With so many job candidates applying for so few jobs, many recruiters find themselves facing a mountain of resumes they find impossible to sift through.  And while the first instinct is to avoid responding to the job candidates who don’t qualify, that’s a serious mistake.  Below are a few reasons why:

1. The failure to respond to job candidates can harm a recruiter’s brand. When a job candidate sends a resume and never receives a response, they are less likely to respond to future jobs.  While the job market currently favors employers/recruiters, this won’t last for long.  What will happen when the tide changes and it becomes difficult to attract qualified candidates? Don’t damage your brand by becoming known as the recruiter who doesn’t respond, create a system that will make it easy to send rejection letters.
2. The failure to respond to job candidates quickly can actually end up wasting a recruiter’s valuable time. Job candidates who believe they are still in the running for a job will often send up follow-up letters, emails and even call.  This can create a time suck for recruiters who must now wade through communications from job candidates who are think they are in the running but who are actually not qualified.
3. Failure to respond to a job candidate’s application may close the door to a future relationship.  Imagine failing to respond to a job candidate’s application and then contacting them seven months later about another job opportunity.  The job candidate may have forgotten about the lack of a response; but it’s a possibility it could impact the candidate’s response to the new opportunity.  By sending a “not right now” rejection letter, recruiters keep the relationship with the job candidate amicable.