Communication: Key to The Hiring Process

When exploring new career opportunities, you expose yourself to a world of uncertainty. This uncertainty provokes a mix of emotions for the candidate and throughout the interview process, anxiety soars high.

In these tense situations, it is important for the hiring manager to recognize the importance and value of communicating with all candidates even after the hiring process. 

For many organizations, it is common practice to interview 5 candidates for 1 position, therefore 80% of the candidates will be rejected. But the hiring manager should not focus all of his/her attention on the one hired candidate. For candidates, the hiring processes provides insight into the culture and values of the company. How interviewees are treated during this process can make or break the reputation of a company.

The most common complaint from job applicants is the lack of communication during and after the interview process.  Post interview communication between candidates and hiring managers has a tremendous impact on the candidate's perspective of the organization and for most, perception is reality. A negative experience for the candidate can cost the organization the opportunity to attract the rejected candidates in the future and can influence the likelihood of other companies conducting business with the hiring company. 

Silence Equals Rejection

Candidates waiting for feedback after an interview experience a high level of anxiety and to a job candidate, silence equals rejection. Going into the interview, most candidates experience excitement and positive feelings, but these emotions can quickly turn into frustration when the hiring manager does not reach out to the candidate within a reasonable amount of time (or ever) after an interview.

Most people share their excitement and enthusiasm about a new job opportunity with friends and family. But when these confidants ask about the status of the interview, and they haven’t heard anything back, it can cause the candidate unnecessary embarrassment. This chips away at their positive feelings about the position, the organization, and themselves.   

The natural psychological response is to devalue the worth of the organization by highlighting the negative attributes in order to boost your self-esteem. The longer the silence, the greater the frustration - which usually results in one of three things:

1. Disengaged candidates - who will have a negative perception of the organization and may speak negatively about the organization, jeopardizing potential business.
2. Candidates in limbo will withdraw their application.
3. The hiring company will spend more time and resources attracting top candidates to make up for the negative reviews. This often results in increasing salary requirements.

Conversely, engaged candidates will speak highly of your organization and remain interested in future opportunities.

Tips for Employers: 

• Stay in touch with your candidates: who are actively interviewing. “Warm calls” or an occasional touch-point email works great, but make sure to thank them for their patience as they go through your hiring process.
• Find a way to keep them engaged: This includes sending candidates industry related articles, blogs, or relevant information about your organization.
• Communicate with candidates: As soon as you know they are not going to be hired, thank them for their time and express your hope they will be in touch for future positions. You want to create an open relationship with all candidates.   
• Keep the hiring process moving: Making timely decisions is key. If there is an upcoming conflict in your schedule, you are better off scheduling a subsequent interview 2 weeks out than waiting 2 weeks to reach out to a candidate.

It’s All About The People

It's easy to establish a great hiring process and a favorable reputation, but the lack of communication in a hiring processes can be very costly. Communicate, engage, and connect with your candidates to create a legion of “fans” in your community who want to work for you and do business with your organization.