Resumes and Acknowledgement Letters

On February 2, 2010 I blogged about How HR Fails in Recruiting. In that blog I stated. . . “If you want your company to have a positive reputation in the community, take a moment out of your day to close out the interview process with the applicant. So they didn’t make your shortlist. While they may be disappointed - they will be appreciative of the closure.”

I recently began recruiting for an admin role and as a result, have been wading through the avalanche of resumes that I have received. As with any recruiting process you are going to receive resumes from individuals that don’t meet the basic requirements of the position. But who can fault them for trying? In this situation I had 16 applicants right off the starting line that didn’t have the skill set I was seeking. So, as I always take my own advice, I sent them each emails thanking them for considering a career with Company X. Of the 16 applicants, 7 have responded back thanking me for simply acknowledging their application. One candidate, LF, sent the following email which I provide verbatim:

Thank you for your consideration, and your response. So many don't bother to respond, so it's comforting to know that someone really did take the time to consider me for a position to which I applied, and that you'll keep my application for a while should something else become available for which I could be considered.

Yes, applicants are appreciative of knowing that there is a living, breathing, thinking entity at the receiving end of the application process. With that being said, I have to give a big, hearty, thumbs up to Actuant Corporation. During their initial application process they respond back to each and every applicant as follows:

While we are unable to secure personal contact with every applicant, we make the following commitment to you:

1. Every effort will be made to match your background and professional skills against current and anticipated needs.
2. You will be informed as soon as a decision is reached if there is a next step in the process.
3. We cannot guarantee every applicant an interview, but we can promise that we will treat each person as we would wish to be treated ourselves.

Thank you for contacting Actuant Corporation while considering your next career move.

I recently read an article that said "If you send in an email and there is no response, translate this as they are not interested." Whether or not this is the case, I feel every employer should show common courtesy and a bit of class. A response to an applicant takes a moment of your time. The positive impression is forever!