Now, a question to my HR/Recruiter folks, I know you are sitting with a pile of resumes in your database but let me ask you – how many applicants do receive a response from your end? Don’t you think they are real humans who approached you to get some help in their career?
And some of you will say that it is hard to respond to each and every applicant when you get huge numbers of resumes for a single position. I am not saying you should be talking to all the candidates but they do deserve a reply from your end to get a closure. Have you received their resume? Have they been shortlisted or rejected? They deserve to know this response through mail or at least an automated response. But if they are not getting this too, you probably are missing a great candidate.
Its like when you are a customer, if you don’t get satisfying customer service then we may not be use their product. The same way, candidates can make a call if they feel that they are wasting their time submitting their resume to you. And being a front end person you are supposed to mirror the culture of your organization. So what culture do you want to convey to the candidates!
Make a difference
When a candidate submits a job application, he truly hopes that someone on the other end will be receiving it and helping them with their desire to follow their passion or attain career goals. For some it can be to get a job that help him feeds his family or get rid of his debt. For others it can be chasing a long time ambition to achieve their dream job. You may never know! But you should believe that as a recruiter you are making a difference in somebody’s life and you ought to be proud about it!
Give Transparency
Let the applicants know that you received their resume and how long it might take for you to get back to them. Even if its through automated reply, still it’s great to convey what the process will look like? But I would prefer you talk to them when the process reached a particular stage. If you shortlist a few candidates, let them know the details of a potential interview. There are employers who even inform who will be interviewing you and once selected who you will be reporting to in the company as well. And they even attach the LinkedIn profile of the reporting manager so the candidates can connect with them and ask questions.
Be honest to your job candidates.
Avoid blind promises. Don’t give filthy commitments to your candidates, at the start of the hiring process, just so as to get the position filled and to attract and convince your job candidates. So before your give any information about the work relationship, work environment and career prospects be sure to double check and provided the right information to the candidates. If you can’t give him an increase in his salary in the first year highlight the training facilities and learning opportunities that he can possibly gain from the offered position. Make your sales pitch authentic and truthful.
