Ever sent someone a considered email and received nothing back? Irritating, isn’t it? Now imagine the email was an application for a job and you were waiting to find out whether somebody wanted to speak to you.
Candidate engagement can sound like a piece of recruitment jargon. Much of it is simply keeping people informed, doing what you said you would do and remembering that the other person has decisions to make as well.
That matters whether applications are plentiful or the person you need is difficult to find. Basic communication should not depend on who appears to have the upper hand this month.
An application starts a conversation
Acknowledge that the application arrived and explain what happens next. If the review will take time, say roughly when the person should expect an update.
An automatic receipt is useful. It is not the same as an outcome. Somebody still needs to review the application and close the loop.
I have my own views on speculative CV sends. Sending a CV without properly understanding the business’s needs does not, in my view, amount to useful engagement. The same applies to a company collecting applications and doing very little with them. Activity and communication are not the same thing.
Do you need to reply to unsuitable applicants?
Yes, let them know where they stand. A clear, courteous rejection does not need to be an essay.
For someone you have interviewed, offer useful feedback related to the role and the evidence you discussed. “Not the right fit” gives them very little to work with. It may not tell you much about your own decision either.
Agree what your team can realistically manage. I have suggested quick responses in the past, but there is no magic 24-hour deadline for every application. Set a sensible timetable, communicate it and update people if it changes.
Do not confuse speed with a decision nobody has properly considered.
Silence creates its own explanation
When someone has had an encouraging interview, a few days without information can leave them wondering what changed. Did the manager dislike them? Has the job disappeared? Is somebody else being offered it?
You may simply be waiting for a decision-maker. They cannot see that from outside.
A brief, honest update gives them something real to work with. If you do not yet know the decision, say that and explain the next step you can commit to. Do not invent a positive answer to keep somebody interested.
If you use an agency, agree who will contact the candidate and who will provide the information. Otherwise, each side can assume the other has done it.
A delay does not have to end the relationship
I have kept a candidate engaged over six weeks because the hiring manager’s communication was excellent. Every couple of days we discussed what was happening, the issues causing the delay and why feedback or an offer was taking longer.
That did not make the delay ideal. It meant the candidate was not left guessing.
It is one experience, not a guarantee that regular calls will make everyone wait. Somebody may have another offer, a different timetable or simply decide the opportunity no longer works. Keeping them informed allows them to make that decision with the facts.
The lesson is to communicate properly, not to find a technique for keeping people on hold indefinitely.
Be clear about what the person wants
Money, development, the manager, the work and personal circumstances can all affect a move. Ask what matters to the individual rather than putting everybody into the same ranking of motivations.
A relevant phone or video conversation can establish a lot before a longer meeting. It should help both sides understand whether there is a reason to continue, rather than become another unexplained hoop.
If expectations do not match, deal with that early. More cheerful emails will not fix a role or package that does not work for the candidate.
Treat a CV as evidence to explore
Not everybody writes a strong CV. That is something recruitment has taught me repeatedly.
You do not need to interview everyone. You do need to distinguish a lack of relevant capability from an application that has explained it badly. Where there is a credible connection to the role, a short question may establish what is missing.
Base the decision on the job, and tell people the outcome. Respectful communication is compatible with saying no.
Keeping details is a separate responsibility
Saying “we will keep your CV” is not a complete data-protection process. If you intend to retain information for future opportunities, be clear about why and how it will be used, use an appropriate lawful basis and follow your privacy and retention arrangements.
Keep records secure and relevant, and do not hold them indefinitely just in case. The retention period needs a justified purpose; there is no single period that suits every recruitment record.
Remember who could be on the other end
An applicant could later be a customer, a supplier, a manager or somebody your business wants to recruit again. You may never know.
That is worth remembering, but it should not be the only reason to behave decently. Ask yourself how you would want to be treated if you had made the effort to apply or attend an interview.
You can run a demanding recruitment process and still communicate like a human being. Those two things ought to sit quite comfortably together.
For assessment and interview structure, read Part 4 of the recruitment process series. The Employer Recruitment Pack brings the practical employer resources together.