Companies risk reputation by not responding to job applicants: Survey

Most jobseekers want more transparency on application status

Leaving job candidates in the dark about their application could potentially damage a company’s reputation, according to a survey from the United States.

More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of job seekers think less of a company that doesn’t respond to a job application. And 72 per cent of respondents said they would be less likely to recommend companies’ products or services while 58 per cent would think twice about buying a product from a company that did not respond to their job application.

“It is easy to understand jobseekers’ frustration when they submit resumés but never get a response,” said Chris Forman, CEO of StartWire, an online job community that conducted the survey. “But what most companies don’t realize is that not providing feedback can really hurt their image. Those potential hires may also be customers and how a company manages job applicants can really travel fast through word-of-mouth.”

Of those looking for their next position, 90 per cent said getting feedback on their applications would make the overall process of applying for jobs less frustrating, found the survey of more than 2,000 respondents. While more than 90 per cent of jobseekers follow up with potential employers on their status, only 33 per cent of Fortune 500 companies provide feedback through their job application systems, said StartWire.

Companies that are notorious for application “black holes” lose out on potential star employees, as 96 per cent of jobseekers are more likely to apply for a job if they know they will receive regular updates on their job application status.

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