When you advertised your recent job opening, you had a solid response—15 applicants within just a few days.
Ten did not have the required experience. You interviewed the remaining five and selected the individual you felt to be the best qualified for the role. Your new employee is scheduled to report on Monday.
A few of those other applicants, though, were still very good. They could be an excellent fit for positions your company might try to fill a few months from now. What’s the best way to proceed?
Update and Thank Them
Soon after the new person has started, craft a simple email and send it to each of the applicants, thanking them for their interest. For those you interviewed, mention something you particularly enjoyed learning about them.
The letter might read:
“Thank you for your interest in becoming associated with ABC Company. We are pleased that you submitted your qualifications for consideration. We were fortunate to receive expressions of interest from a number of talented individuals.
“Following careful review, we have selected and offered the role to the individual whom we feel is best qualified for the position. We will keep your credentials on hand for a 12-month period. Should another position become available for which we believe you may be qualified, we will be happy to consider you for that role.
“Again, thank you for your interest in our company.”
Send the email separately to each applicant.
Applicant Tracking File System
It’s also a good idea to build a system for tracking previous applicants.
For each job advertised, place a copy of the advertisement in the file along with the resume or application of each applicant. Arrange the resumes in alphabetical order within the file folder.
The next step is to create a tracking chart. Record the name of the position at the top of the chart. The chart should have columns for Application Date, Candidate Name, Interviewed Yes/No, Interview Date, Interviewer Name and Hire Date. Complete this chart, and place it in the front of the file for each job opening.
On the outside of the file, record the title of the position and the date the job closed, the hire date. File your job folders by date, according to job closing date.
Maintain each file for a period of 12 months. If you have a need to open a position for which you earlier recruited, review the resumes from the original job file to see if those resumes meet the qualifications for your new opening. Consider these individuals, and contact them for an interview if they are among your best qualified candidates.
Of course, these individuals may, by now, have found another opportunity. However, they will be thrilled that you thought of them, which, again, is wonderful P.R. for your company. At the completion of 12 months, shred the file and its contents.
