3 ½ Steps for Successful Candidate Communications

Imagine this: You spot a job posting online for a position you’re so excited about that you tell everyone. Even your mom. You rush home after work to submit your polished resume with a perfectly crafted cover letter and then… you wait a few days, anxiously anticipating some sort of communication. But then days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months, and you finally resign to accepting that you won’t hear back from this company.

For most job seekers, they don’t have to imagine this scenario, because it happens all the time. Nexxt recently surveyed over 1,400 job seekers to better understand their job search experience. Just under half (49%) said they rarely get a response from employers after applying to a job. Additionally, 58 percent said the most frustrating thing about applying to jobs is that because they don’t hear back from employers, they don’t know where they stand. This uncertainty would leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

Employers, it’s time for you to do better – and we can help. Below is an easy 3½-step guide to ensuring more positive communications with your candidates to keep the recruitment process as painless as possible and your brand’s reputation squeaky clean.

Step 1: The Confirmation Email

According to Nexxt’s survey, only half of candidates receive an email letting them know that their application was received after applying to a job, while the other half (if they’re not moving on to the next round) never hear a peep from the employer to which they just applied. Recruiters, we know you’re busy, but a simple form email confirmation goes a long way in easing the anxieties of applicants wondering if you actually received their application. It also gives the impression that your recruitment process is efficient and professional, and your brand is somewhere people want to work!

Step 2: The Touch Base

There’s nothing candidates hate more than having consistent communication with a recruiter only to be suddenly ghosted for weeks. Especially after they’ve taken the time to interview. Even if you don’t have news, never let more than a week go by without communicating with an applicant. This proactivity will cut down on how often candidates are reaching out to you for an update and help ensure they don’t form a negative opinion of your company.

Step 2B: Laying Down the Law  

As a recruiter, you’ve surely had your fair share of eager beavers who check in every other day for an update or know-it-alls who think they understand the recruitment process better than you. If that’s the case, we need to move to Step 2B: lay down the law. If a candidate is flooding your inbox, cyber stalking you or just being an all-around pain, make it clear that you will send updates regularly, but you can’t be at their beck and call, 24/7. The sooner you make that clear, the easier your life will be.

Step 3: Closing the Loop  

When job seekers do hear back about a job they weren’t selected for, they’re understandably disappointed, but glad they were informed, according to Nexxt’s survey. In fact, even if a recruiter closes the loop with a rejection, 41 percent said they would be more likely to apply to that company again and 40 percent said they have a more positive view of the company – just because the recruiter closed the loop at all! So there you have it – send those rejections emails all day long!

If you’ve been in the job market long enough, you’ve probably applied for a job to which you never heard back. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It colors your opinion of the company. And it doesn’t make you want to apply for a job there again. So recruiters, it’s time to do better. If you want quality candidates knocking at your metaphorical door, follow these three (and a half) steps and keep them in the loop from start to finish.

Want to get in front of the millions of qualified professionals? Visit hiring.nexxt.com to learn how we can introduce you to your Nexxt great hire.

Nexxt is a recruitment media company that uses today’s most effective marketing tactics to reach the full spectrum of talent – from active to passive, and everything in between. Learn more about hiring with Nexxt.

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