In the past several weeks I have been working with one of our clients on a sales position that they are desperately trying to fill. On numerous occasions they have said it needs to be filled quickly. I can appreciate this approach, however the actions of the client are not congruent with their words. Let me explain.
We have a strong candidate that has interviewed several times in-person and on the phone. Unfortunately, he has been waiting 2 weeks for a follow-up call from one of the managers to set up what he was told would be the final interview. Before you pass judgement think back over your latest hires. Have you always followed through on your statements to candidates?
Now this instance might be a little extreme but I felt that this was a great example to illustrate a point. Remarkably, there is one area for which it seems we are often stuck prompting our clients – keep the process moving by following through on their promises.
If you tell a candidate you will get back to them in a few days, make sure it is within a few days. It is easy to let normal business activities overwhelm you, but the candidate is watching you through this process too. The candidate assumes that this is the company at its best. They are thinking if it takes you several weeks to set up an appointment to meet with them, how long will it take you to get back to them when they need something from you when a big order (heck, even a small order) is on the line? They want to work for a company that follows through on its word.