A submittal is the candidate package a recruitment agency sends to a client. It's the formatted, often anonymised, branded document or set of documents that represent the candidate for a specific role.
What is a submittal in recruitment?
A submittal is the unit of agency work product that goes beyond just the CV. It includes the candidate's CV, cover letter or summary, and any additional information the client requires — all formatted to the client's specifications. Agencies prepare submittals to present candidates clearly and professionally while meeting compliance and client branding needs.
Key takeaway
Submittals organise and brand candidate information to make it easy for clients to review and compare. They often include anonymisation and formatting tweaks to fit ATS or client preferences.
How does a submittal work?
The submittal process starts when the recruiter selects a candidate for a role. The recruiter then prepares the candidate's CV and any supporting documents according to the client's guidelines. This might mean:
- Reformatting the CV to remove tables, headers, or unusual fonts that break ATS parsing
- Anonymising personal data like name, email, phone number, or graduation year to meet GDPR or client rules
- Adding a branded cover sheet or summary page with role-specific notes
- Converting the document into the client's preferred file format, usually Word or PDF
Agencies may manually adjust each CV or use software tools to automate parts of this process. The final submittal is then sent to the client via email, portal upload, or ATS submission.
Examples of submittals
Submittals vary by client and sector but typically follow one of these patterns:
| Type of submittal | Features | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Branded CV pack | CV plus cover letter with client logo and colour scheme | Presents candidates professionally and consistently |
| Anonymised CV | Personal details removed or masked | Protects candidate privacy and avoids bias |
| ATS-friendly CV | Tables and graphics removed, standard fonts used | Ensures parsing accuracy in client ATS |
| Candidate summary | One-page brief highlighting key skills and availability | Saves client time in screening |
For example, a large UK client may require all submittals to be anonymised to comply with their diversity hiring programme. Another client might reject any CVs with embedded photos or graphical headers. The recruiter adapts the submittal accordingly.
Related terms
- Candidate pack: Sometimes used interchangeably with submittal, but can be broader and include interview notes or test results.
- ATS parsing: The process by which client software extracts data from CVs. Submittals are often tailored to improve parsing success. See our ATS guides for details.
- Anonymisation: Removing or masking personal identifiers from CVs, often a legal or client requirement. More on this in our compliance tools.
- Submission: The act of sending a submittal to the client. Sometimes recruiters use submission and submittal synonymously, but submission focuses on the delivery step.
Where does Distill fit in?
Distill automates part of the submittal process by stripping out names, emails, phone numbers, photos, and graduation years before you submit a CV. It also formats the document according to client specs, reducing manual work and improving compliance with anonymisation policies. If you're sending 20+ CVs a week to clients with strict submittal rules, Distill formats them to the spec above automatically and saves time.
See how Distill solves this.