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 11:34am: @Daren , of course definitely solvable.

Comment by Brian Larson on March 27, 2013 at 11:42am: This is certainly a challenge for all involved, and even more so for those positions that generate a large response. This is precisely the feedback we received when we added the "Messaging" capability to our recruitment software solution (SaaS) - HireFuel. It gives you the ability to quickly send an "Invite" to a candidate, asking them to take the next step in the recruitment process. Or, it can send a "Decline" message which very professionally expresses the "thank you for your interest, but we are currently pursuing other opportunities..." message. This tool quickly and professionally conveys your message, and helps brand you company in a positive light and reduces the chance that candidate who never heard back from you will blast you the myriad of social sites now available. It lets both parties move on.

Comment by David Wells on March 27, 2013 at 12:09pm: Not to beat a dead horse but I concur that almost everyone should receive a response. I think Sandra mentioned it but I do sometimes get an intern that will apply for a VP of Accounting position and I will not respond to someone who is blindly submitting their resume for anything.

If someone I have never met or spoken with applied to a position and is in the field I am recruiting for, or is somewhat close to the position they applied for I reply back with an already made template that states they are not qualified for this role but if they would like to discuss future opportunities I am happy to do so.

If someone applies that I have spoken with or previously met they get a specific email or call stating why they are not qualified.

As for timing when I meet candidates I promise that I will reply to ALL calls and emails within 24 hours. I usually explain to them when we meet that I structure my day around returning calls and emails first thing in the morning the day after I receive them. I have never had any issue with this as candidates respect that time frame as long as I adhere too it.

Comment by KKenner on March 27, 2013 at 12:15pm: Great Feedback! Thank you so much for taking the time. Now that I made myself look like an heartless recruiter. In this particular case, the candidate did get an automatic response from the system. Just that moring, and that is when she started calling and emailing. I was just being honest about that particular day, on that particular instance, a window if you will, of wanting to tell the candidate more than just, "thank you", but we have decided to pursue other candidates".

Aside from the automatic replies, if a candidate has been phone screened or interviews, I call them back. If there are delays, etc I send emails. If at any point they are eliminated, I let them know right away. They could be a future candidate for another position, etc.

I agree with Sandra (and she is a total recuiting GURU by the way), it doesn't take too much time to contact them in return. This was just one of those days, and one of those moments, and I was curious to see how you guys handle those kind of days. A candidate's experience should be a good one. You never know where we could all end up.

Thank you, this has been interesting.

Comment by KKenner on March 27, 2013 at 12:20pm: @Gerry, your wisdom is showing! Thank you sir, for the references and insight. You are correct. It is sometimes appalling how from the top down, staffing, recruitment, workforce planning, etc, are not sitting at their table on the same team. They are sitting at the children's table, outside.

Comment by Jacob S. Madsen on March 27, 2013 at 12:28pm: Nice rounding off KK.

Argue with me anyone if you wish:

Apart from the planet earth, the kingdom of animals, minerals and plants, e v e r y t h i n g is Man made, be it paperclips or Man of the Moon, be it products or services or anything else for that matter.

For that reason Man is what makes or breaks a n y company/organisation why in truth this is where the majority of any C suite focus should be, - alas not the case which frankly beggars belief.

Comment by Jacob S. Madsen on March 27, 2013 at 12:29pm: Man on the Moon - sorry for typo

Comment by Elise Reynolds on March 27, 2013 at 12:57pm: Well KK,

I agree that is annoying if a candidate submits himself and then that very day starts calling multiple times, etc.

So maybe you are not heartless - LOL

Comment by Jody Dugan on March 27, 2013 at 1:12pm: The ins and outs of the recruiting world is one that few understand, and it takes a specialized individual to be able to juggle all that it entails. It is imperative to aim to send some form of response to all applicants. However, I don't feel we should be playing the "blame game".

It is equally important that applicants understand the position they are applying for and ensure they possess the qualifications at hand. I have found that most candidates who apply for positions lack even the basic requirements of the job...forwarding their resume over with no regard to the clearly stated job qualifications.

Sending decline responses, via phone or E-mail, to such applicants makes a frustrating and time consuming situation for the conscientious recruiter. Thus, removing the recruiter from their defined role - recruiting and placing qualified candidates.

Comment by Amy Ala Miller on March 27, 2013 at 1:16pm: My college student will be looking for a job or internship this summer. She's grown up watching her mother (me) recruit, and I bet she'd be willing to call all your candidates on your behalf and reject them for you. You can get a personal touch for minimum wage lol.

KK I don't think you're heartless... this is a never ending debate, everyone is right depending on how you look at it.