Job Candidate Care

Are you short an employee? Growing and need more staff? The search for new employees can be stressful for you because you’re under pressure - and possibly a time crunch - to fill that position with someone who’s an ideal fit. Job candidates often experience their own stress but for different reasons - professional and financial. The following advice can help alleviate the position-to-fill/job acquisition stress for all concerned.

As an employer, it’s your responsibility to design a hiring process that benefits you and job applicants alike. Having a strong grasp on the necessary qualifications of an ideal candidate and a solid process for attracting, determining and acquiring highly qualified applicants for the position will help you avoid a chaotic, unsuccessful search for your new employee. The job description you compile should be narrowly focused and detailed. Likewise, your hiring process should be crystal clear, well-reasoned and carefully paced.

The search for a new employee is a great opportunity to highlight the way your business conducts itself with people - current employees, customers and potential employees. An applicant who is treated respectfully and with a friendly, welcoming attitude can reasonably extrapolate that as the atmosphere of your company overall.

Some tips for helping a job applicant feel valued as they enter and go through your interview process include:

Communication is crucial - both what you say and how you say it. Explain from the outset the scope of your interview process so the applicant can determine if they are willing and able to go the distance. Be transparent about the entire process - the expected timeline between application and hire, length of the interviewing stage, the nature of its components, next steps and decisions/determinations as they are made. Expressing your hiring process with such clarity will be beneficial to both you and the potential employee. It will keep the process on track on your end; there will be no hesitation or last minute confusion about what should be the next step. For the already anxiously-awaiting-news applicant, it will ensure they’re provided all the information they need to stay calm and collected. Being forthcoming with timely updates on their progress through the interview process shows respect, which demonstrates that your company’s culture has a high degree of integrity.

Streamline the interview timeline if possible. To unnecessarily prolong it is both inefficient and cruel. By the time you realize you have a job opening, you’re already understaffed. There’s no reason to drag out an already lengthy-by-nature process. Schedule interviews and any other aptitude tests as soon as is practical to get the ball rolling toward finding an ideal candidate. This is not to suggest you take shortcuts or make hasty decisions on who to hire; just be certain hiring is treated as a priority and not a casual fishing expedition. From the perspective of the applicant, a long, drawn-out interview process is not only uncomfortably nerve-wracking but can be downright inconvenient as they may be missing out on opportunities with other employers while waiting to see how things go with your company.

Do treat interviewees as you treat your existing employees. Applicants who are treated respectfully with friendly, professional communications and who are made to feel welcome from first contact will consider your workplace in a positive light and will be highly motivated to work there. Employers who can boast favorable workplace conditions attract highly qualified candidates for their positions.

When it’s time to hire a new employee, going the extra mile to make applicants feel comfortable, confident and cared for will reflect well on your business as a great place to build a career.

How does your business care for its job candidates?