We’ve all been there. You spend hours typing and re-typing your resumé on a Word doc. It’s your life’s work, and more than a little bit of pride, in black and white. No wonder rejection hurts so much and a slow reaction can be so frustrating for candidates.
It goes without saying that a failed or drawn-out application process affects an applicant’s confidence. If it’s handled poorly things only get worse…but not just for the job hunter.
Think about it. Companies spend big money on marketing campaigns, slick reception areas, nice meeting rooms, external consultants, branding and re-branding....all geared towards looking like a company people should do business with. But how often do they think about how they engage with people at their most impressionable – when they are a potential employee?
The candidate of today is the influencer of tomorrow. Why wouldn’t you treat them right and show then some love (yes, even the time wasters)?
Take it from me, there is a media company I don’t use because of the level of unprofessionalism I saw first-hand. In the past they offered me a job but the journey to get there was more like a ride in the back of my Uncles truck to the back paddock rather than a trip down Orchard Road in a Mercedes. (make no mistake, modern job hunters expect the Mercedes)
Why would I spend my marketing dollars with a company that couldn’t treat me, a candidate in a decent professional manner? Well I don’t, but their competitor who sells exactly the same product gets a lot a business from me.
"I’m as busy as a choir at Christmas, I simply don’t have the time to reply to every single applicant’’ would be the standard answer from most HR Professionals. There's little doubt that this is true. Post-GFC HR departments are normally thinly resourced, The good news is technology can help.
The best Applicant Tracking Systems make sure no candidate gets left behind. Automated rejection and confirmation emails mean every candidate is communicated with in a professional, consistent and timely manner. Thank you notes and meeting confirmations should be the norm, automatically generated and sent promptly.
Leaving a candidate hanging could ruin your chances. Good people are likely to have several companies courting them, so why risk losing him or her? Plus, you never know- this candidate may not be right for the current vacancy but would be Mr/Ms. Perfect for a future position. Give a favourable impression of your company and they will be keen to re-apply in future or found in your database.
Contributed by:
Matt Allanson, Sales Director
Hiring Boss
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