One thing that I have found helpful is a firm but polite email/message that states that the organisation will get back, constant emailing/messaging will not hasten the process.

Politely acknowledge the candidate’s enthusiasm and thank them for their patience. Set clear expectations by sharing a timeline for feedback or next steps. If there’s no update, communicate this transparently to avoid confusion. Professional and respectful communication can manage excessive follow-ups effectively.

Lidar com um candidato persistente exige equilíbrio entre empatia e assertividade. Agradeça o interesse e reforce os prazos ou etapas do processo seletivo. Caso a persistência continue, explique gentilmente que todas as atualizações serão compartilhadas no momento oportuno. Essa abordagem demonstra profissionalismo, mantém a transparência e reforça os limites necessários para uma comunicação saudável.

I'm not going to get into details, but I must say that, in my experience, sometimes this is due to cultural aspects. So if you are an international recruiter, you better practice patience and assertiveness. Patience, for example with breathing exercises or mindfulness in general before answering. Assertiveness by writing draft messages and maybe getting feedback from your peers on the effectiveness of your message where you should explain the steps, the timing and deadlines of a standard recruitment process; in this way you set clear expectations.

𝗔𝘁 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲. For Exmple, when I interviewed a promising candidate last year, they sent multiple emails asking for updates within days of our meeting. I had to set clear expectations right away—letting them know we’d reach out within two weeks. It’s crucial to be polite but firm; too much enthusiasm can come off as desperation. Documenting our exchanges not only keeps things consistent but also helps me maintain professionalism while steering the conversation back on track. It’s all about balance!

Si comienzas a notar un seguimiento excesivo en todas tus vacantes (ya sea de parte de los candidatos, de tu lider o del hiring manager) puede ser señal de que requieres hacer una mejora en tu proceso de reclutamiento. En resumen todos buscan saber lo mismo, ¿Cuál es el estatus? ¿Cuál es la fecha de ingreso? ¿Necesitas algo de mi parte? Por lo tanto; contar con el mapeo del proceso con fechas e inputs definidos para cada rol, e incluso con mensajes automatizados te permitirá gestionar las solicitudes en tiempo sin sentirte abrumado por tantos emails y llamadas.