Job applications are a part and parcel of any HR department. This application paves the way for an applicant to enter the company.
Hence, they spend an unhealthy amount of time perfecting it and customizing it for any particular position.
In such a scenario, acknowledging a job application is the least that you can do as HR to appreciate them for taking the time to apply for your organization as well as, to confirm that you have received their letter.
Replying to a job application can be daunting, especially in cases where the number of aspirants is huge or has exceeded expectations.
In such cases, having dedicated HRMS software proves useful since it will have the option to automatically respond to every candidate to acknowledge receipt of their applications.
Modern software even has the option with a robust feature to parse candidates’ resumes to personalize the message by addressing them by their first names.
Such kind of small touches can add a dash of personality to a rather mundane acknowledgement and helps in heightening the applicant’s experience.
A job application acknowledgement also helps the applicant understand that the company actually respects them and helps them know that their application has been received by the relevant department.
The mere fact that the company is taking the time to let them know that you received their application will help the applicant realize that the company treats their employees with respect and strengthen your employer brand.
Also Read: Background Check Update to Candidates Email Template
What is an Application Acknowledgement Letter?
Application acknowledgement is the letter provided by companies to acknowledge the receipt of applications received.
Hence, companies need to ensure that it assures the applicant that their application is valued and is being scrutinized well.
It helps them make up their mind to proceed with the job application or look for other opportunities.
Due to these reasons, companies are putting more time and effort into developing a good letter to help the applicant understand and let them know how much it means for them that the applicant has chosen their organization to work with.
Won’t a ‘Thank You for Applying’ Suffice?
There used to be a time when companies would simply send a ‘thank you’ note to potential employees without realizing the importance of the candidates to whom they were replying.
However, over time, the employer soon realized that this simple mundane activity can also be utilized to further enhance the candidate experience.
Soon, it became a common practice to write an acknowledgement and respond to the candidates who have applied for any particular position.
Nowadays, companies have really embraced the idea of acknowledgement letters and are trying their best to make it personal and unique.
Organizations are altering it to match their employer branding and in the process, helping themselves to stand out from the horde of similar acknowledgement letters.
So, the answer to the query above is NO, a simple ‘thank you for applying’ would not suffice nowadays when every other company is wooing the best talent to work for them.
Also Read: Positive Interview Feedback Email To Successful Candidate After Interview
Points to Include in an Acknowledgement Letter
- Thank the candidate for applying
- Mention the job title or remind the basic job requirements
- Provide the status of their application and detail the job role and department they have applied for.
- Mention the next steps from your end
- Provide a tentative timeframe by when you will contact them
- You may guide the applicant towards resources to better understand your company.
How do you Acknowledge Every Applicant?
When it comes to a startup company, it is pretty easy to acknowledge all candidates who have applied for a specific vacant position since the number of applicants themselves would be very meager.
However, when it comes to MNCs with laser-focused corporate branding, it becomes a daunting task as the HR department might be flooded with millions of applications for a desirable position.
In the aforementioned scenario, a good human capital management solution helps the company by making it easier to revert to every single candidate who is interested.
In fact, modern HRMS systems even incorporate automated replying with personalized messages with the help of AI and sophisticated algorithms which predict the candidate’s employability by parsing the application and understanding their probability of being employed in the organization.
We have provided a sample email template for the acknowledgement email below. You can use it to edit and tweak this email template to make it unique for your company.
Application Acknowledgement Email Template
Dear [Candidate’s Name],
On behalf of [Company Name], thank you for your application for the position of [Designation] in our company. We have received your application and I will be reviewing it in the next couple of days and updating the status of your application.
If you are selected for the next phase of the recruitment process, I will contact you for an interview session along with the date and time. You can expect my reply by [Date].
I once again thank you for your application and for taking the time to apply for this position and appreciate your interest in our company and wish you the very best in this selection process.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Designation]
Benefits of Application Acknowledgement Email
An application acknowledgement email has subtle impact on the organization as a whole which includes:
1. Surges Employer Branding
The image of the organization escalates as the application acknowledgement email puts an impression of worthiness towards the applicant’s effort, time and resources. hence enhancing and showcasing the vibrancy of an Organization’s conduct towards the public in general.
2. Benevolence Public Attention
Gratitude is the greatest form of acknowledgement. The vital benefit that advantage an organization is it grabs the benevolent attention of public by being considerate about their efforts. It no only increases the brand image but also has a vivid potent to gain valuable customers.
3. Saves Time
Sending the status of the job application after receipt of the same saves time for the aspirants as they have a fair idea of the latency regarding the schedule of the interview so they plan their next schedule if not shortlisted.
It also saves the time of the employer by filtering the acceptance emails from the rejected ones while researching the candidate’s inbox.
4. Confer Clarity
It confers a clarified response to the aspiring candidates who have applied for the position thereby enhancing the company’s reputation.
It also yields saving valuable time for both employer and the applicant.
5. Exhibit Company’s Ethos
The email concept of acknowledging applications of applicants showcases the work culture and ethics of your company.
The greatest advantage of this is the image of the organization surges up leaving a benevolent impression on both the shortlisted and rejected applicants for taking up any post in the future in your company.
Epilogue
A candidate spends his quality time and ingenious creativity preparing a job application to get through the hiring process of your company.
It exhibits the candidate’s engrossment in the position highlighted by your company. So, the least you could do is acknowledge the applications sent by them and revert the status of their application so that they get clarity of the expected waiting period and plan their process accordingly.
For a small or mid-scale business organization, it is quite a moderate job to revert to job candidates but for a large-scale enterprise, the most convenient way to send application acknowledgement email is by automating the entire process.
In today’s era, where the competition in technology is cut-throat, it is not only essential but majorly vital for organizations to send application acknowledgement emails to job candidates informing them about the status of their applications.
This not only gives them assurance but also enhances the goodwill of the company resulting in the advancement of brand image.