Silence Cost: Candidate Moved on to Competitor after Lack of Response

Meet Noah Williams. A twenty something guy, from an ivy league college, being a topper across his education, he is super excited to take a leap in his career by joining a firm which could offer him opportunities for growth and development. He found his dream job posted by “Apex Talent Recruitment”.

Excited & hopeful, Noah applied immediately. And the wheels were set in motion, he received an acknowledgment email along with a friendly message from Janine, the recruiter who was coordinating interviews with top firms.

The exchange of messages offered Noah reassurance and clarity. With all fervor, Janine explained the hiring process, shared tips for the interview, and gave advise on how to make a strong impression. For him, everything seemed clear and well-organized. Also, her timely updates kept him in high spirits, he was so looking forward to receive his official joining date.

But soon, things began to change!

As weeks passed, Noah found himself waiting for updates. There was no intimation of any meetup, and he began to worry about the delay. Messages to Janine went unanswered. There was zero feedback. No way, through which he could touch base. All calls went directly into the voicemail. His future, like the questions about the next step, both were met with silence.

He, nevertheless, waited for the “right time”. Luckily, he did get a chance to speak with Janine, but she seemed rushed. Looked over-burdened, she had nothing to offer except vague responses. Life for Noah became a standstill, as uncertainty took over his plans.

Confused and frustrated, Noah thought, “Do they even understand how much this means to me?”

Feeling undervalued, Noah started exploring other opportunities. Although, he was full of hopes and excitement for the role but the lack or no communication at all from the side of Apex Talent took away some of that enthusiasm. Eventually, he accepted the offer elsewhere - finding a company that valued him more.

Why did Noah walk away?

Here’s the story behind the scenes:

Like many recruiting firms, Apex Talent too scaled rapidly.  Recruiters like Janine were handling more candidates than they could manage. Although, Janine was doing perfectly well in her org and her promotions were solid proof of it, yet something was missing from the puzzle. The recruiting firm relied on same manual processes and everyday tools that were being used, yet there were delays, missed opportunities, and frustrated candidates like Noah.

What’s the cost of this fluctuation?

• Couldn’t retain the interest of top-tier candidates, they slipped through cracks and preferred to join competitors.
• Negative ratings shared on job search sites and social media.
• A tarnished employer brand, making it harder to attract talent in the future.

How can Apex Talent or similar recruiting firms going through same conundrum fix this?

In hiring journey, communication isn't just important - its cornerstone of the process. For candidates like Noah, its not just a subject matter of a getting a “job” its also about feeling “valued and respected”. Their time is equally precious and should not be wasted. So, how to resolve this pressing issue? How can hiring teams balance efficiency with personalization during recruitment? And what strategies can rebuild trust with candidates after a negative experience?

Does this resonate with you?

Stay with us - solution on the way!

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