Why 'Only Shortlisted Candidates Will Be Contacted' Is the Wrong Policy

July 26, 2015

One of the most challenging aspects of recruitment for employers is managing the applications. It's easy to see where it all falls down: dealing with the candidates you DON'T want.

Think of it as an advertisement for John West – it's how you manage the fish that John West rejects. Whilst I understand how much time is invested in managing the candidate(s) that you want to progress through to a job offer, we can't ignore the people who are 'not right', no matter how time poor we are.

A comment made on a recent article in the Sydney Daily Telegraph highlights how our lack of care impacts those people who ARE making a concerted effort to find a job:

'…HOWEVER Employers are not blameless. I have submitted more than 20 email applications in the past 3 months, all individually written and addressing the job criteria and with my CV attached, having the sections relevant to the job highlighted. Only ONE employer sent a thank you for your application response. What happened to good manners? This modern trend of only shortlisted candidates will be contacted is cruel and depressing for jobseekers. It takes but seconds to send a thanks but no thanks reply and at least tells job seekers that their efforts are not falling on deaf ears.'

Now, I know that this is an issue with recruiters, and they need to have systems and processes to manage the thousands of applications they receive. But it isn't just recruiters – employers are also failing to treat applicants with respect.

To be honest, I agree with Alan; this whole 'only shortlisted candidates will be contacted' policy is terrible. Everyone deserves, at the very least, an email to let them know that their application has been received, looked at, and that they are unsuccessful.

Whilst I know generic emails are mostly useless, at least they send a message to acknowledge that the application has been considered. Nobody is perfect, and applications can slip through the cracks, but it helps if we remember that every single candidate, no matter how appropriate or not for the role, deserves to be treated with respect and consideration.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Grow your career and teams with people2people


In business since 2005 in Australia, NZ, and the United Kingdom, people2people is an award-winning recruitment agency with people at our heart. With over 12 offices, we specialise in accounting and finance, business support, education, executive, government, HR, legal, marketing and digital, property, sales, supply chain, and technology sectors. As the proud recipients of the 2025 RCSA and SEEK Outstanding Large Agency Awards, we are dedicated to helping businesses achieve success through a people-first approach.

Recent articles

Magnifying glass over a person icon, with other person icons on a blue background.

Why skills-first hiring is growing and where organisations are struggling

December 20, 2025
Skills-first hiring is gaining momentum, with 85% of organisations now using it in some form. However, challenges around assessment, training and leadership alignment continue to limit consistent adoption. Explore what’s driving the shift and how employers can make skills-based hiring work in practice.
Hand placing blue figure on top of coin stacks, representing career advancement.

Australia’s wage growth levels out amid cooling labour market

December 14, 2025
Australia’s latest Wage Price Index shows wage growth steady at 0.8% for the September 2025 quarter and 3.4% annually. Explore what this means for real wages, labour market conditions, and employer planning for 2026.
City skyline over water with overlaid stock market graphs, blue sky.

Australia’s 2025 Job Market: What employers need to know

December 7, 2025
A detailed breakdown of Australia’s 2025 employment landscape, exploring hiring trends, AI’s impact on job search and recruitment, shifting candidate expectations, and strategic insights to help employers prepare for 2026.

Latest PR features

Hesitation in Great Resignation as job huggers emerge

4 tips for your first 90 days in a new job

Unemployment hits four year high