Denver Business Journal – by Stephanie Klein
Business owners and managers spend long hours building a company’s reputation. The people they hire, the quality of work those people do, and their skill at satisfying customers all play a role in creating the reputation of a business.
There’s one key piece of reputation management that many companies overlook: How well do you treat the people you don’t hire? Have you thought about the people who respond to your job post, who carefully tailor their cover letters and resumes to tell you how they’ll help improve your company? What about those who sit through hours of interviews with you, but don’t get the job for one reason or another?
The experience you create for job seekers who you decide not to hire will help or hinder the same reputation you have in the marketplace next time you’re ready to grow your business or hire again. Managing your current hiring process with this concept in mind will help your employment and business brand.
Any employer who has had an open position to fill in the last six months knows that posting a job can result in a deluge of submitted resumes. Yes, most people who apply either don’t have or haven’t proven that they have the skills you’re seeking. However, lately I’m hearing from many professional and experienced job seekers that they are surprised at the complete lack of professionalism, kindness or common courtesy extended by potential employers.
“I sent my resume and never heard back.”
“I went in for six rounds of interviews, and then never got a call back.”
“It’s humiliating – no acknowledgment, no response, no respect.”
“Crickets.”
Unfortunately, many of us have faced unemployment or a dramatic business upheaval during the past decade. Some things that have occurred have been outside your control, but how we treat other is in our control. Do you remember what it is like to be on the other side of the desk? Looking for work, even when you have a job, is a lonely experience. Not knowing when or if you’ll hear from a potential employer, or why you weren’t considered for a job, is frustrating.
Everyone is busy, and most of us are doing more with less, but is sending a basic e-mail to applicants saying you’ve received their resume too much to ask? Would it be too much to personally call all the candidates who’ve come in for an interview to tell them they weren’t selected? Your brand and reputation will not mean anything if your actions contradict your vision statement that “People are our greatest asset.”
Even in a so-called hirer’s market, common business courtesies make a difference. We hear every day that our unemployment rate is stuck around 9 percent. However, that number drops closer to 3 percent for candidates with more than 10 years of experience and a college degree. Call any reputable recruiter in town and find out how hard it is to recruit experienced talent in this market. There are fewer truly talented people ready and eager to join your company than you think. Don’t let the word spread among qualified candidates that you don’t respect people; it will trump the reputation you’ve worked hard to build.
Business-wise, Denver is a small town. Candidates who have a negative experience trying to land a job with you will share their frustration with their friends. One of those friends may be in a position to buy from your salespeople – or buy from someone else. Creating a sustainable and consistent process to manage and treat candidates with common respect is crucial. Consider these activities:
- Keep your manners. Send out an automatic ‘Thank You; Your Resume was Received’ e-mail to candidates who submit resumes.
- Keep your word. Call candidates back when you say you will.
- Keep a schedule. Work with your hiring managers to create expected time frames for communicating with candidates regarding feedback. Remember: time kills deals.
- Keep in touch. Build a relationship with each candidate you don’t hire, especially the high-quality applicants who you regret missing. Building these relationships will help to ensure that candidates will favorably consider another opportunity with your firm in the future. Develop an alert system so the star applicants automatically receive e-mail alerts when a relevant job opens up.
Your company’s reputation is sacred. Take a few minutes to make sure these steps are part of your company’s hiring process, and your business will keep its great reputation.
Stephanie Klein is past president of the Colorado Human Resource Association and President and CEO of Experience Factor (formerly the Boomer Group), a Denver staffing and placement firm. Contact her at 303-300-6976.