Employers do not have any obligations to respond to prospective employees about job applications. It is a process that depends on ethics and courtesy, and not law. However, it must be noted that acknowledging submissions of applications from prospective employees can spare employers the stress of dealing with the enquiries of eager and persistent job seekers. In response to this, many companies have resorted to the creation of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or cloud-based software which provide automated responses to job seekers. The effectiveness of this to facilitate the process of engaging jobseekers is a debate that keeps raging on.
Michael Porter, in his five- point management matrix, expressed the need to give job seekers all the dignity and honor that they deserve. Hence, the proposal to the recruitment market in his five management models. Under the recruitment market model, Michael Porter argues that how you treat job seekers indicates the level of respect, courtesy, and rapport that you build around your company. It is therefore imperative that we consider job seekers to be external clients and treat them with courtesy. Over time, many schools of thought have been proposed as the best way to deal with job seekers. However, before considering any of them, we need to appreciate that the process of preparing for a job interview and conducting it is a difficult task. Especially when you must deal with professionals who may possess special skills which would add value and play a significant role in the development of the company. Therefore, how we interact with them at both the pre- interview and the post- interview stages must be handled with care.
Opinions continue to be divided on how to reach out to candidates who are not successful in interviews. When they are staff members, it is often easy to reach out to them and follow up with advice on how to enhance their chances for future opportunities. The challenge mostly arises when they are not members of staff. Many companies tend to ignore them without giving a response. This is a potential turn off for both future applicants and even some customers. Additionally, some applicants may be eyeing other interesting job openings elsewhere, therefore responding on- time with a definite outcome would aid them with planning their next course of action.
Interviewees such as those who are shortlisted after preliminary interviews may not necessarily make the final cut. With all the hurdles they have crossed to get to that stage, coupled with the sensitivities and emotion associated with that stage of the recruitment process, it is appropriate to give each of them a phone call, instead of an email or other means of communication. A candidate who makes it to either the final stage or close to that stage is often a candidate who has an equal chance of making the final cut because of their exceptional performance in the preliminary stage. Sometimes either one person or just a handful can make the final cut, because of factors including the number of spaces available.
The company may therefore decide to place some of them on the waiting list, pending future openings. Therefore, it’s important to reach out to them by an appropriate method to assure them of the appreciation of their interest in serving the company, and also the reasons they were not immediately considered for the job.
The next logical steps would be deciding on exactly what to say to the job seeker once you place the call, because it borders on their emotions and sensitivity. It is important to work with your executives and legal department to craft the message to deliver to the candidate. When you are speaking with them, maintain a pleasant disposition throughout the conversation. Avoid giving specific reasons for their failure to make the final cut because some may express gratitude for the honest feedback, while others may want to contest those reasons with the hope of getting you to change your decision. If they try unsuccessfully to get you to change your mind, they may think that they have been unfairly denied the employment opportunity. It is therefore strongly advised that you avoid giving unnecessary details. Human resource officers should try to be as discreet as possible in their conversation and possibly get them to understand that due to some variations in the company’s operation, a more qualified candidate may have to tarry a while. This tone of conversation goes a long way to dissuade their anxieties, caused by them not immediately being considered for the job.
Author:
Phidelia Johnson is a global Human Resources Practitioner with eighteen years of leadership success. With a focus on streamlining Human Resources administration, she’s well-equipped to find the right solution to a myriad of concerns. Her experience as a commercial business leader gives her a unique ability to advocate for both the employer and the employee.
In her down time, Phidelia is a master of her kitchen, creating wonderful dishes filled with passion and flavor. If she’s not cooking delicious food, she’s stretched out with a good book. She hopes to use her experience to help others, guide company leaders to best practices, and help build better professionals and stronger organizations.