This blog is addressed to all Hiring Managers, Recruiters, HR personnel and anyone else involved in the job screening and interviewing process. It addresses the lack of professional courtesy that many job seekers experience on a regular basis. It also explains several very good reasons (that are often forgotten or overlooked) why the hiring manager (et al) should act more professionally and follow up with candidates that they've spoken with about potential jobs.

1. Recruiters & Hiring Managers:
Remember Professional Courtesy
During the Hiring Process
OVERVIEW
This blog is addressed to all hiring managers, recruiters, HR personnel and anyone else
involved in the job screening and interviewing process. It addresses the lack of
professional courtesy that many job seekers experience on a regular basis, along with
several reasons why the hiring manager (et al) should act more professionally.
THE PROBLEM
There’s a problem with the job hunting process as it exists today.
The problem is that many (or perhaps even most) job seekers are treated very poorly
after the interview is completed, by the hiring managers, recruiters, HR personnel and
all the others who are involved in the job screening and interviewing process.
How are they treated poorly?
They go through the interview process and then never hear anything further from
anyone at the company. They don’t receive updates on their status as a candidate.
They don’t receive any communications from the people they’ve spoken with. They
don’t know if they’re still in consideration for the position.
They’re basically ignored.
THE SOLUTION: FOLLOW UP

2. The solution to this problem is very simple. If during a job screening or interview call
with a potential candidate, you (as the representative of the company) make a
commitment to that person that you will provide them with an update by a certain date,
then do it!
In other words, don’t leave the candidate hanging, wondering if s/he is still in
consideration for the position or not. That is not professional behavior!
This means that if they’re no longer being considered, let them know. If the position has
been put on hold, let them know. If there are delays in the hiring process, let them know.
If you need more information from them, let them know. If they’re still being considered,
let them know.
You as the hiring manager or recruiter have the responsibility to exhibit professional
courtesy and communicate with the candidate.
We know, you’re busy with all of the screening and interviewing you’re doing. Great.
That means your company is growing, so you’re going to continue needing to hire new
employees. But if you don’t follow up as promised with candidates already in process,
you’re missing a huge opportunity.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
A huge opportunity? For what?
For the candidate to have a good initial experience with your company, whether they’re
hired or not.
The fact is, if a candidate has a good experience, whether they are hired or not, they
may help spread the word about what great people work there, what a great place to
work your company really is, what a positive culture your company has. Depending on
the level of discussion, they might even say what a good product or service your
company has. Or just what a great company it is overall.
That’s free, positive advertising for your company. It also helps you, as the recruiter or
hiring manager, to get more qualified candidates into your pool of people who could
possibly be hired in the future.
Remember, while the person may be just a job candidate now, every candidate is a
potential future employee of your company and deserves to be treated with the same
respect that your employees receive. In addition, even if that candidate is not hired, in
the future that same person may become a customer of your company. A positive
candidate experience not only helps position your company for success now, but also
for potential future customer growth and sales.

3. However, if you don’t follow up with the candidate, especially after you’ve made a
commitment to do so, that can have the opposite effect. You’ve exhibited less than
professional behavior by “ghosting” the candidate, which means the candidate has now
had a negative experience with your company that leaves a bad impression.
Because of your lack of follow up, you’ve given the candidate a reason to think and/or
say negative things about your company. The candidate will likely spread that negative
impression around, via word of mouth, within their circle of friends, within their own
network, or worse, via social media.
While it may not seem like a big deal to you if you don’t follow up with the candidate as
promised, you need to realize that the potential impact can be huge. That negativity
being spread around may potentially impact other candidates who might have been
considering your company, so that they don’t even want to talk to you now. Or a key
hire that you might have made goes to work for a competitor. Or even worse, if the
candidate you ignored ends up as a potential customer of your company in the future,
that bad experience may also come back and influence him to not choose your
company or product.
Is that a chance you’re willing to take? More significantly, is that a chance that your
management would want you to take?
DON’T IGNORE CANDIDATES
If the timeframe has passed by when you were supposed to provide the candidate with
an update and you haven’t done so, you can still do it. Send an email and apologize for
the delay. The candidate will understand and will appreciate the update. Even if all you
do is take 30 seconds to send out a generic form email saying the candidate is no
longer in consideration, at least you’ve honored the commitment you made to the
candidate. You’ve followed up and you’ve provided closure to the candidate about that
potential opportunity.
And if the time has passed and the candidate reaches out to you for an update, don’t
ignore them and not respond! That is not professional behavior. Respond with an
update.
SUMMARY
Remember, your job as the hiring manager or recruiter is to find the best person for the
job. You don’t want to do anything wrong that could potentially cause problems, either
now or in the future.
So if you’ve made a commitment to the candidate that you’ll follow up with them, do so.
It’s the PROFESSIONAL thing to do. It’s the COURTEOUS thing to do. Moreover, it’s
the RIGHT thing to do.

4. © 2020 – Richard Hatheway
#jobhunting #hiring #interviewing #professionalbehavior #professionalcourtesy