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3 Things Your Job Applicants Need To Hear You Say

The recruitment management process can be a time-consuming experience for both the employer and the job applicant. Although you might feel overwhelmed at times, it’s vital that you keep communication lines open with your candidates and continue providing feedback to each job applicant throughout the process. It’s what you would want if you were in their situation, right?

Here are a few important things that your candidates and every job applicant would like to hear an employer or recruiter say:

1. “Here are the next steps in the hiring process.”

Don’t make it difficult for a great job applicant to progress in the application process! Keeping job applicants in the loop every step of the way shows that you care about each candidate and want to get to know them better. Do this through regular email communication or updates in your talent community so they know exactly where they stand. A collaborative recruiting platform with an applicant tracking system and the ability to send appropriate notifications to various stakeholders can help you keep track of important hiring-related information and ensure the whole team is on the same page. Communication is key to avoiding frustration — which can often make even the most eager candidates walk away from the process.

2. “Here’s what you should expect if you take this position.”

The screening and interview process is an important way to figure out which candidate is right for your open position. However, it’s also an opportunity for the job applicant to determine if the job and your company are the right fit for her/him. Although much of the basics, along with some details, should be presented in the job ad and readily available on the company careers site, you also need to be open and upfront about different aspects of the job that were not touched on, such as company culture, the manager, and potential for growth. This will help each candidate decide whether or not they would be happy and satisfied in the position and at your organization.

3. “We’ve decided to go with someone else.”

Job applicants spend countless hours perfecting their resume and cover letter, researching the company, and even taking time off from their current job for the interview, so the least you can do is to promptly tell them when they haven’t been chosen for the position. Some say it’s best to call the candidate personally, others swear by email or postcards…and it very well might depend on how far they’ve made it in the hiring process. No matter how you tell them, they’ll simply appreciate being informed, so find what works best for you.

Times have changed and it is important for companies to taking a proactive approach to talent acquisition with modern hiring practices. Communication is key in the hiring process and it doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming or overwhelming for you or your candidates. Using email templates is a great way to improve candidate communications.  By automating messaging, you can stay organized and quickly tell your candidates what they need to hear, making the entire hiring process easier on everyone.

What do you think? Are there other things your candidates and a typical job applicant would want to hear during the hiring process? Feel free to share them below!

Photo by Vitolda Klein on Unsplash