow:
Step 1: Recruiter Moves to Panel Stage
Recruiter moves candidate → e.g. “Virtual Onsite.”
Aria (on Autopilot for this recruiter, for this stage) can:
Send the availability request to the candidate.
Create a scheduling task in Guide for the panel (initially assigned to the recruiter, then auto-assigned to the coordinator once availability is submitted).
Step 2: Availability & Task Routing
Candidate submits availability (or you enter it manually for demo / exceptions).
Aria:
Updates the panel task to “Needs scheduling”.
Reassigns the task to the coordinator, if that’s how you’ve configured it.
Step 3: Coordinator Panel Suggestion (Copilot)
Coordinator opens their task queue and sees:
A panel scheduling task for the candidate.
Aria’s proposed panel time based on:
Interviewer availability
Working hours
Training/eligibility rules
Coordinator can:
Click Edit to open the familiar Guide calendar view.
Adjust times, interviewers, or structure.
Approve the suggested panel when ready.
Most teams keep panel scheduling itself in Copilot, so coordinators always review the final panel before it’s scheduled.
Step 4: Confirmations & Candidate Email
Once the coordinator approves:
Aria sends calendar invites to interviewers.
Slack RSVP messages (if enabled) are sent.
Aria then drafts candidate confirmation as a separate step:
Uses the coordinator’s preferred template.
Updates the candidate portal to the appropriate stage.
Candidate confirmation step can also be:
Left in Copilot (review before sending), or
Upgraded to Autopilot once trusted.
🔁 Workflow 3: Handling Reschedules & Declines
When an interviewer declines or a change is needed:
Automatic Task Creation
A reschedule task is automatically created when Aria detects a decline.
Aria's Logic (in order):
Check if existing candidate availability is still valid.
If yes, Aria tries to:
Swap in a qualified, available interviewer at the same time.
If no valid swap:
Aria proposes a new time based on the latest calendars.
Sometimes this can even result in a faster date if calendars have opened up.
If no valid candidate availability is left:
Aria suggests (or sends, on Autopilot) a new availability request.
Coordinator Controls
Coordinator reviews Aria's proposal:
Accept if it looks good.
Edit if they prefer a different time or different swap.
When approved, Aria:
Updates calendar events (removes declined interviewer, adds new ones).
Updates the upcoming interview list.
Sends any necessary notifications to removed and added interviewers.
Keeps candidate portal aligned with the updated schedule.
📋 Workflow 4: Debrief Scheduling
Unlike the other workflows, debriefs are triggered by a button, not a stage move.
Start a Debrief
From Aria, click “Help schedule a debrief”.
Confirm Debrief Requirements
Aria surfaces your saved debrief settings:
Who should attend (all interviewers, only certain stages, etc.)
Whether trainees are required
Privacy / visibility preferences
Edit if needed, or confirm if Aria's remembered preferences are correct.
Aria Finds the Best Time
Aria searches for a suitable time across all required attendees.
You see proposed options:
Each option shows who has conflicts, who’s overbooked, etc.
You can:
Review multiple options
Choose the best trade-off
Approve & Schedule
On approval:
Aria sends invites to all debrief attendees.
Adds the event to their calendars.
The debrief is not surfaced to the candidate anywhere (including the portal).
⚙️ Editing Aria Settings (Workflow Configuration)
At any Aria suggestion or step where you see a ⚙️ gear icon:
Click the gear to open Aria settings for:
That user
That job
That stage
That specific step (e.g., “Send self-schedule,” “Send candidate confirmation”).
From here you can:
Change Copilot → Autopilot (or vice versa).
Switch templates.
Adjust candidate portal behavior.
Configure CC/BCC behavior (e.g., always CC hiring manager).
Aria shows you the deduced workflow for that stage:
Previous steps (what she inferred).
Upcoming steps (that you can customize).
Any override you save becomes the new default moving forward.
🚀 Getting Started & Rollout Recommendations
Start with 1 job
Ensure Aria is enabled for your organization (talk to your Guide CSM if you're unsure)
Let her learn your existing workflow by doing it once manually.
Use Copilot for all steps initially.
Upgrade selectively to Autopilot
Common early candidates:
Phone screen self-schedule emails
Basic availability requests
Keep complex panel scheduling in Copilot until you’re truly comfortable.
Clarify ownership
Decide:
Who moves candidates to Phone Screen?
Who moves candidates into onsite/panel?
Who owns panel scheduling and reschedules?
Make sure those users configure Aria for their jobs and stages.
If something looks off
Use the ⚙️ gear to update preferences.
Aria will respect your overrides going forward.
Need help?
Contact your Guide CSM or your Guide Slack channel.
Check related Help Center articles for specific workflows and examples.
By following this model—stage moves trigger Aria, the mover’s settings control what happens, and everything starts in Copilot—you can safely roll Aria into your team, reduce manual clicks, and keep recruiters, coordinators, and candidates fully in sync.