As an employer and as a job candidate, first impressions do matter.
The way you come across in your conversations and interactions, in person and online, will make a big impact on whether you get hired or find the ideal candidate. In the latter case, even if you are inundated with applicants, miscommunication or simply putting off the wrong vibe can mean that you end up with an employ who is considerably less desirable than if you had navigated the situation correctly. But knowing exactly how to manage early communications can be really difficult: it’s a tricky blend of personal and professional skills. The stakes feel very high, on both ends of the spectrum. So, without further ado, here are seven classic mistakes you should avoid.
- Neglecting The Job Description
It can be a very easy way to land yourself some sub-quality, or even entirely ill-suited applicants, but the job description is still constantly neglected. A good job description is concise and to the point. It also lists what requirements the position has early, and it sells the job to the potential applicant, as something special. Doing all of these things should help you minimize the number of applications you have to wade through to just the good candidates.
Panel Discussion: Why bad hiring decisions are made and what can be done?
- Only Using Email To Communicate
Email’s great and professional, so this certainly isn’t to tell you that you should abandon it to communicate with your applicants. The real problem comes when it’s the only method of communication. In the modern era, there are so many other perfectly suitable and more efficient modes of communication that will allow you to connect with your clients better: Try text, social media, skype or even a phone call.
- Using The Careers Page As A Pinboard
It can be tempting to take the easy route with your careers page, simply listing the jobs that need filling. But a more holistic approach is needed to really make the most of the opportunity as you develop your list of candidates. Candidates like to see that you think of them as more than cogs and getting to know each of their desires and selling them how they could fit in your company can be enticing and efficient.
- Communicating With Good Writing
An area in which your company’s professionalism can really go astray is in your written contacts with your potential employees. Issues like poor grammar, spelling and punctuation can absolutely plague companies and can give off a distinct lack of professionalism and care which can turn a lot of applicants off very quickly. However, there’s a reason it is so commonly a stumbling block: it’s hard. So here are some tools to help out with that:
Writing Populist – A writing and editing guide, helping you figure out how to do this for yourself.
State of writing – An online editing tool which can help clean up the little untidy corners of your communications, as mentioned at Best british essays.
Top Canadian Writers – Formatting can be easily neglected. Make sure yours is spot on with this service.
Student Writing Services – This is particularly targeted to getting your email subject lines, and all the subtitles and headings you might use in order.
- Not Investing Time In Your Interviewers
The interviewer’s job, when done correctly, is hard and requires a lot of effort and the interests of the company at large in mind. Often, companies will be a bit slap-dash over who they put in the interview. In truth, the interviewer represents the company in that room, so it’s important to ensure that you really trust whoever you chose to treat applicants correctly.
- Assuming The Power Position
As a company the worst thing you can do is act like you are way above your applicants. Applicants are as good as your equals and should be treated so. Don’t waste their time, apologize when you get something wrong and schedule things around them. Communicate clearly and you’ll do yourself favors in the long run.
Suggestion: How to Avoid Expensive Hiring Mistakes and Lower Employee Turnover
- Underdoing The Feedback
“One of the best things companies can do to set themselves apart is to give applicants detailed, continuous feedback”, advises Jason Kitts, recruiter at GradeOnFire and Rated Writing”. This doesn’t mean wait for the end…get in there part way through and tell candidates how they’re doing.” This method will help your company’s image in the eyes of the applicant pool and it’s more likely to get the best out of your applicants. If an applicant is communicated clearly with over what they should improve on, they likely will improve.
Conclusion
So, as is clear, there’s a lot more to communicating with your candidates than it appears. Don’t half-heart it, no matter how sure you are you will fill your open positions. It doesn’t help you not to devote attention to it and, if your diligent, you will bag some excellent applicants eager to do their best for your company.
About the author: Nora Mork is a recruiting consultant and a business writer at Revieweal. She helps businesses achieve better hiring results by speaking at public events and writing posts at Resumention and Write my Australia blogs.
