Why You NEED To Talk To Your Job Seekers

Is Job Seeker Communication Really Important?

A recent study focused on the importance of communication with job seekers throughout the hiring process. The data is very powerful and proves the importance of staying in touch. Here are a few of the many reasons that we should be communicating with our applicants:

• They expect it! – The article from above states that, “82% of workers expect to hear back from a company when they apply for a job regardless of whether the employer is interested.” Because of this expectation, your lack of communication can immediately put you in hot water with most applicants.
• Not communicating with applicants can hurt your bottom line! – Many of your applicants are also your customers. When you don’t talk to them, believe it or not, they are less likely to buy your goods or services. The data suggests that “32% said they would be less inclined to purchase products or services from a company that didn’t respond to their application.”
• You could lose those job seekers (and their friends for good)! – “42% of job seekers said that if they were dissatisfied with the way their application was handled by an employer, they would never seek employment at that company again.” Beyond themselves, many will share their negative experience with their friends and family and possibly their social networks.

So, why don’t we do communicate better with job seekers?

There are several reasons why we don’t communicate with the job seekers that apply with our company.

First we just have too many applicants. With our current economic situation, there are more people applying for each open position and it can be difficult to personally reach out to each one.

Another reason why we don’t communicate with each job seeker is because of our hiring process. Many of us have a segmented and disorganized process involving email resumes, paper applications, and file folders full. Keeping them all straight and getting back in touch along the way makes more work for us.

The last reason of many is that we don’t feel it is important until they are interviewed. Sometimes we take our applicant pool, look through them and choose a few of the most qualified applicants and only reach out to them through the “no thank you” or “you’re hired”. What the research clearly shows is that it is important for us to stay in touch with each applicant throughout the hiring process.

Let’s just do it! Talk to your applicants.

Setting up a proper process will ensure communication that will help with the engagement of job seekers as well generate positive feelings toward your company. Here is a process we recommend for communicating with your applicants:

1. Send a confirm receipt of application letting them know that their information has been received and will be reviewed.
2. Send positive updates as we move people through the hiring process. For example, “Congratulations! Your resume has been moved to the next step in our hiring process. The hiring manager will review your resume next.”
3. Send out rejection emails quickly to applicants. Doing this as soon as a decision has been made on an applicant, doesn’t keep the job seeker wondering but will allow them to apply for other positions, including those within your organization.
4. Send “Thank You” emails to those you interview for a job. This is before a decision has been made to all interviewees. Remember, you want to sell your company as well.
5. Send rejection letters to those interviewed thanking them for their time and letting them know another applicant has been chosen.

Communication with job seekers takes time. Why not automate?

The steps listed above to help facilitate better communication with your job seekers are not difficult to do but they do take time and energy; both of which can be spent helping in other areas of your organization.

Why not automate your hiring process by implementing the ApplicantPro hiring software? Not only is ApplicantPro affordable, we also offer many features that will save you time and make your hiring process easier and smoother. Including a completely automated communication process just like the one laid out above. Just set your preference and let us do the rest.

To learn more about ApplicantPro hiring software and how to automate your applicant communication, sign up for a FREE Trial today.