We work under a premise that my father is fond of saying, “They typically don’t need longer to say yes.”  This is a truth of life that plays out time and again.  There is one group of people that truly understands this principle…candidates.  If they do not receive any feedback for a disproportionate period of time, they (properly) assume they were not a fit.

What I don’t understand is why recruiters and hiring managers simply don’t tell the candidate they are not a fit.  I have read many articles that discuss employment branding.  In a simple vein, it seems obvious to me that one of the best branding approaches is to be candid and timely with all candidates.

We have a couple of customers who interview candidates and then place them in a black hole.  They tell the candidate they are interested in going to the next step but then they place the candidate in a black hole.  No update, no plan, no contact.

As hiring migrates to a networking-based channel, this black hole approach will brand companies in a bad light.  That is the power of a network – news travels through it quickly.  The better approach will be to simply inform the candidate of their status, even if it is a no.

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