The replies I received for my previous article “10 Things Recruiters (Me Included) Hate about Candidates” inspired me to write about the people in the other team – the candidates who have their likes and dislikes also. I must admit I have been a candidate too at some point and I know how all the items below feel.
So, here they are:
1.
Never confirming that the CV was received – this
is really unpleasant. You can’t be sure if the CV arrived anywhere or if it was
sent into the abyss. Should I send it
again? Should I try to find other means of communication? And this when you
really want a job – driving you crazy, right? Well, dear recruiters, I must
admit this is annoying. The solution: set auto responder emails for your mailboxes
or use automatic job portals to receive CVs. They will confirm the candidate
that even if they don’t get a call, at least they did their best to send the CV
on time and to the correct recipient;
2.
Lacking Experience – this is often translated in
lack of confidence during interview, reading your notes all the time, not
knowing what to ask the candidate, asking about details that already are in the
CV – well, this doesn’t look good al all. The candidate will turn desperate –
if this is the person deciding my fate, then I am doomed! You would think the
same too should you be in the candidate’s shoes. What to do – do joint
interviews at first with a senior recruiter, always read the candidate’s CV
before the interview, and underline items that interest you so that you have a
clear idea of what to ask, prepare an interview plan to make sure that you don’t
miss anything. Calling the candidate later because you have forgotten to ask
something is also looking bad.
3.
Being Narrow-Minded – have you as a candidate
felt during the interview that the person in front of you is not listening to
what you are saying? Well, that’s a narrow-minded recruiter who hasn’t heard
about active listening. Making the candidate feel that you already have an idea
about what they are worth and that you really don’t care anymore about what
they are telling you is being narrow-minded. Recruiters, stop judging by
initial impressions. One thing that might help is my article about
communication styles – “Human
Resources Mysteries - Understanding Communication Styles”. Listen to the
candidate and offer everyone equal chances – you might be surprised. The IT
world in particular offers a lot of out of the ordinary candidates who you may
judge by the way they look and who might be geniuses. Rejecting one of these
can cause your company financial loss. Also, I will tell you about one situation
where I was a candidate in front of narrow-minded recruiters: a few years ago I
went to an interview for an HR position in a furniture factory. The two
recruiters admitted they were not HR people and when they started asking me HR
questions they opened a book about HR and expected my replies to be by the
book. HOW STUPID! I replied from my real HR experience – a few years already
back then – but at the end of the interview they told me I was rejected because
they couldn’t find my answers in what the book told them. At least they were
honest, but stupid and unprofessional.
4.
Not offering feedback or offering useless
feedback – no calling a candidate back means that the recruitment process you
conduct is not concluded – offering feedback is the last mandatory stage –
feedback includes negative feedback also, not only a salary offer. Feedback can
be offered via phone or email, but telling the candidate when they are going to
receive it and by which means is mandatory. If the candidate also receives improvement
ideas, they can turn into a great candidate later on. Of course, there are
cases when the candidate has attitude issues. Then a standard email is ok, but
also mandatory.
5.
Not being able to offer relevant information about
the position when asked – this makes you, dear recruiters, look very bad. This means
that you have no idea about your job and then, what on Earth are you doing on
that position? When a job ad is posted, it is mandatory for the recruiter to
know what they are looking for. If the position is too technical and you are at
a job fare for example and technical candidates are expected, ask a technical
colleague to come there with you. He will reply technical questions for you and
you will not look bad. Also, if there are questions you simply can’t know,
offer contact information for the candidate to use and ask. Make sure emails received
are always replied after talking to the managers that have the job opening. Never
leave candidates’ emails unanswered. You will endanger the company’s image.
6.
Not keeping track of applications and calling
the same candidate several times – not being organized – this is really
frustrating for a candidate that has already received some previous feedback or
who has just been through part of the selection process. If they have received
negative feedback, calling them again and realizing you called them by mistake
makes them angry. They will never be interested in your company. Guys, please
remember that recruiters represent the company and the way candidates are
treated influences the image of the company on the market. A negative image
created in such a way takes years to fix.
7.
Not reading applications carefully – being superficial
– asking questions about details that already are in the CV or asking people to
come to interview and realizing you have made a mistake looks bad – this is a
waste of time for all sides. Recruiters, you must prepare a list of
requirements and search each CV carefully. Read all CVs that are scheduled for
interview, underline details and ask relevant questions. Remember that some
candidates are really good and that they are really worth your time. Being
superficial can make them reconsider your offer. You may lose good people.
8.
Promising to do something and not doing it – sending
stuff via email, replying to questions sent by email, sending the candidate’s
CV to someone, offering support – remember that you represent a company. Being
unreliable means for the candidate that the company is unreliable. Think about
that really carefully. Never leave messages from candidates unanswered. Even
thank you messages must be answered – tell the candidate that his message was
received, that you were glad to have them for interview, thank them for their
time and tell them when feedback will be received. Always keep your promises.
Even if it is a rejected candidate, leaving them with a good impression, can
make them recommend someone that turns out to be what you need.
9.
Not caring about the candidate – just about
their stupid deadline to fill the position – this is an impression that a lot
of candidates have after the initial contact with a recruiter. Make sure you
have time for everybody. If you don’t, reschedule or delegate, but make sure
that each candidate was handled carefully. If their CV is not good, at least
send them an auto responder email telling them that you thank them for their
time and CV. Candidates that have also been invited to interview, need even
more time and attention. Remember that each of them can be the next perfect
candidate – offer them equal opportunities and equal parts of your time, listen
to them and offer feedback. These are key elements to show candidates you care.
10.
Too much power to decide – who gets rejected and
who doesn’t – this is really scary for both the recruiter and the candidate.
The recruiter is the first filter and holds in their hand the fate of hundreds
of candidates. Have I made a mistake? The recruiter may ask. Has this guy even
bothered to read my CV? The candidate may ask. Anyway, all you recruiters out
there must remember that you have great responsibility in your hands. Use your
power wisely.
Guys,
Thanks for reading and for offering feedback to my articles.
I am looking forward to other elements being added to the
list by all of you candidates out there.
Take care,
Geo
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