I read articles about candidates who are ghosting employers. They’re not showing up to interviews. They’re not showing up on their first day. They’re disappearing. And, employers are frustrated. On top of the ghosting phenomenon, employers can’t seem to find enough qualified candidates. It’s like there just aren’t any good people left.
If you’re a hiring manager and you’re having trouble hiring, here are a few tips.
First, think back to the last time you looked for a job. I’m not talking about the time a friend called and offered you something you didn’t know was open. I’m talking about the last time you felt down and out. I’m talking about a time when you were applying to everything you could find and were pinning your entire future on each interview. Remember how crazy that time felt? How vulnerable it felt? Keep that in mind and do your best to treat everyone you interview with the same level of respect you would want to receive.
Make it easy to apply. Don’t you hate those long online applications? So do job seekers. Make the process easy to apply and you’ll have more candidates to pick from.
If you’re going to ask candidates to take tests as part of the interview process, think hard about it. Personality tests and IQ tests are not a perfect indicator of future performance. But they’re a sure fire way to turn off candidates. If you decide that tests are for you, at least save them until late in the interview process. Don’t force candidates to devote time to your screening process if you’re not committed to investing time first.
Be flexible with candidates. I’m not talking about interviewing candidates on the weekend. But, when you offer times for interviews, give more than one day and more than one time. Schedule interviews a few days ahead of time, so the candidate will have time to reorganize their schedule. Don’t force the job seeker to pick between their existing commitments and you. They don’t even know you yet.
Follow through on your commitments. If you tell the job seeker that you’ll let them know something next week, then let them know something next week. If next week comes and you don’t have the update yet, let them know that. They’ll understand.
Be reasonable with your requirements. Do you really need someone who can write code, market, and project manage? Decide what’s the most important to you and focus in on those things. If you are expecting to find a unicorn, you’re going to come up empty-handed.
Pay attention to your online reviews. I know that they aren’t always fair. I get it that sometimes disgruntled employees post things about your company that aren’t right. But, these reviews are how job seekers decide whether or not your company is worth the trouble.
Bottom line: treat other people the way you want to be treated.
I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.
Happy hunting!
Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach
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