The economic recession has of course had a major impact upon the area of employment. The number of people applying for jobs has increased dramatically, making the whole application process even more competitive than ever before.
Due to the increased amount of applications employers are receiving, it appears many companies are struggling to review the applications and respond accordingly, with some companies not providing a response to job applications at all! Is this really fair or reasonable?
A study of 1,600 jobseekers conducted by SHL, discovered that the biggest issue for candidates was being ignored by employers following applications. Nearly half of respondents stated that not being told if they had been successful was their top concern, followed by 39 per cent stating they found a lack of feedback on applications frustrating. A further 36 per cent were concerned that companies did not even provide an acknowledgement for their applications.
How hard can it be to let an applicant know that you have received their CV? Our feedback from applicants suggests that they are more than savvy enough to know that many acknowledgements they receive in response to applications are automated, but they would still rather this than hear nothing.
Technology as it is today allows anything from a simple automated email response, to a full-blown applicant tracking system (ATS), so not acknowledging a CV is no longer an excuse if an employer has got any interest in improving the experience of applicants for its roles.
Giving individual feedback is more complicated, but companies that have a successful recruitment strategy and team in place, who understand the importance of maintaining effective communication with candidates through the recruitment process, find a way.
As a business, PPS feels passionate about candidate management, and agree that all candidates should be kept up to date during their recruitment journey. As the majority of applications are now received online this is a very simple process to set up and allows a business to set a first impression to people wanting to work for the organisation. We get a number of emails from candidates thanking us for keeping them updated – proof if needed of the value of staying in touch.
We ensure that our clients understand the significance of promoting a strong reputation when recruiting new talent into the business. As previous studies have uncovered, a poor candidate journey can have a negative impact upon a company’s brand and reputation.
Tell us what you think – which companies are getting the applicant communication thing right? And do you agree that if they don’t, it has an impact on your view of the company in general, not just their recruitment team?
Written by Louise Birch, Recruiter at recruitment process outsourcing company PPS.
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With an email response management system, everyone at your business can quickly respond to the emails that just seem to keep pouring in and will be communicated rapidly,efficiently and accurately.Effective email response management system is important because customers get attention they deserve.No one likes to wait.
Comment by shane — May 8, 2011 @ 12:51 pm
I agree that it is vital to get applicant communication right. It is vital that employers understand the significance of promoting a strong reputation when recruiting and as your article states a poor candidate journey will ultimately result in a negative impact upon a company’s reputation.
I believe it is vital that each candidate receives a notification that their application has been received and then further advised when their application is either shortlisted or unsuccessful. We have found that implementing an application management system such as Idibu, combined with a good front office recruitment system has been the key to our success in this area. The system allows us to automatically notify of the receipt of an application, and then further notify the progress of their application as their CV is processed through the shortlist and interview stages.
Furthermore individual feedback must be given to all candidates who have progressed to the shortlist stage and although this may be time consuming the positive effect on a company’s reputation is staggering!
Comment by Carlo Ventisei — May 11, 2011 @ 12:10 pm