Nothing impacts the success of a company more than its ability to recruit talent. Massive investments are earmarked for the cause ranging from websites to research to recruiters to salted caramel macarons for the requisite on-site sugar high.
Yet, the auto-generated email that lands in the candidate’s inbox after submitting a resume is typically treated with the warmth that goes into ordering office supplies. Every interaction with the job candidate is an opportunity for the company to impact perception and win the person over.
My daughter has been applying for jobs and recently received an auto-generated email that sounded like it was actually written by a human being. Before sharing it, let’s take a look at how most companies handle this communication.
Not exactly conversational language.
The last time I heard “Sir” and “Madam,” it was during a tour of Windsor Castle.
Contrast this approach with the WeWork note that came my daughter’s way.
I know, I know. WeWork has been a hot mess since the proposed IPO revealed that its CEO Adam Neumann treated the company like his personal piggy bank. Still, HR strikes the right tone with auto-generated email, letting the candidate know that there’s a real person behind the curtain.
Striving to show that the cobbler’s kids DO have shoes, we send the following note to candidates who submit applications online with us:
We’re not expecting this exchange to prompt job candidates to nominate us for a feature in Harvard Business Review. Instead it’s about having fun with language in a way that reflects our egalitarian culture.
And if anyone out there is on the hunt for an aspiring playwright who’s open to other writing opportunities, I’m happy to point you in our daughter’s direction:
Nothing like a road with potholes to tune one’s senses.
My undergraduate degree is in Theatre Studies with a concentration in playwriting from Emerson College. It’s been two years since graduation; I’m pleased to report that I’ve been able to push past my existential dread and stay on the path of storytelling.
I am hungry to write and am keeping myself open to opportunities in any form, though my background is in playwriting — character-driven works with dark comedic dialogue? That’s my jam.
Happy to work my way up. Thrilled to throw myself into an unfamiliar setting.
More than anything, I’m ready to prove myself and put my voice forward.
Comments
Caleb Weaver
This is great advice. Reminds me of the old “CD Baby” thank you emails that won people over in droves.