Every job seeker has the right to feedback

A worldwide crisis is taking up companies’ resources and many column inches in the media. Not only do we have to decide how worried and how careful to be, we also have to handle a crisis practically, financially and above all socially.

Almost two years ago we were in the middle of a boom with hundreds of jobs to apply for. Most companies were thriving and constantly looking for new talent for their healthy businesses. Life was a bed of roses, a boat trip at sunset, a skate on a frozen lake in Dalarna or, why not, a really dark cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Now the situation looks completely different
We see a clear change in how the recruitment market behaves. Many potential new talents prioritise security. If you have a job you are reasonably happy with, there is no reason to move. A move would only mean a probationary period and more uncertainty than the world is already carrying. In other words, the people you want to hire are less inclined to leave a permanent position.

An exciting other side of the coin
The other side of the coin is more exciting, but also distressing for many. Many people have lost their jobs. Not because they did a bad job, but because the company they worked for cannot pay their salaries and demand for their services has fallen below the pain threshold. This means there is an incredible amount of talent out there looking for a new company to work wonders at.

When we compare the number of applications we at Oddwork handled in autumn 2019 with autumn 2020, we see the following: the number of applications to a single role has increased by 544% compared with autumn 2019. If you used to get 30 applications for a role, you would now get 193 for the same role. 193 CVs to go through. 193 feedback emails to write. 193 names to spell correctly.

Can you handle the storm of applicants?
How on earth are you supposed to handle and give feedback to every applicant? The answer is simple: you can’t. Or, well, you can. But then you have to put your HR manager on going through applications for a few weeks and nothing else. The companies that find that financially justifiable in today’s situation can probably be counted on one hand.

All candidates have the right to feedback
But not giving feedback is not a good idea either. One of the most important parts of a recruitment process is the contact your company has with candidates, whether they get the job or not. Signed or not, your applicants form an opinion of your employer brand. If you don’t give feedback, this can happen: you hire one person out of 193 applicants. That person is delighted and will be loyal to you. 192 people get no feedback and form a less positive picture of you as an employer. Perhaps 192 people pass that picture on to their closest colleague, and WHOOSH, your employer brand gets a negative ring in the eyes and minds of your candidate audience.

We handle screening, you talk to the top candidates
Right now we see that partners who used to run the whole recruitment process themselves want support with reaching relevant candidates, screening and candidate contact. All to make sure the employer brand gives ALL applicants a warm feeling, whether they land the job or not.

Every job seeker has the right to feedback. We believe in that. Get in touch if you are in the same situation and we will discuss how we can support your recruitment.

Book 15 minutes in my calendar and we will sort out both opportunities and any questions. No strings attached. All for the best candidate experience.

Warm regards,
Niklas Busck
Inbound Marketing and Sales Consultant
Oddwork

Need to recruit? Read more about how Oddwork recruits.