Ask an HR Pro: Do I Have to Respond to Every Applicant?

Being ghosted by candidates is an ongoing problem. In our 2024 State of Online Recruiting Report survey, 51% of employers cited this issue as one of their biggest challenges right now when recruiting through a job board or recruiting platform. That may not be too surprising, but our survey revealed something else: An even higher percentage of candidates – 54.7% – said the same thing about employers.

It’s essential to be proactive and take steps to avoid being ghosted by candidates, but how important is it to not ghost candidates yourself? Do you really need to respond to every applicant, let candidates know when they’re no longer in the running, or provide feedback if you don’t hire them?

We asked Chrisanne Bowden, Principal HR Business Partner at iHire, for her advice on communicating with applicants.

Why Responding to Applicants Is So Important

“You shouldn’t leave applicants in the dark,” Bowden said. “Even if a candidate is highly unqualified, they still took the time to complete your application. Never hearing from you leaves a bad impression that could make them less likely to interact with your brand in the future.”

If you get hundreds of applications for a single position, it’s still important to acknowledge receipt of them. This will help cut down on the number of candidates reaching out to confirm you have their application. You’ll also strengthen your employer brand and reputation as a company that values their time.

“You don’t have to craft a personalized note to every applicant, especially not this early in the hiring process. You can set up automated messages to acknowledge the receipt of applications or use a basic template if you’re replying manually,” advised Bowden. “Candidates will appreciate simply knowing that their application went through.”

How to Reject Candidates Respectfully

Acknowledging receipt is just the beginning. After you’ve reviewed an application and decided not to hire the candidate, let them know.

“If an applicant never hears from you, then yes, at some point they’ll assume you hired someone else. They’ll take your silence as a rejection, but is that the impression you want to make and the candidate experience you want to provide?” Bowden continued. “According to our What Candidates Want: 2023 Job Seeker Report, 81.8% of candidates want to know if they’ve been disqualified from a job. It’s not the greatest news to hear, but it provides closure.”

You can also automate these messages when you disqualify a candidate through your applicant tracking system or hiring platform, but be mindful of how far along the person progressed and how much time they invested in the process.

“A short, automated rejection message is appropriate if the applicant never made it to the interview stage,” Bowden clarified. “On the other hand, write a personalized message if the candidate participated in one or more rounds of interviews, completed an assessment, or invested any additional time and effort beyond the application. Calling the person in this instance may also be more appropriate.”

Telling a Candidate Why They Didn’t Get the Job

But what if you disqualify a candidate after several rounds of interviews and they ask you for feedback? Is it okay to tell them why they didn’t get the job?

“This scenario is often the hardest, especially if the candidate you’re rejecting narrowly missed out to your frontrunner,” said Bowden. “If the applicant asks why, it’s okay to provide feedback with a few stipulations: Remain neutral, keep it high level, avoid personal criticisms, and don’t make any guarantees of being hired in the future.”

Don’t Ghost Candidates

Responding to applicants boils down to being respectful and appreciative, protecting your employer brand, and treating candidates as you’d like to be treated in return.

Get even more guidance on providing a positive candidate experience and avoiding candidate ghosting in our Resource Center, or reach out to our Outsourced HR Services team for personalized advice on improving your hiring strategy.