HR Guide: How to Manage Job Applications

There's more to handling job applications than just sorting out resumes and choosing candidates for interviews.

The reason why employers post a job vacancy is to receive applications, but once they start to receive them, many employers lose out on the best candidates by not managing them in the right way. 

Here are the dos and don’ts of managing job applications to help you fill the job vacancy: 

DON'T wait to check job applications

Employers tend to wait until the end of their job ad campaign before reviewing all applications at once, or at least until they collect enough job applications to review. This is a big no-no. You can read more about ghosting job candidates here.

Time is of the essence here. The best way to gain candidates is to get back to the applicant ASAP. It is highly unlikely that your job vacancy is the only one the applicant has applied for. You could also miss out on a great candidate by waiting too long before contacting them. Another employer is probably already discussing an interview, trial or even a start date with the candidate.

DO respond to ALL job applicants, even the bad ones.

You don't like to be left hanging, no one does. Take the time to let the applicants know if you are interested in pursuing their application or not. Of course, many employers feel tired of approaching potential candidates who never replied them but there are also many job seekers who feel the same when they apply for jobs but never hearing back from the employer.

If you don't feel like writing a rejection letter, good news! We have personalised templates that you can use to reject candidates in the best way possible.

Don't forget to be thorough when checking resumes!

DON'T assume, ask questions instead

Another issue for employers is making assumptions instead of discussing them with the applicant. If you feel some information displayed in a candidate's resume is iffy, it's better to get an explanation directly from them.

Some employers might not know what to say in their job advert, some job seekers also feel the same, not knowing what to put in and leave out their details. 

Common assumptions that employers make:

• Location - an applicant from far away might have family or friends in your location / want to relocate to secure their perfect job.
• Experience/Qualifications - not all job seekers are good at identifying their own strengths. 
• You can read more harmful assumptions that employers make in this article

Don't make assumptions on the candidate's behalf, and always find out more from them. If a job seeker does not appear to be the perfect person for your job vacancy, but they still applied, engage with them anyway. 

Follow-up their application, or you might risk throwing out your perfect candidate.

DO set realistic expectations in your hiring campaign

It's very tempting to wait until the perfect candidate arrives, especially when you have been receiving a good response to your job advert. Don't wait when you see a candidate who's only 95% perfect in the resume, you might find them the right person for the job when you interview them.

Be open-minded about your ideal employee. You'd be amazed at the number of times a successful, long-term association has been forged between an employer and a "wild card" candidate, who they would never have considered ordinarily. 

Source: The Grooms List

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