If you have ever run a hiring process before, you will be familiar with the many steps involved to ensure you hire the right person. When hiring for any position, you will always have more candidates that are not successful in the end, and you should know how to tackle this last, but important step!
The uncertainty for some business owners and personnel managers comes when they have to communicate their decision with the applicants. Handled well, you’ll place your company in a great position with reputation and future hires.
Yes! It could impact your future hires and reputation in the market. How?
Communication is key in every aspect of life. Communicating to a candidate that they have been unsuccessful in the end, as sad as it might be to receive for an applicant, it is still very necessary! Sending an “Application Advice” email as we called it at Performia, and updating the candidate’s application status will make a great impression on you. It not only gives them closure, it tells them that you appreciate the time and effort they have put towards your company and acknowledges them.
Some Business Owners and Managers don’t provide feedback or never get back to their candidates, ghosting them. Why? Because they are time-poor or they are afraid of confrontation; they don’t want to be questioned under any circumstances. However, we want to encourage you to include that step in your hiring process.
The founder of Performia International; Marten Runow made a wonderful comment about this topic; feedback to candidates. He said; “what is the worst crime the candidate has committed? Their biggest crime is that they expressed interest in wanting to work for your company!” And it is so true! They showed interest in your business, in your role, and they should be given acknowledgment on this.
OUR TIP FOR YOU
A successful hiring strategy and process will allow you to know very quickly when a candidate is no longer suitable. Even if you have not completed your recruitment process fully and appointed a new person, you may already know those who are definitely not the right person.
Your hiring process, established well, will allow you to know when the communication with your candidates ends and more importantly what to communicate to them.
The earliest you can inform unsuccessful candidates, the quicker you can help them by freeing up their attention so they can focus on their future. Although momentarily upset, they will think very well of you afterwards!
At the latest, your application feedback email should be sent to all unsuccessful candidates once you have successfully appointed your new team member (that means when you are happy with his/her results, reference checks are positive and completed, and you have a signed contract)
It is time to send the Application Advice email!
How should it be worded and what should be included?
Here are our recommendations!
– Make it more personal by adding their first name in the greeting. Without a candidate management system, this can become more time consuming so we recommend investing in a good system to handle your candidates. Our clients use our system Interspeedia and they love how organised it keeps their hiring.
– Thank the candidate for their job application and time.
– State that you have made the decision to hire someone else that fits the role.
– Wish them luck and encourage them to apply for future hiring cycles.
Keep it short and polite. No need to provide the reasons why they have not been selected.
– Avoid using the words rejected or declined, instead use words such as feedback, hiring process update, application outcome.
Did you know at Performia we have a policy on which day to send these types of emails? Have a guess by replying to this email and we’ll share with you!
At the end of every hiring cycle, you want to be on top of every communication and not close the doors for potential candidates that might not be selected now but perhaps will be in future.
How you communicate with candidates also impacts the PR of your business and your reputation.
Do you have an easy to use system for managing your recruitment process and candidates?
Performia’s Candidate Management System; Interspeedia is designed to help business owners and personnel managers to keep all candidate files and information in one location, allowing them to speed up and improve their hiring flows.
Imagine how much more productivity you’ll achieve when you can communicate with candidates in just a click of a finger. You can send an email to hundreds of candidates and create time for you and your managers to work on something else, whilst ensuring the best care and attention for your candidates.If you don’t know where to start or you do not have a process in place for your hirings, we have good news for you!
Our next free seminar is coming up and we’d love you to be there!
On Thursday 6th October 2022, we will hold a free seminar. The Basics of Building a Productive Team. Presented by Gareth Jekel, Director of Performia Australia.
For more information and booking your free seat click HERE