The Thanksgiving season is upon us which is a wonderful time for reflection. The good news is that slowly, over the last few years, the job market has made significant recovery and for that, we are all thankful. But there is an opportunity for us to improve on the hiring process, from a hiring manager standpoint.
Over the past ten years that I have been a recruiter, I have seen a significant shift in the hiring process and not necessarily for the better. So the blog Anne Kreamer wrote this month in the Harvard Business Review resonates with me. She titled it The Rise of the Rude Hiring Manager, a bit sensational but she make many good points. Anne discusses two major areas that have the potential to negatively impact the hiring process: “fear of decision-making” and “a culture of rudeness”. Examples of this are clear when you see them. Many companies waste money and time interviewing too many candidates simply because they can’t decide or agree on what they need. The cost of flying candidates to the company and taking time from employee’s schedules to resolve this conflict is not an efficient way to do business. I have also seen the “culture of rudeness” in action, where hiring mangers seem to be so busy and distracted that they forget to respect the candidate’s time. The result is that it sends the wrong message to candidates, and they may lose interest. When hiring managers do not provide timely feedback, or ask candidates to produce excessive work products without serious hiring considerations, it can hurt the company’s hiring prospects in the future.
The good news is hiring managers get the best employees, save time and money when they have an effective hiring process. Here are some simple helpful tips:
– Clearly develop the responsibility, requirements & compensation for the position.
– Get buy-in from stakeholders in the company before opening the position.
– Develop and run a well architected process for hiring.
– Make sure to follow-up in a meaningful way with all candidates.
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Remember that, as Anne Kreamers says, “It’s Always Personal”. A little kindness, a sense of humor and a moment to connect can be very productive and is always appreciated. Happy Thanksgiving!