All applications forwarded to the employer by the SESA are presumed to meet the minimum qualifications for the position and must be handled. In practice, many SESA's do not screen resumes at all, but this does not excuse the requirement to respond to the application. Employers should interview all applicants in person or by telephone. In some cases, an employer can use a questionnaire form to screen candidates and then follow up by interviewing the candidate. Applicants can only be rejected for lawful, job related reasons.
Employers frequently run into problems trying to contact job applicants.
Employers should try to use multiple means to contact an applicant. Sending a letter by certified mail and calling the applicant by telephone are usually good choices. Within 45 days from the issuance of the instructions for recruitment by the SESA, the SESA must receive a recruitment report outlining all of the results of the recruitment. The SESA will then review the report and often will contact the job applicants to see if they were actually interviewed. If everything is satisfactory, the SESA will forward the application to the regional office of the US Department of Labor.