Four Ways to De-Stress Job Applicants

It’s tough to be a recruiter or hiring manager in today’s crazy job market.  Hundreds of applications come in for every job opening.  Thousands of people show up for job fairs or line up to interview for an open position.  The phone never stops ringing.  You log on to your computer in the morning with hundreds of emails waiting from anxious applicants.  It’s enough to stress anyone out.

You’re not the only one.  Those hundreds or thousands of applicants are stressing out as well.  They check their cell phones and voice mail constantly, looking for a call or message from a recruiter or HR manager.  They check email and send follow-up messages or texts to try to get an update.  Job seekers don’t have a job to keep them busy or money coming in to tide them over while they wait days, weeks or months for some word on a job.   Here are four ways to de-stress job applicants and take some of the pressure off of you as well.

1.      Send a meaningful automatic response.  I apply for jobs all the time, and have seen a lot of auto-responses.  Some just acknowledge receipt of the application, and others give more information.  An applicant deserves some sort of idea when they will get a response or what the next step is.  Make your message meaningful.  One company sets up an account where the applicant can check on his/her status for each job.  It puts the responsibility on the applicant, but it is good to be able to check to see if I’m out of the running or still have a chance.  Less stress on HR, since I’m checking the site instead of leaving calls or emails.

2.      Take jobs off your website or Internet jobsites when they are filled or no longer available.  It takes time to fill out the online applications and mail out resumes and cover letters.  I’ve applied for jobs only to find out when following up the next week that they were filled months ago.  Someone is sleeping on the job.  Everyone is busy, but it’s frustrating and leaves a poor impression for an employer that doesn’t respect an applicant’s time.

3.      Record an informative voice mail.  If you can’t return every job status update request, have a friendly, voice response for applicants do it for you.  A simple message saying which jobs are still open and those filled can help an applicant cross a job off the list and move on. 

4.      If you tell an applicant to call if he has questions and he takes you at your word, return the call within 24 hours.  I’ve had interested prospective employers almost tell me I had a job after an interview, give me a cell phone number for any follow-on questions, and then grow cold when I left a message.    Talk about mixed message.  Job applicants don’t want to just shoot the breeze.  They are busy, too.  A short call to answer a question or update status is greatly appreciated. 

It’s tough to be unemployed and at the mercy of online job application processes, automated responses and phone calls and emails that go unanswered.  Job seekers have lives, too.  A few changes to the application process can take the stress out for you and the applicants.