There is a pool of applicants that we are almost certain you’ve forgotten. Runner-up or silver medal candidates were practically perfect—but they were edged out by the gold medal winner, sometimes, just like in the Olympics, by inches. Why is it important to go back to your runner-ups, and how can they help your business? 

Benefits of Hiring the Runner-Up Candidates 

Revisiting the runner-up candidate pool has some advantages. For example: 

  • These candidates have already been screened. They may have gone through multiple interviews, learned more about your culture, and at least partially, or perhaps nearly totally, been deemed a perfect fit for your organization. 
  • These are candidates who really wanted to work for your company. Every part of the recruiting process has an element of sales, and your silver metal candidates have already been “sold” on your company. 
  • Since the candidate interviewed with your company, they’ve earned even more experience than when you met them. That could make them an even better fit for your organization. 

In addition to the silver medal candidates, there are other types of candidates to consider. This is where it is key to have a sound applicant tracking system so you can search through your database to find the right match. Other types of candidates to consider include: 

  • Candidates that turned you down for another offer. Going back to that candidate to find out how the job they took is working out is never a waste of time. 
  • Candidates that dropped out of the hiring process voluntarily.  
  • Unreviewed resumes that came in after you filled the position. 
  • Anyone that seemed overqualified when you had a surplus of candidates and were trying to weed some out.  
  • Candidates who just needed a little more experience or were perhaps missing one credential so they didn’t make the cut. 
  • People that were liked by most of the hiring team, but ran afoul of a manager in one interview. While they may have been a poor fit for that manager, think about if they would fit somewhere else.  
  • Out-of-state candidates that couldn’t make the interview. With video chat now the go-to recruiting tool and many teams working remotely, it’s a good idea to revisit these candidates. 
  • What about former employees? It’s important to keep in touch with these candidates to see if they’re unhappy or feel like they don’t fit in their current position. You never know—they might be longing to “come home.” 
  • What about interns that your departments have had over the summer or new graduates or even silver medalists from the college students that you’ve been interested in, but that went somewhere else.  
  • You may even review those “third place” candidates to see if they could be a better fit now. 

Remember, hard skills can be taught. Do you have candidates in your database that were missing experience with a particular piece of software? These days software is very user-friendly; revisit these candidates to figure out their aptitude for on-the-job learning. 

Talk With Exelare Today

A good ATS can keep these and other types of “almost” candidates right at your fingertips. Exelare has a next-generation ATS that can help organize your candidate communications. Talk with our team to see our software in action and speed up your hiring process today.