by Rosemary Letson

Created on: July 09, 2010

With today’s technology, many companies are now requesting applicants to apply for employment on-line.  After the resume is submitted, the applicant usually receives an immediate response from the company, via email, advising them they received their resume, their credentials will be reviewed, and should their qualifications and experience meet their hiring needs, they then will be contacted for an interview. 

For those companies who still accept resumes via snail mail or ‘walk-ins’,  the applicant more than likely will not receive a response letter.  In today’s fast paced environment and escalating costs, most organizations have cut back on this service, especially if they accept 5,000 to 10,000 applications a year.  The annual cost of postage alone could range from $4,000 to $5,000 if they responded to each and every applicant, and that does not include the cost to pay the employee to prepare the letters. 

Needless to say, any applicant, who is contacted for an interview and is interviewed by the company, should receive a response letter.  Notice the word response, not rejection.  From an organization’s perspective, it is not that they are rejecting the person but that they found another applicant whose education, qualifications, experience, and/or skills were more suitable for the position.  Furthermore, from a legal perspective, the organization should only send a standard letter with a general statement advising them of the other selection. If specifics are provided as to why they were not chosen, that information could be used later against the company in a lawsuit.    

The following is a sample letter most companies use to follow up with an applicant following their interview: 

Dear Mr. Applicant:

Thank you very much for your interest in employment with Company XYZ.  It was a pleasure having the opportunity to meet and discuss with you, career possibilities at our company. 

After much deliberation, I wish to inform you that another candidate has been selected.  However, your application will be retained in our active files for future consideration should a suitable position become available. 

Thank you again for applying for employment with Company XYZ.  We wish you the best with your career endeavors.

Sincerely,

Name

*Human Resources Representative

*If the company does not have a Human Resources Department, then as a guideline, the hiring manager should sign the letter for higher-level positions and for entry-level, the employee who contacted and scheduled the interviews.    

 Lastly, when an applicant calls an organization, wanting more information as to why they were not selected, the company should only reiterate what was written in the response letter.  They should thank the applicant once again for coming in to meet with them, that they found another applicant who they believed was more suitable for the position, and then wish them well with their job search.  If the applicant is persistent, repeat the above information again then politely end the telephone call.  If an excuse has to be made to end the conversation, use it, such as “I am sorry but I need to end this discussion.  I am late for a meeting.  Best of luck with your job search.  Thank you.  Good bye.”  By doing so, the employee is protecting the company against any possible charges of discrimination. 

For more information please contact the Society of Human Resources Management or click on http://www.shrm.org

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