Carly Buxton, PhD

It’s HARD out there for job applicants at the moment. I browse LinkedIn postings the way some people surf Zillow; I consider it a creative, imaginative exercise to picture myself in various roles, in different parts of the world, in different industries. It’s a breath of fresh air for me when I’m feeling low as a founder (which is often), and so I end up applying to a lot of jobs—before I even really consider whether I’d take the next step in the process if the hiring manager did indeed offer a follow-up.

The experience of applying for—and getting rejected by—so many companies over the past year has underscored for me that the hiring process is itself a customer experience. You’re probably already quite conscious of your employees’ experience at your company, and maybe you even have an HR, Talent, or People person (or team!) dedicated to crafting a delightful user journey for them. But let me extend it a bit here: your job applicants, too, are a part of this user segment, even if they never land a phone screen. And today’s current competitive job market makes the application experience even more crucial.

I’ve developed a lot of strong opinions about companies, both subconsciously and consciously, as a result of the way I’m treated as a job applicant. The level of respect I receive as a job hunter influences the way I feel toward a brand. An uplifting, respect-filled experience makes me love your brand more. A poor applicant experience can damage a company’s reputation and make it harder to attract top talent in the future.

So here’s my call to action: it’s time to audit your company’s applicant experience.

There are many junctures of the journey that deserve your close attention in this audit (how you craft a job description, who from your team is involved in hiring, how you coordinate follow-ups, assessments and how you compensate for them, and on and on), but for the purposes of this post, I’ll focus on your “thanks but no thanks” messaging, because you probably send a lot of rejections out there, and how you reject an applicant is a delicate matter.

The litmus test in how you send out rejections, I believe, should be: do you close the conversation with acknowledgement, respect, and gratitude for your applicants’ time?

Let’s dive in.

1. First of all, do you indeed close the conversation? Like, at all? I cannot tell you how many times I’ve spent a good bit of effort on a cover letter and resume tweak, only to send my application into a black hole and never receive a response. This is perhaps the most egregious form of rejection at all. Maybe you think that by sidestepping rejection entirely as a hiring manager, you’re not going to hurt anyone’s feelings, but you would be incorrect. We humans need closure, and there are few things more frustrating as an applicant than never even receiving notice of not getting pulled to the next step in the process.

So ensure that you’re sending a response to all applicants—which might actually take some digging on your part, especially if the posting is established through a platform such as Handshake, The Mom Project, or another you-have-to-log-in-and-do-stuff type of site.

2. Once you’ve ensured that you’re sending “thanks but no thanks” emails to those who don’t get the gig, it’s time to look at the actual words you use to reject them. The best such messages have a touch of personalization. They acknowledge the time and attention that went into crafting an application. They demonstrate respect and gratitude for the applicant’s time, support, and interest. Here’s perhaps the best thanks-but-no-thanks I got recently, from Lenny Rachitsky’s call for fellowship applications:

Hey there,

Thank you so much for applying for my fellowship program. The caliber of people who applied, and the effort you all put into your applications, was beyond anything I expected. I read every application, watched every video, and looked at every writing sample. The hysterical videos, the heart-melting messages, and one person who inserted a ChatGPT injection command … incredible. I seriously wish I could craft a personal reply to each and every one of you to share my appreciation.

Unfortunately, you weren’t selected to be a fellow in this cohort. As you can imagine, with 1,600+ applications, narrowing the field down to three is not easy. The good news is that I plan to do another cohort early next year, so watch the newsletter for announcements. Also, outside of the fellowship, since so many of you are so awesome but not a fit for the fellowship, I plan to reach out to a number of you to explore collaborating on a guest post or podcast episode.

Thank you for supporting this initiative, and for your support in general. It means a lot. I truly hope we get to work together on something in the future 🧡 🤞

Thank you again,

Lenny

I like it, because it’s delicate. It shows personalization, appreciation, and transparency about the competitive process. I love Lenny even more after receiving this email.

3. A final element to consider is how quickly you send the “thanks but no thanks” messaging. Yes, it’s pointless to drag it out, but it also stings when you send it too quickly! A few months ago, I applied to a Lead User Experience Researcher role at Lovevery, a Montessori-inspired toy and learning company. I thought I was pretty perfect for the role: 10+ years of UX research experience; I built a company that targets parents; I’ve worked in product development at an education company; and I’m a trained Montessorian. But moments after clicking “submit” on an application that took more than 90 minutes of my time, I received the following email:

Hi Anne, (*)

Thank you so much for applying to our Lead User Experience Researcher, Mixed Methods opening. We’ve been very fortunate to receive a large number of applicants, and have identified other candidates who have experience more closely aligned to what we need at this time. We are so grateful for your interest in Lovevery, and do hope that you continue to keep an eye on our careers page, as we anticipate continued growth this year and the next.

Wishing you the very best!

It came so quickly that I initially thought it was a “we’ve received your application” notice. Like I think it came 60 seconds after I submitted. I was so shocked that I actually reached out to the hiring manger to make sure it wasn’t a mistake (yeah, in this story, I’m that guy). The recruiter wrote back and said that they were only considering people with several years of e-commerce experience (which was not written anywhere in the job description), so I was instantly screened out. OUCH! OUCH that you wasted my time by not stating that at the outset. And OUCH that you dissed me by dismissing my (I think pretty competitive) application in mere seconds.

The takeaway here is: even if you’re using screening software, take time to ensure that the system waits at least a few hours to reject people. I recommend 24 hours. That way, even if they’re not considered at all, they at least can feel like they were considered.

In conclusion:

The job application and hiring process is a critical touchpoint that can shape a candidate’s perception of your brand, even if they don’t ultimately get the role. By taking a customer-centric approach—providing clear communication, personalized responses, and a sense of respect throughout—you can create a positive experience that leaves applicants feeling valued, while also contributing good vibes to your brand’s aura. In today’s competitive job market, a well-crafted applicant experience can not only enhance your employer brand but also leave doors open for future opportunities with talented individuals who may have been turned away this time. Treat your applicants as valued customers, and you’ll be one step closer to building a robust talent pipeline and a reputation as an employer of choice.