Even though we are experiencing an employer’s market right now, it is important for hiring managers and human resource professionals to understand that in ANY market, the top candidates can always choose whom they will work for. Still, too many companies continue to express rude or arrogant behavior in the way they treat candidates, even those who they have an interest in.
Here are the most frequent ways that employers frustrate and offend candidates during the selection process. Are you guilty of these?
- Keeping a candidate waiting: While it is understandable that delays can occur, a candidate should not be kept waiting for more than fifteen minutes. In any case, delays with apologies should always be communicated. Remember that this is part of their first impression of you.
- Unprepared interviewers: savvy candidates know that interviewing should be a two-way process of evaluation for compatibility. Interviewers who are not prepared with intelligent and appropriate questions will be wasting everyone’s time.
- Egotistical “We’re doing you a favor by interviewing you” attitude: This attitude is very obvious to candidates, and it is a real turn-off. In addition to voice tone and body language, this is also expressed by such behaviors as dominating the interview and not allowing the candidate the opportunity to dialogue or ask questions of you.
- Constant interruptions. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the scheduled allotment of time should be roped off as private and not-to-be-interrupted. This includes closing the door, not answering the phone, and genuinely attending to the candidate to maximize the quality of your brief time together.
- Sharing inappropriate information about the business or other individuals: The interview is not a place for the interviewer to vent frustrations about their job or people whom they dislike in the company. Airing dirty laundry is inappropriate, unprofessional, and will likely kill the candidate’s interest in seriously considering working at your company.
- Lack of clarity about what the job entails. In order to make a sound decision about employment, candidates need to have a clear understanding about what is involved in the job, and what your objectives and expectations are.
- Meeting with several people and being asked the same questions by each of them. A well-prepared process will include assigning different questions for each interviewer to avoid redundancy when team interviewing.
- Lack of enthusiasm about the company: It is very obvious to the candidate when the interviewer is “going through the motions” or being rote about the process. Candidates want a good company to work for, and they want to be “sold.” If you can’t generate enthusiasm about the company in your discussions, how do you expect the candidate to get excited about working for you?
- Not communicating with the candidate after being interviewed. Some companies are interested in a candidate, but do not communicate this to them. Weeks may pass, and so the candidate assumes no interest on your part and loses interest or moves on. Remember that you need to continually “court” the candidates you are interested in if you want to recruit the very best talent. Otherwise, you will be losing out on those who may withdraw their candidacy, decline your offer, or worse, come on board and then leave as soon as they have an opportunity to find a better company.
