It is an employer’s market. Organizations are struggling to do more with less, and change is happening at a dizzying pace. With so many fires to put out in a day, managers are losing track of the hiring process and treating it as a lower-priority. As a result, they are losing quality candidates by not being more timely and attentive.
Here is a real story in which both parties lost what could have been a mutually beneficial employment match: After a positive series of interviews in which the hiring manager expressed genuine interest, a candidate tried several times over the next month to contact the organization. She wanted to re-confirm her interest in the position and remind the hiring manager of the ways in which she could strengthen his department.
When there was no response from him, she attempted to reach someone in the Human Resources department to inquire as to the status of her candidacy. Three more weeks passed with no response or communication from anyone in the company.
Disappointed, she assumed no interest on their part and accepted a less interesting position with another company. Shortly thereafter, the first company called to say that they wanted to extend her an employment offer. The candidate was quite baffled that the company had shown so much interest in her during the interview process, then did not communicate with her or respond to her outreach calls for almost two months after that. Did they expect that she would be waiting around for them, willing and available to accept their offer whenever they got around to it?
The loss of this candidate could have been avoided with some vigilance within the company about their selection process, and especially with candidate communications. Here are some ways to prevent the loss of quality candidates and build your image as a desirable company to work for:
1) Have a clear plan and time line for filling the position. Know what you need, what your criteria are, and have a well defined system for evaluating candidates along the way.
2) As you receive responses to your available position(s), be sure to acknowledge the receipt of resumes to each person. This can be done easily and cost-effectively with an electronic submission and response system.
3) During the screening and interview process, let candidates know how your process works, what the expected timeline is, and who their point of contact is going forward. This will help to eliminate confusion and streamline communications.
4) Where a no-fit determination has been made, let the unsuccessful candidate know your decision as soon as possible. This will reduce their unnecessary calls about their status.
5) Where strong and viable candidates of interest have been identified, provide regular communication with them so that they will understand your continued interest as well as any changes in the originally planned time frame. This will also keep you abreast of changes in their situation.
Remember, quality candidates are evaluating you as thoroughly as you are evaluating them. They will assume that how they are treated as a candidate is a reflection of your culture, and how they will be treated as an employee. And, you can be sure that these candidates will tell the story of their experience with you to others in your industry or community.
