When the Candidate asks..."Why didn't you call me?

Some days, don't you wish you could just say it out loud? When the company business is hopping, and things get hyper busy, time becomes a rare commodity. Time is golden. One day, I had one of those candidates that was extremely persistant (I have caller ID, they really did call 4-5 times in one day), and it took alot of energy not to respond in a fashion that would have probably cause trouble with my boss. Let me share the scenario:

The Candidate: "Why didn't you call me"? "I applied to your position, I followed up with three phone calls, an email, and I still haven't heard word from anyone." “The least you can do is call me...”

Me: At this point, is there really an answer I can give that won't get me fired? I have about 30 seconds or my schedule is off for the rest of the day. I am tempted.

In my imagination this is what I would say: " Well, candidate, let’s take a look at my day. I have 10 different hiring managers who all believe their opening should come first, and I have 45 interviews to schedule, two new job descriptions to write, an offer to negotiate, and about 200 new resumes to review, including yours. I will get through reading all 200 resumes. Yes, I really did scan through them all. I forward to the hiring manager the top 20 out of that group, and wait to get some feedback. They decided they want to speak with about six of those. (That part alone could take days, by the way) Unless you made that top six, you are probably not going to hear from me, at least not directly. You might get one of those generic emails from the Applicant Tracking system generated when your resume was turned down, or not selected for that particular role. At the pace I am going, if I actually called the other 194 resumes that were not selected at this point, I would have to work the next seven hours straight, just getting on the phone, or typing an email.

"This is a picture of a typical day, in the typical life of a corporate recruiter. This is just a snapshot. Now, let's do a little more math. Now, imagine if you will I am also working on 30 other positions with anywhere from 20 to 200 resumes to read per posting”.

"You wondered why I didn't call you back. I tell you this, "If you are selected to move forward and there is an interest in your resume at that time, I will most certainly be calling you." Otherwise, in my world, on any given day, you are right; I did not or probably will not be calling you back”.

Instead, I just simply have to say, "Thank you for your interest. I see that the manager has decided to pursue other candidates at this time..."

What would you say?

Comment by Elise Reynolds on March 27, 2013 at 9:48am: I think too, with all the electronic communication there is this bit of uncertainty. We have all had missed emails, voicemails, etc. So if a candidate feels like communication is going into a black vortex then they are going to keep trying.

Comment by Julie Link on March 27, 2013 at 9:56am: When I submit candidates to a company and don't receive any feedback, it's frustrating! Even if you're using a Vendor Management System, at least shoot me the generic "no thank you" email. I understand where your candidates are coming from. They deserve to at least be acknowledged that you received their application, or that you are passing on them.

Comment by Jacob S. Madsen on March 27, 2013 at 9:56am: 'with all the electronic communication there is this bit of uncertainty. We have all had missed emails, voicemails, etc.'

Sounds like the worst excuse I have ever come across

'So if a candidate feels like communication is going into a black vortex then they are going to keep trying'

Pardon me, are you for real?, no is the answer to that one, they are going to get majorly p.. off and eventually give up trying, - only so much a candidate can and will do. Suppose that is another way that you can get rid of pestering candidates, but one that will taint your name forever.

Comment by Mitch Sullivan on March 27, 2013 at 9:57am: When I get a call from a candidate, I deal with it there and then.

I find that this takes a lot less time then telling them how busy I am.

Comment by Bill Petersen on March 27, 2013 at 10:08am: I have learned that it takes less time to respond than it does not to respond. Because the candidate will keep calling and emailing until you finally let them know what is happening. Therefore, once a decision has been made, I send an email something like this:

I'm sorry to tell you that you were not selected to be interviewed by the company for the position. They are not required to provide any reasons or details regarding why they decided not to move forward with you - and they didn't. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you and if you have no objection I will keep your resume in the database and let you know when there is an opportunity in which you may be interested.

Comment by Elise Reynolds on March 27, 2013 at 10:14am: @Jacob Pardon me Jacob are you ALWAYS so rude?

I assure you I am "for real" and no I was not making an excuse.

When a candidate keeps calling and messaging they are typically doing so because they are unsure the message or information is getting through. If they somehow in a psychic manner just knew they were not going to be considered I am sure they would not continue calling or emailing.

Comment by Patricia Morrison on March 27, 2013 at 10:18am: I respond with a quick e mail if the candidate is qualified and I am not interested. If they do not meet the necessary requirements which are clearly stated in the job ad, then I do not feel obligated to get back to them. Time is of the essence. Always. I would like to spend more time coaching candidates on their resume or their job search (and often do), and then I remember that I am doing it for free. I have an obligation to myself to move forward in my best interest.

Comment by Terra on March 27, 2013 at 10:20am: I always respond through email with this:

We have received your resume. We will be reviewing all resumes and contact those candidates that our clients are interested in seeing. We understand how difficult it is not to receive a verbal response to your resume and we apologize for this, but we are asking that you equally understand that we cannot call everyone individually.

This usually gets a positive response from candidates. I also go through every resume before responding so it is not an automatic response. I often will change it up a little if I know I will have something for them down the line.

Comment by Professional Recruitment Resourc on March 27, 2013 at 10:23am: I agree that a brief acknowledgment is warranted/deserved for the qualified "someone" who has applied for a position with your firm. This is even more important if the candidate had to deal with an ATS that does not parse resumes well or requires a manual listing of employment, credit report, background check, references, etc. The turn down response is an important part of the ongoing process of branding your organization as an employer of choice. The "We have received your resume and a representative of our Talent team will contact you if your qualifications match the position for which you have applied" is not bad. But keep the focus on the applicant rejection and don't clutter the message with a second sentence such as, "We encourage all applicants to visit the nearest____________to view the clinic both as an observer and or patient. How it is handled makes a dramatic difference of how the brand is viewed post application.

Comment by Daren J. Mongello on March 27, 2013 at 10:45am: KKenner: I agree with Suzanne. EVERY applicant deserves a reply. NO EXCUSES. That said, it doesn't need to be a call or a personalized email. For online applicants: a simple but clear "Thanks for applying. If your skill sets map to the role.....blah blah blah." Corporations really need to look how they handle it. For the most part, the application process is miserable because there's no barrier to apply.

I've worked both sides and I really do feel for corporate recruiters. I was amazed when there would be 600 applicants sitting in my job post every Monday I came into the office. My whole day was spent looking at mostly unqualified candidates. It was overwhelming. But I digress.

Agency is a bit easier: My advice to candidates was simple: "Here's the deal....I place about 1% of all candidates I connect with, so unless I call you back within 48 hours....let's assume the hiring manager is passing on you for this role." No one has ever had an issue with that response.