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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
Discuss workforce management, performance management, retention, communication, motivation, contributing to business results and other topics.
To start, I hate the term rejection letters, but it is what it is.
Does anyone have an opinion on email rejection letters vs. actual letters?
Currently, we are using snail mail, but it winds u
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Forums » Topic Forums » General Forum » Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 12/17/2008 6:24 AM EST
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Posts: 31
First: 10/28/2008 Last: 7/8/2011 |
To start, I hate the term rejection letters, but it is what it is.
Does anyone have an opinion on email rejection letters vs. actual letters? Currently, we are using snail mail, but it winds up being surprisingly expensive throughout the course of the year. Additionally, it takes a longer period of time to get the info to candidates. In today's world, is it better to send an email vs the actual letter? |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 12/17/2008 7:24 AM EST
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Posts: 1103
First: 3/16/2007 Last: 8/19/2011 |
The first thing is that you send them. Like Hrbth I only send those to people who have interviewed, even if it was just a telephone screening interview.
I'd estimate about 98% of those I send and have sent the last several years have been by e-mail. I always send snail mail rejection letters to senior level and executive candidates who have face to face interviewed for the position. No particular reason other than custom. |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 12/17/2008 7:33 AM EST
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Posts: 31
First: 10/28/2008 Last: 7/8/2011 |
As a follow-up, do you send them as you determine someone is not a good fit, or wait until the position is filled?
I am heavily leaning towards sending emails only to those that we interview in-office and letters to executive/management candidates. As for phone screens, we end the phone calls by saying, if we feel that you are a good fit for this position, we will reach out to you in the coming week to schedule an in-person interview. I feel this is sufficent as it gives them a deadline of 1 week to hear back from us. Thoughts? |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 1/27/2009 5:39 AM EST
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Posts: 9
First: 9/7/2004 Last: 5/4/2010 |
Think of it from the "rejectee's" point of view, and remember common courtesy. If one sends a formal correspondence--that is, a letter by e-mail OR snail-mail--one should expect a reply in kind. This should be regardless of "rank." Executives aren't the only ones who deserve common courtesy. |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 1/27/2009 6:58 AM EST
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Posts: 2
First: 1/27/2009 Last: 7/8/2009 |
We have an applicant tracking database that allows a form e-mail that includes the applicants name and job title to be sent to everyone pretty easily. It looks personalized, but it is really a mass e-mail.
Our approach has been to send a regular letter to those applicants, who have come in for an in-person interview. We individually call internal applicants, so they get a personal response. Everyone else gets the mass e-mail regardless of whether they were phone screened or not even considered. |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 1/27/2009 8:27 AM EST
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Posts: 36
First: 4/4/2006 Last: 1/27/2009 |
How do applicant's apply these days?....by email for the most part. I don't even include a snail mail address in my recruitment ads anymore. So it only seems reasonable to use the same vehicle to deliver responses.
Personally, I have an auto reply for incoming e-applications acknowledging receipt of the emailed resume and assuring candidates that their skills will be reviewed in the context of the job requirements; they'll be contacted for interview on that basis. If they don't get an interview call, they already know the outcome. Interviewed candidates get a personalized reply and I usually include where they ranked in the group of applicants as well as commentary on what I liked most about them and where they fell a bit short of our needs. I've had follow up from candidates thanking me for being frank. |
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Email vs. Snail Mail Rejection Letters
posted at 1/27/2009 8:59 AM EST
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Posts: 9
First: 1/27/2009 Last: 3/18/2010 |
I can't beleive that not one person has posted the correct reply. The professional approach is to quit hiding behind e-mail and call the candidate. If an individual takes the time to visit our offices, the least that I can do is call the candidate and give them the news. Of course, very few companies have the class or decency to do such a thing. I always get surprised yet appreciative responses from candidates. These candidates are prospective customers and the last thing we need to do is leave them with a negative perception of our organizations. HR people need to get out from behind their desks and actually personally communicate with their internal and external customers. |
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