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Hiring Process Etiquette for Employers

Mad HR Manager

Just as job seekers must adhere to a proper etiquette during the hiring process, if they wish to ever get hired, so do employers. Employers who fail to follow certain guidelines and common courtesies when interviewing potential employees may find it difficult to get their open positions filled. ... They could also lose out on extremely skilled, professional and well-versed employees.

Common Courtesies Employers Should Recognize During the Hiring Process

By adhering to these common courtesies during the hiring process, you, as an employer, will be far less likely to burn bridges and lose out on staff who might have been exactly what your business needs. So, make sure you or your hiring manager recognize these points of etiquette during the hiring process:

  • Be on time for the interview.
  • Dress professionally.
  • Clear your calendar so you receive no interruptions during a scheduled interview.
  • Turn off your cell phone to minimize distractions.
  • Be prepared: Review the applicant's resume, make sure you know the position for which he or she is applying and make notes covering the questions you want to ask and topics you want to cover.
  • Be attentive and interested in the person in front of you.
  • Be respectful, regardless of whether you think he or she will be a good hire.
  • Make sure all your questions are asked, and all your applicant's questions are answered, during the interview.
  • Let the job applicant know, in a timely manner, whether you are interested in making an offer.
  • If a job seeker responds with a counter to your original offer, make sure you respond right away, whether you are interested in negotiating further or not.
  • Don't instantly discredit a counteroffer. If a job seeker is countering your original offer, it means he or she IS interested in the position. If you think the applicant could become a valuable member of your team, negotiate. It might be well worth it.
  • Never string a job applicant along, especially in an effort to see if someone better might come along. It's not fair to the job seeker, nor will it be good for your reputation as an employer.

You should also keep in mind; more communication is always better. Sometimes when job seekers don't hear back from an employer after an interview, they make assumptions. They might assume you aren't interested, even if you are very interested. Make your intentions clear and be sure you and your job applicant are on the same page. The last thing you want is to have a potentially great hire seek other opportunities, when they could have been hired by you.

Employers Can Burn Bridges with Job Seekers Too

Although you might not realize it, employers can burn bridges just as easily as job seekers. It's unfortunate, but true. For example, when an employer doesn't follow up with a job applicant in a timely manner, the job applicant will often assume the employer isn't interested and so, will move on to other opportunities. When an employer fails to respond to a counteroffer, it comes across as disrespectful and rude. If a hiring manager has to continuously reschedule or doesn't allow for a dedicated time to speak with a potential hire, the job seeker could easily get the impression the company doesn't value his or her work. 

Continued lack of common courtesy during the hiring process eventually adds up and could lead to a scarcity of job applicants in the future. Word might spread and your company then ends up getting a poor reputation. You don't want that.

Simple way to remedy the situation, is to be respectful to all job applicants during the hiring process and definitely respond (whether or not you choose to hire them) within a reasonable amount of time.

Don't String Applicants Along

On that same note, you don't want to string applicants along. If you gather all the information you need from a job applicant during the hiring interview, you should be able to decide quickly whether you will hire the individual or not. If you can't make such a decision easily, it likely means you are either missing information or you may have other applicants still needing to be interviewed.

Once all your scheduled interviews are done, don't delay letting the applicants know where they stand.  If you want to make an offer, do so. If you want to pass on an applicant, pass quickly. Job seekers deserve this common courtesy. While many are searching for their ideal job and are willing to do what it takes to get it, this doesn't negate the fact they still need to make money to survive. They need to know whether they can stop interviewing or need to keep searching.

Responding to Counteroffers

While many employers are open to counteroffers from potential job seekers, especially when the job seeker seems to be an ideal fit for the company, some employers have taken offense when an applicant counters their offer. Either they feel disrespected or simply have no idea how to give the job seeker what he or she wants.

A counteroffer isn't intended to cause offense. It usually means a job seeker is really interested in the position you have available, so long as certain conditions can be met. Maybe he or she needs a little bit more money. Perhaps a change of schedule is required. They might be interested in continued education. You never know until you look at their counteroffer.

Once you've reviewed the counter, it's okay to contact the job seeker and negotiate. Just like the job seeker upon his or her initial review of your offer, you have another option besides simply accepting or declining the counteroffer. Negotiations are an easy way to bridge the gap and get this person on board.

Even if you decide you have no room to negotiate or are unable meet the proposed counteroffer, contact the individual, thank him or her, and let them know your decision. This brings the hiring process to a close and both you and the job seeker can both move on.

The key throughout the entire hiring process is adhering to common courtesies recognized throughout the working world. Be respect, be kind and most importantly, respond to or originate communications in a timely manner, even when delivering "bad news". You and your company will be much better for it. 

If you're having trouble getting a position filled, let us know! For the last 20 years, the People Link has been dedicated to helping companies achieve their hiring objectives. Our focus is finding qualified healthcare applicants to fill open positions in both the Dental and Allied Healthcare industries, to the benefit of all. We have an extremely high success rate and look forward to doing what we can to help get your positions filled fast.

To find out more about our services, visit Employer Services online or call Mya directly at 818-890-9998 to obtain a free, no-obligation consultation.

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