I once temped as a receptionist and one of my responsibilities was to mail letters to candidates, informing them that the company - which is very small - was not hiring and that their resumes would be put on file for six months. At the very least, they knew that their resumes were received. Too often candidates send out resumes and never know whether the intended person received them or not.

Leslie Stevens addresses this issue in her article, "Too Many Candidates," for the ERE Network newsletter. Stevens focuses on the Wachovia Corporation and the steps they've taken to ensure that candidates who apply for one of the 600-800 jobs they post each week are immediately notified when they aren't chosen for interviews. And in cases where the candidates weren't a good fit, Wachovia sends the resumes on to AllianceQ, a Web site that "pools candidates and shares them among member employers."

Feedback Wachovia has received from surveys of the candidates indicates that this was a good idea. The candidates have a good feeling about Wachovia's recruiters and about Wachovia Corporation itself. More importantly, unqualified candidates will recommend their qualified colleagues, which is a surprise bonus. As a result of this method of fielding job applicants, "Wachovia recruiters spend less time fielding calls from candidates requesting a status update, and have a better handle on the inventory of viable candidates."

In addition to referring candidates to AllianceQ, which has companies like Starbucks and Microsoft as members, recruiters will also refer them to other departments in Wachovia where their skill sets are more appropriate. Finally, some recruiters even keep in touch with "'surplus candidates' via email, phone calls and touch campaigns" because they have potential. Candidates who send their resumes to Wachovia can rest assured that their resumes are being read and sorted into categories. If Wachovia sends a letter saying "we don't have anything for you at this time," but keeps emailing you and calling you on the telephone, then, if nothing else, you know have the right stuff to be a Wachovia employee.

Can you think of a better way for a company to promote its brand than to take the time to let candidates know whether their resume was accepted or rejected and why? I've worked with form letters before, so I know it only takes a minute to pop in a brief sentence of explanation. As Wachovia's experience proves, a little consideration can go a long way.