Hi, how exactly does the 5 sitter application maximum work? I’m new at this.
I guess we’re lucky that within 15 minutes of posting our listing we received 5 sitter applications. Two of the five seem to be reasonably good prospects but the other three are so-so (not much effort was made on their introduction). My questions:
Can I decline the 3 sitter applications I don’t like without losing the other 2 good ones?
If I decline the 3 applications, will my listing automatically “unpause” to allow other sitters to apply? Or do I have to take an affirmative action to unpause? (I presume the system will accept the next 3 sitters who apply and then I’ll be put on pause again)
I don’t want to fine-tune my selection to death and yet I’d like to see more applications before I reach out to my first choice. Thanks for your help.
Just remember follow the guidelines and respond to applicants promptly (within 72 hours) to avoid them withdrawing their application. Sitters don’t often wait for more than a few days to hear back from an owner. All you need is 1 sitter; for best success, respond promptly to applicants you like and arrange a video call with them ASAP
Yes, once you have fewer than 5 “active” applications, you can “unpause” and get more applications. However, if you don’t send a note to the applicants you are declining gently letting them know they are not getting the sit, they might simply apply again. So you could say something like: "Sorry, I’m only accepting applicants who have _____________________.
It’s a good idea to have a criteria on paper or in your head so you can make rule out decisions quickly. For instance, I usually don’t accept sitters with no site reviews, but I always look at the profile and I’ve made the occassional exception for sitters with access to Rover reviews for instance. So I have no problem, declining someone who doesn’t have that. I also usually post necessary arrival times for the sit, so sometimes there’s a back and forth and if it turns out the sitter can’t arrive till very late, that’s a rule out. Sometimes I just get “bad vibes” usually based on something in the wording or previous reviews and might just say, “I don’t think we’re a good fit.”
Be aware though to proceed timely so you don’t lose the applicants you have if you are happy with them. Sitters are encouraged to apply for several sits and could accept another invitation to sit if it takes long. They could also, as they can see that you go further by opening up spots without going forward with them - regard it as an unsure project to wait for/ accept your sit.
Good communication and a timely process is key. But don’t go further if you’re not comfortable. Trust your instinct.
For any and all of the applicants that you are seriously considering, you might want to send a personal message to each one, saying something like this, “We are new to THS and look forward to selecting a great sitter soon! Our goal is to choose a sitter by Sunday, March 16. We will get back to you shortly if we want to set up a video chat.”
If you plan to chat with multiple applicants, you should be clear with all of them that you are doing so. Some sitters don’t want to spend time chatting if you plan to chat with several applicants; it feels too much like an arduous “job interview” process.
Welcome to the forum @leslierein. You need to manually “unpause” your listing to allow for 3 more applications to be received. As others have said, include a brief message to those you are declining plus a message to those you are considering like the one given by @PVGemini. Prompt communication is the key!
They were probably racing to be one of the five applicants if it was a particularly attractive sit! If their reviews are good you could always reach out to them for more information.
When I apply for a sit that I think will be popular, I usually only send a very brief message initially, simply to make sure that five speedier applicants don’t beat me to it whilst I’m still composing ‘War and Peace’. But I always follow this up with a longer application, outlining relevant experience and why I’d like to do the sit.
Hi Becca, yes I feel lucky to be loved so much! I appreciate your advice from the sitter’s point of view. I’m also a sitter with about a dozen sits and I’ve missed out on some fabulous opportunities. It never occurred to me to write up a quick reply to beat the 5 application cut off and follow up soon afterwards with War and Peace, as you say. (smile). Great idea.
