Those of us in the staffing industry have long preached and been preached to, on the importance of following up with candidates. This “best practice” turned “golden rule” has been a critical step in the hiring process since the pre-internet age.
Yet as often as it’s named a critical part, a lack of feedback and follow-up from companies ranks high among the complaints of job seekers year after year. Why?
With hiring now entirely reliant upon the internet, follow-ups have fallen by the wayside as tasks pile up, messages get deleted and increased anonymity saves us from awkward rejections. And, more simply, we’ve forgotten how vital follow-ups are at a time when the need for them is growing.
Even though we definitely aren’t all guilty of skipping out on a follow-up, here’s why they’re so important.
It Closes the Loop
Nothing feels worse than waiting and being left hanging, and for job seekers, it’s all waiting and hanging.
Searching for a job inherently stems from a problem. Whether it’s tight finances, growth limit or a terrible job, nobody is dropping resumes because they love where they are. With so much stress involved, uncertainty is the last thing they need. Being transparent and alerting applicants when you have news, good or bad, maintains the relationship and helps applicants keep their head up.
It Impacts Your Brand
Job seekers talk. Whether it’s GlassDoor or in-person, it’s easy to find the brand you’ve worked so hard to build and maintain being dragged as someone who notoriously ghosts and mistreats prospective employees. If enough word spreads, say goodbye to your prospects of hiring quality team members.
It’s Respectful
While not the biggest bang to end with, following up with candidates is merely the right thing to do. From your GlassDoor rating to internal culture, how you choose to conduct business effects everything. Companies who have a transparent, respectful relationship with employees beginning in the hiring process maintain better, happier workers longer than those who don’t.
Ready to follow-up but short on candidates? See how Monikl can help.
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