On the client side of the hiring process? Remember how it feels to be the candidate!

Everyone who has looked for a job has, at one time or another, gone into the black hole. The black hole takes many forms.   You submit your resume for a position that seems to be a perfect fit, but there is no acknowledgement.  You think your interview is a home run, but you never hear back.   You are told that your interview went well/you are being brought in for another round/you are getting an offer, and then…silence.

While common courtesy should be reason enough to keep candidates informed, what about company image?   How do candidates, who are not hired, view your company? 

Too many people have lost sight of the fact that a well-managed process can result in more than the hiring of the best candidate for the position.  It also can help you build your company’s brand.  Every law firm and company interviews many more people than they hire.  Shouldn’t the word on the street be a positive one?

With the flood of resumes that comes from posting online, acknowledging every one might be a tall order.  However, once candidates are brought in for interviews, they deserve feedback and closure.  Candidates should only feel disappointed that they did not get the job.  They should not be left with a negative impression about the company they were excited to join. 

If you are part of a hiring team today or in the future, keep in mind how you have felt, in the past, as the neglected candidate.  Do your best to ensure that the talent acquisition contact is keeping candidates informed as they go through the process.  Communication with candidates while they are under consideration and sharing the end result of the search with those who are finalists will go a long way.  While most candidates do not get the job, if you handle the process properly, they can still be part of your marketing team.

Has your company’s hiring process lost the human touch?  Interested in discussing ways to present a more positive image?  Call or email me for a consultation. 

Amy Goldstein is the founder of Grayson Allen, Inc., a New York based attorney search and career consulting firm.  She has been providing career advice and recruiting attorneys for in-house and law firm positions since 2000.