Twice this week, highly qualified direct hire candidates turned away from pursuing an opportunity after the first interview with solid employers. The feedback from the candidates revealed the issue.
When hiring managers or human resources people don’t make a good first impression, marketing the company to a would-be candidate can end things quickly. And, build a negative reputation for the company as an employer which ultimately reduces the pool of the best candidates willing to work for your company.
Human resources, hiring managers, and external recruiters are fundamentally an extension of the company’s marketing team. The marketing role of Human Resources and hiring managers is often not understood.
As we do with all candidates that we screen, and find meeting or exceeding the client’s requirements, we follow-up with a post-interview call to learn how the interview proceeded.
The reasons candidates decline to pursue an opportunity is similar to the reason that employers choose not to pursue a candidate. The reasons might be:
- Over-qualified or under-qualified to do the job.
- Culture fit for the organization.
- First impressions.
Number 3, first impressions, seems to be a big factor these days for applicants and candidates to turn down an opportunity after an interview. As unemployment rates dip below 7%, candidates can afford to be more particular in choosing the job and employer they want to work for.
Unemployment rates aside, a company is only as good as the people it hires. You read it over and over in the press and online that managers’ number one focus that occupies most of their time, is one thing – hiring the right people to build the best team.
A company is only as good as its organization. Hiring the right people builds the best organization. A poor first impression can chase the best talent away.
If the best organization will always have a competitive advantage over competitors, and always achieve corporate goals better and faster while meeting customer expectations, why is it that first impressions kill a company’s ability to attract and hire the best people?
It is ironic. Do any of these examples happen in your organization?
- Hiring managers don’t have time to interview.
- Hiring managers make a candidate feel uncomfortable or less than valued in an interview.
- Human resources people don’t make a candidate feel welcome.
- Benefits are under-explained as part of total compensation to candidates.
- Companies ask recruiters to make offers less that the original job spec the candidate was attracted to.
Imagine if your sales people treated customers in this manner? There are parallels between candidates you want to hire and customers you want to sell to.
The brand reputation for your company’s products and services must be strong. Your sales and marketing team must pitch the brand to customers with passion, confidence and commitment. Doing so ensure the health of your business. Equally important to building the brand of a company’s products and services is building the reputation of your company as a great place to work. Failing to do so will ensure the best talent is attracted to the competition.
Attracting the best talent to build your organization can only happen if hiring managers, human resources and recruiters understand their role in marketing the employer as a great place to work and where people are valued.
Be on time to interviews. Let candidates know they will be critical to the success of the company. Make them feel valued from the first moment of the interview. Show that “marketing your company to prospective talent” is something that you do as a manager and human resources professional. Build a foundation your recruiter can carry to candidates to sell your company.
Barton Professional Placement Group advises clients who request it on how they can attract the best talent. Your recruiter is carrying your brand to the talent market. Make sure that every first impression is the best. Your recruiter must carry a sincere message to candidates about working at your company. Give us a call today to help develop that process in order to ensure competitive advantage and the success of your organizational development effort.