Poor treatment of rejected applicants damages your brand.
A new survey by assessment specialists SHL highlights the damage to companies reputations and brands if they fail to properly manage unsuccessful job applications or provide timely feedback during the recruitment process.
This is one of the key areas we highlight in our own series of commitments to applicants and clients and is outlined in our 'Principles & Conduct'. It is also an area that highlights the importance of clients working with selected specialist suppliers who understand the importance of promoting a positive impression of their brand, particularly to unsuccessful applicants.
Consider these two scenarios:
one
A client asks 5 recruitment businesses to send multiple CV's. If each recruitment business puts forward 5 people (and sometimes if they are in a CV fight with several competitors it could be more! ) and the client decides to interview 5 in total at first stage, then there are at least 20 unsuccessful candidates who all need feedback and leaving with a positive impression. Each one will now have high expectations after being listed in the top 5 for each recruiter. How many times does this feedback not arrive because the client is too busy and the volume of applicants so high - the result is invariably that those candidates are left with little or no feedback and a negative impression of that company.
two
The client who contracts one recruitment specialist to present a coordinated approach to providing a shortlist. The specialist understands the need to provide feedback at all levels and because they are not racing to submit CV's has the time to put forward a considered shortlist. This usually involves only highly suitable candidates being considered in the first place, therefore there are less candidates having their hopes raised and more opportunity and time for those genuinely in the process to have their outcomes managed in a positive way for all parties.
The SHL survey shows that half of UK jobseekers have been left with a negative impression, and that as applications are on the rise HR departments are struggling to keep on top of this process. This all further highlights the importance of thinking carefully about the impression you leave on the market when you look to recruit - and the growing importance of working with specialist suppliers in a collaborative way to ensure the protection of your brand.
This article by Michelle Stevens, published on 8th June 2010, in People Management Online highlights in more detail the results of the SHL survey.
Poor treatment of failed job applicants 'hurts consumer brand'
This is one of the key areas we highlight in our own series of commitments to applicants and clients and is outlined in our 'Principles & Conduct'. It is also an area that highlights the importance of clients working with selected specialist suppliers who understand the importance of promoting a positive impression of their brand, particularly to unsuccessful applicants.
Consider these two scenarios:
one
A client asks 5 recruitment businesses to send multiple CV's. If each recruitment business puts forward 5 people (and sometimes if they are in a CV fight with several competitors it could be more! ) and the client decides to interview 5 in total at first stage, then there are at least 20 unsuccessful candidates who all need feedback and leaving with a positive impression. Each one will now have high expectations after being listed in the top 5 for each recruiter. How many times does this feedback not arrive because the client is too busy and the volume of applicants so high - the result is invariably that those candidates are left with little or no feedback and a negative impression of that company.
two
The client who contracts one recruitment specialist to present a coordinated approach to providing a shortlist. The specialist understands the need to provide feedback at all levels and because they are not racing to submit CV's has the time to put forward a considered shortlist. This usually involves only highly suitable candidates being considered in the first place, therefore there are less candidates having their hopes raised and more opportunity and time for those genuinely in the process to have their outcomes managed in a positive way for all parties.
The SHL survey shows that half of UK jobseekers have been left with a negative impression, and that as applications are on the rise HR departments are struggling to keep on top of this process. This all further highlights the importance of thinking carefully about the impression you leave on the market when you look to recruit - and the growing importance of working with specialist suppliers in a collaborative way to ensure the protection of your brand.
This article by Michelle Stevens, published on 8th June 2010, in People Management Online highlights in more detail the results of the SHL survey.
Poor treatment of failed job applicants 'hurts consumer brand'
