Candidates become frustrated when companies fail to reply upon receipt of applications. It can be difficult for a company to manage when each job posting is absolutely deluged with responses. But an acknowledgement will make you stand out in an applicant’s mind and set a positive tone for the entire recruitment process. If you are unable to write individual responses due to time constraints, create a simple automated message that informs candidates you have received their applications. Let them know when they are no longer in consideration for the position, even if you use a generic email template. Relieving uncertainty is courteous and unexpected, and will leave a good impression with the applicant.courteous and unexpected, and will leave a good impression with the applicant.

1 Communication

Quality candidates are seeking jobs that will challenge and engage them, and they expect their employers to invest in them. Be sure to highlight the variety of assignments an employee will encounter, the type of training they can expect to receive, and ongoing projects and competitive solutions your company is developing. You can’t expect to attract and retain top talent if they can’t feel empowered or excited about what you have to offer.

2 Emphasizing Company Accomplishments & Position Opportunities

Do you know how you’ll respond to questions from candidates during an interview? Do you know your website in and out? Can you get a sidetracked interview back on course? Prime candidates will research your business and come armed with questions, and you need to be ready to answer them. After all, why should an applicant care about your business if you don’t seem to? Run through mock interviews with current employees - they can help you foresee eventualities and give feedback about your nonverbal cues. At the very least, prepare a list of standard questions to ensure you get all the information you need and are able to assess all candidates according to the same criteria.

3 Preparation

It’s a no-brainer, but it’s easy to overlook when you’re squeezing multiple interviews into your already-busy day. Treat candidates with respect. Don’t keep them waiting longer than necessary, use their name and make eye contact when speaking, and thank them for coming in. You are their model for your corporate culture, and they are assessing your interactions with themselves and every employee while they are with you. Top candidates will not choose to work in an environment where employees do not seem valued.

4 Respect

It’s automatic for most of us to hit the Internet when we want to know something. Candidates will undoubtedly check your company website and social media pages before their interview, or even prior to applying in the rst place. Make sure your pages are professional, well-written, and have functioning links. Pages that are faulty or contain inaccurate / outdated information are red ags to candidates that your company is not keeping pace the way it needs to.

5 Functionality

We’ve all seen the news stories - today’s recent college graduates are looking for more exibility and opportunity, from day one. And they’re not shy about sharing their experiences and opinions with friends and colleagues via social networks. According to a June 2012 CareerBuilder Applicant Experience study, 78% of candidates said they’d be sure to tell family and friends about a bad experience with a potential employer and 17% said they would post about it on a social media site.

It’s important to remember the interview process is a two-way street, and applicants are assessing your company as much as you are assessing them. Of the survey respondents, 21% reported that they’ve experienced a recruiter who was not enthusiastic about his or her company, 17% didn’t believe the recruiter was knowledgeable, and 15% didn’t think the recruiter was professional. Recruiters would do well to reassess their application and interview process. As the study results show, a bad interview experience can impact a candidate's overall image of a company, and can lead candidates to turn down job offers (yes, even in this tough economy!) or reduce consumption of a company’s product.

You’reYou’re trying to attract the best candidates - the people who pay attention to detail, have great interpersonal skills, and are willing to go the extra mile. It’s a safe bet the best candidates are looking for the most responsive and engaging companies. Take a moment to assess how well your recruitment process measures up in these 5 key areas:

The inexperienced applicants you turn down today may be very attractive employees once they have spent time in the workforce. But they’ll never interview with you again if they carry negative impressions of you or your company. Use these ve tips to help you improve your interview process and maintain your good reputation. First impressions do count!

Can Your Recruitment Process Survive Generation Y?

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