I know discussing this topic might seem like click-bait, but bear with me; it’s not my intention. This debate rivals the classic, ‘Which came first: the egg or the hen?’

Should recruiters respond to candidates who don’t pass the screening or interview process? I’ll cut to the chase: yes. It’s more than common courtesy, particularly when someone reaches out directly.

Applying for a job involves not only effort from the candidate but also a degree of vulnerability, especially when they take the extra step of approaching the job poster. Treating these aspects without empathy can have profound psychological impacts and long-term ramifications for both the individual and the organisation.

The Impact It Has on Candidates

When candidates take the initiative to reach out directly, they often invest emotional and mental resources. Not receiving a response can generate a sense of invisibility and the idea that their efforts and qualifications are insignificant, which can seriously impact the candidate’s self-esteem.

Now, I said above that they often invest resources, and not always because of a fact less popular than recruiters not acting professional: not once have I received emails in which the candidates did not even bother to change the name of the person or company they previously approached with the same message.

The Phenomenon of “Ghosting” Goes Beyond Dating

I have also been ghosted by candidates, and yes, I can understand it might be tempting to follow the example many professionals give out there, but I personally have always functioned on the principle: don’t treat others how you would not like to be treated. Hence this is not about pointing fingers.

It’s about the people who put their all into it and do their best to stand out. They should not be overlooked because they are not a match for the role you are working on at that moment. They might not even be a fit for the team; hence, you are aware you will never cooperate with them, but they are still humans, and I am one who strongly believes there is something great in every one of us.

I Am Sure You Heard This Before, but…

Leaving aside the emotional and psychological aspects, from an organisational perspective, being sloppy in candidate engagement can significantly damage employer branding. People will not only share their experiences within their networks but might even leave negative reviews. And yes, even though it might be hard to imagine, with the labour market being so competitive, I have met many people who I heard saying: “They made me a good offer, but the reviews I found are not good; I will not accept the role”.

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Remember When You Were Applying for Jobs?

To improve the candidate experience in the recruitment process and be able to manage all your tasks, your communication strategies must be not only respectful but also efficient. Here are some useful practices that I try to implement in my interactions:

Prompt Reactions: It’s crucial to acknowledge every job application received.

Use Automation Wisely: When handling high volumes of workload and living in a world where technology has advanced so much, I encourage the use of automations wherever is possible. But make sure you become an expert in setting your tools and you don’t neglect the human factor.

• Configure the system so that you send out confirmation emails within 24 hours of receiving an application.
• Ensure that these automated responses include a personal touch that can be: the candidate’s name, or the position they’ve applied for. Yet, make sure these are correctly displayed. Include also a timeline with what the next steps are expected to be.
• When setting up automated response emails, consider the timing of these emails. Avoid sending out rejections or other sensitive emails at inappropriate times. Nothing is more impersonal and unpleasant, in my opinion, than receiving a rejection email at 3 AM on a Saturday night. Most tools available allow setting the hours when the automation will be sent, and if yours does not, feel free to reach out, and I can recommend some that do. Now, one might argue: “If you recruit globally, you can’t cover the entire globe.” That is true, but I have an easy fix: Set a day and hour in the week when you cover the time zones most relevant for the organisation, and in the timelines presented in your confirmation email, make sure to specify which timeline you will take into account so the candidates can be informed ahead. You would do that if you were planning to schedule a meeting with a candidate; why skip this step on other occasions throughout the communication?
• Keep candidates informed about their application status even when (and yes, this is a common practice, and mostly not in the control of the recruiter) the hiring managers postpone the decision.
• When a candidate is asking for concrete feedback or, as mentioned above, approaches you directly, take time to communicate with them. If you are going to tell me you are too busy to do that, chances are you have taken on too much workload, and you need additional support. Having a more junior person reach out is still better than ignoring them.

Additional tip: The feeds are oversaturated with how ATS systems automatically reject candidates, how people try to trick the system by adding keywords (that might not even be relevant for their profile), how some formats of resumes might be more exposed to being rejected than others, etc. – do not rely completely on technology. Take time or delegate this task to another team member to double-check applications that have been rejected. In the past, I’ve hired exceptional candidates initially overlooked by the system.

Getting back to where we started, not engaging with candidates, particularly those who reach out directly, can seriously affect the self esteem and dignity of the people and have harmful long-term effects on an organisation’s reputation, as well as on the personal brand of the recruiter, as an individual. Neglecting to set up efficient, people-focused processes can result in more financial loss than investing resources in doing it right from the start. Operating under the assumption that one is perpetually too busy or that the labour market’s status quo will not change again is a misconception. However, by investing in the development of solid processes from the start, organisations can prepare for future market shifts.

There will come a time when the dynamics will reverse: recruiters will urgently seek qualified candidates in a market loaded with opportunities. I recall those times as if they were yesterday. By preparing ahead, organisations stand a better chance of maintaining a consistent success rate, even as market conditions fluctuate.