November 27, 2019

When you’re looking for new employees, it can be a long and tedious process. And when you finally reach the end and have extended offers to your top choices, of course, they’ll be the first on your contact list. But what about the candidates who didn’t make the cut… should you contact them, as well?  

The short answer is yes. And here’s why. 

It’s respectful of the person’s time 

When you’re on the other side of the table as a candidate, one of the worst things is uncertainty. If you’re waiting to hear from an employer at a company you’re really excited about, your next steps may hinge on their response after your interview. So rather than leaving a candidate hanging—reach out and let them know if you’ve decided to go with someone else for the position. They’ve invested a lot of time into the process, just like you have, so it’s the respectful thing to do. Always follow up with them regardless of your hiring choice.  

It helps build your brand 

Good communication with candidates helps you build your brand reputation because it’s also a kind thing to do. Online reviews are very common these days, and when you treat all candidates well, they’re more likely to say good things about your company online. Companies who do the right thing usually have people talking positively about them, and this is what a good brand reputation is all about.  

It allows you to build a backlog 

If a candidate wasn’t quite right for an available position, they might be right for something else that opens up. Maintaining a good reputation with rejected candidates can help you keep lines of communication open if you need more candidates in the future (and you will!). When you reach out to a candidate who didn’t make the cut, simply ask if they’d be willing to stay on file for other job opportunities in the future.  

You can also work with a recruiter 

Your recruiter can handle any or all the steps involved in hiring new talent, including followup. Check with your staffing agency to see what services they offer as part of the staffing process.  

Check out Inter-Connect 

We work with employers to find and place qualified candidates for office/administrative and light industrial positions. To learn more, contact us today!  

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