Responding to Job Opportunities 2

I responded to a LinkedIn article "Why Don’t Employers Call You Back?" by CareerBuilder blogger, part of which is reproduced here:

Of all the complaints we hear from job seekers, one of the most popular is, “Employers never call me back.” They say that not receiving any communication makes them think their application materials weren’t received, and it’s frustrating. After an interview, they expect to hear something, even if it’s bad news. They just want to know, one way or the other, if they might be in the running for the position.

One solution that I have seen a few progressive firms use involves two simple steps:
* Instantly acknowledging (often in an computer automated manner) receipt of the application. This allays concerns that e-mail, Linked in or some of the more bizarre forms actually worked.

* Clearly post two dates: the application deadline and the drop dead date for the first interview call. In doing so candidates can tell when they missed the cuts (and mentally move on).

I agree that once both sides have gone to the first interview stage in person or by phone, it is the employers responsibly to inform the candidate when they are no longer in the running. By phone would be nice, but even e-mail would suffice.