Research has shown again, and again that there’s almost nothing a good candidate likes than feeling like their resume has fallen into a “black hole”. It’s true, no one likes to be ignored. Candidates should be treated as if they are important customers according to Indeed’s Senior Vice President for Marketing Paul D’Arcy who spoke at the Indeed Interactive conference. This is especially important if you are in a public-facing business like a restaurant, or bank, or retail organization.
Many employers treat their ATS as a data collection tool without realizing it’s also a communications tool. So how can you improve your communications with candidates? We put together the following 5 easy to implement tips that even a small HR or Recruiting team can start doing immediately:
- Respond Immediately to Applicants.
- Send an immediate “Thank You” email confirming you have received their application. This can be set up though your email program, or your applicant tracking software. iRecruit does this automatically.
- Follow Up on the Status of the Position.
- After you review the applicant, let them know if they are moving on to the next step of your review process.
- If not, send the “Polite Rejection” email as early as possible. Don’t wait 3, or 6 months or longer before reaching out to applicants. – Avoid the “Black Hole”.
- Interview Scheduling.
- Schedule Interviews via phone, text or email. If sending email, send additional important info to the candidate:
- Directions to the interview.
- Who they will be meeting or interviewing with.
- Instructions on how to prepare for the interview.
- Any additional information to bring with them.
- Thank You Emails After Interview. If you’re moving forward with the candidate, let them know your next steps.
- If not, send a timely (within a few days of the interview) “Thank You Email” thank the candidate for participating in your hiring process. Again, don’t leave candidates in the dark if you promised to follow up by X date.
- Secondary Marketing. Not all candidates are going to be the perfect fit for every role you have posted. You can still engage these candidates by inviting them to keep in touch. You can do this several ways:
- Email Newsletter.
- Follow Company LinkedIn page.
- Facebook Page.
- Twitter or other social media network.
Related: Improve and Update your Candidate Correspondence
Image credit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/nustar/multimedia/pia16695.html
