Most people agree about the value of making a good first impression. I advise job seekers on their attire and emphasize the importance of enthusiasm and positivity.
And I also advise managers of small to mid-size businesses about the importance of their first impression to qualified job candidates.
A candidate once told me a story about an interview she had for her first job out of college where the hiring authority had a dollop of tuna fish on his face as he quickly shouted questions at her about politics. She was interviewing for an entry-level marketing position with a legal nonprofit organization. The candidate initially had the urge to laugh about the leftover lunch until she actually became frightened by all the yelling.
While there is a funny story here, this is not the way to represent oneself as a manager and as the leader of a business or organization. But before we even begin to focus on the etiquette of the interview process, let”™s backtrack for a minute because every interaction with a candidate is marketing your business, says Jennifer Mounce, SPHR, founder of Coach Effect Inc. and author of “No Bad Hires: Your Guide to Great Staffing.”
For many small businesses, the owner plays HR professional as well as a dozen other roles. Ultimately, an owner needs help taking the business to the next level.
When ready, post a well-written ad with a clear job description and requirements for the position. The resumes will start pouring in, and in this challenging employment market, the business owner is literally inundated with responses. While the urge to repeatedly hit DELETE is ever present, professional communication is key as you want to show future employees and ”“ quite possibly ”“ future clients that you value the recruitment process as part of building your brand.
Because an owner cares how their business is perceived, a standard thank-you response should be sent to all unqualified applicants. For those applicants who might be valuable in the future, but who don”™t currently fit the bill, send a thank you mentioning you will keep their resume on file.
Everything the business owner has done so far has demonstrated a clear dedication to the recruitment process and a system of values that support business goals. Next is the interview process”¦the perfect time to make a dozen mistakes.
Mounce says that candidates are quick to tell each other and everyone else (especially with the way the Internet has facilitated this) about “horror story” interviews. Get thoughtful before you start the interview process. Know what you want from a future employee, write it down and structure a job description before that candidate walks through the door. Determine what type of personality is best suited for your business.
If you value the candidates that are coming in, they will value you. Don”™t leave them in a waiting room for an hour only to bring them in for a five-minute interview. Don”™t answer emails and phone calls during the interview process. Don”™t get too personal. Don”™t complain about your current staff. Don”™t allow other employees to interrupt you doing an interview. Don”™t eat lunch unless it”™s a lunch interview.
And don”™t ever tell a candidate you are going to call and then never do. I hear this time and time again from job seekers…“The manager said she was very interested in me and that I would hear from her by Tuesday. I followed up with her after the Tuesday deadline passed, but I”™ve never heard back and it”™s been more than two weeks.”
Top talent will look elsewhere if their experience with your business is poor; and then that talent might tell 10 people about that negative experience.
Jeanne Marrin-Stewart, vice president of operations for family-owned Marrins”™ M-o-o-ving Systems Ltd., based in Bronxville, takes the time to personally call all candidates who”™ve interviewed in person. Why? Because she”™s been in their shoes before.
“I”™m appreciative of the fact that a candidate has taken the time to meet with me,” says Marrin-Stewart. “I would rather tell an applicant ”˜no”™ and allow them to move on then to have him or her wondering and calling me to find out the outcome.”
Rich Greenwald is a careers and staffing consultant. He is the owner of The Concorde Group, a 25-year-old staffing solutions agency in White Plains. Have a careers question? Contact rgreenwald@concordepersonnel.com or follow him on Twitter @ConcordeJobs
Â
