As one of Miami’s leading staffing agencies, Future Force knows that enthusiasm is generally a positive trait in most job candidates. However, what if one particular candidate is taking it too far – and constantly pestering you? How do you handle the situation? Here are two quick tips to help you:
Set expectations from the beginning.
One way to avoid this situation from even happening is to set specific expectations about the hiring process from the beginning. That way, candidates will know where they stand – and you can avoid the likelihood of them contacting you regularly.
So, for instance, use an auto response email to communicate with candidates about what to expect after they submit their resume. If you’re going to be making calls about interviews in one week, let them know. If you don’t plan to bring anyone in for an interview until next month, then communicate that. Whatever your message, be clear and explicit that if they don’t hear from you within a specified time period, then it’s because their background wasn’t the right fit for the job.
For instance, say something like:
“Due to the number of resumes we receive, we cannot follow-up with every candidate individually. If your background is a good match for the position, we will contact you for an interview within the next several weeks.”
Also, when a candidate interviews for the job, let them know about the process going forward and what the timeline is for a hiring decision. Will you make a decision next week? Next month? Whatever the situation for your company, when you communicate clearly about the process, you’ll cut down on the chances of overly persistent candidates emailing and calling you.
Don’t ignore candidates.
It’s tempting to disregard the voicemails and emails from a persistent job candidate; but don’t do it unless you want to further aggravate them. If they’re not a good fit for the job, then let them know right away. First, most will appreciate the honesty. Second, it will cut them loose so they can focus on other opportunities and you can focus on other candidates.
So what should you say?
If a candidate isn’t the right fit, be tactful when you let them down, even if they’re constantly pestering you. Simply send them an email that says something along the lines of:
“Thank you so much for your interest in ABC position. We’re received a variety of resumes from many different applications and can only interview a handful. Unfortunately, after reviewing your resume, we don’t believe your background is the right match for us. But again, we appreciate your interest in our company and wish you the best of luck in your job search.”
Do you need more help finding great people for your company? Contact the experts at Future Force. As one of Miami’s leading staffing agencies, we can handle the hiring process for you – from sourcing candidates to conducting interviews and skills testing. You can focus on other priorities, while we deliver top candidates.