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Automated Weekend Rejection Emails: A Self-Inflicted Employer Branding Wound
Imagine this (actually really happened to me): you’re in the gym on Sunday morning, the perfect time to:
- do some reps,
- work on yourself,
- spark some thoughts,
- compensate for yesterday’s pizza ;)
Then in your pocket, your phone buzzes, interrupting your peaceful moment of clanging and banging. A rejection email.
Not just any rejection email, but one that lands in your inbox on a weekend… which could be one overly enthusiastic HR person, but it happened multiple times by now, so I’m ruling that one out.
How did that make me feel?
Disappointed, certainly.
But also, a little disrespected.
It seems that this scenario is becoming increasingly common, and I truly think it’s a major misstep for companies. When talent is scarce and competition for top candidates is fierce, every single interaction matters. Sending out automated rejection emails, especially on weekends, is bound to leave a negative impression.
We don’t care..
It’s a clear signal that the company doesn’t value your time nor your candidacy. It’s as if they’re saying, “We don’t care enough about you to take a few extra minutes to draft a personalized email during business hours.” Let alone to actually judge whether or not you’re a match, not solely based on keywords and numbers in a document.
This lack of respect leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of even the most understanding job seeker. It also shows me that somewhere the company is not aligned, not seeing that this affects the (employer) brand.
If word of mouth can make or break a company’s reputation, a bad candidate experience can spread like wildfire.
I know firsthand the impact that job rejections can have on your confidence. Last year, I experienced a layoff, along with many colleagues. While the process was handled relatively smoothly, it was still a significant blow to my self-esteem. Especially since this was the second time I encountered such a thing.
