Today we’ll be discussing two of the best practices when you need to hire a qualified candidate: effective communication and detailed feedback.
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I was working with several of my clients today, and I was struck by the stark contrast between two different interview follow-up experiences.
As I’ve discussed in the past, positive candidate experiences will help you as a hiring authority secure the most wholly qualified person for your open position and save time in a highly efficient way.
But let’s fix our attention on one key question: What happens in the 24 hours that follow an interview?
Scenario No. 1
This candidate interviewed for a newly created senior-level director role with a company we recruit for. Before starting our search, we met with decision-makers and were not only clear on the qualifications, but we also had a fully developed picture of what it would take for the candidate to be successful in the role.
As candidates progressed from round one to round two of the interview process, our client collected feedback from each team member they had tasked with conducting interviews and laid out the pros and cons of each candidate in a well-articulated manner—all within 24 hours of each interview.
This feedback was instrumental in allowing us to hone our search and partner with the client to collectively force rank the candidates. While that’s happening, our candidates are also having a positive experience because we’re providing interview feedback and information on what comes next in the 24 hours thereafter.
Scenario No. 2
This particular client was interviewing candidates for a newly opened multi-store leader role. Although the initial conversation regarding specs for the role was relatively complete, the feedback we received came a week or more after the interviews and was not constructive or specific.
It’s easy to imagine how this hampers our ability to keep candidates engaged and perform the process of elimination to identify candidates who are more suitable for the role and the client’s needs.
Comparing apples to apples, which scenario is most likely to yield a positive outcome? The answer goes without saying. We can only be as effective as the information and feedback that we receive on our presented candidates.
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If you’re an interviewer, seriously consider how far the small investment
of detailed feedback and follow-up to your recruiter will go.
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Let’s consider the minimum amount of time you as a hiring authority actually need to invest to provide detailed interview feedback and how it will improve the interview process.
Strong communication will allow us as your collaborative recruiter to properly screen candidates and better target the right ones. Furthermore, the candidates will walk away from the experience feeling that their time was valued, their efforts were appreciated, and they’ll have an overall positive impression of the company.
Bad communication leaves candidates feeling that the company is disorganized or simply undervalues their time. Ultimately, bad communication wastes time on search efforts and causes the recruiter to reactively start tracking down new talent without a well-understood sense of what the company is seeking. Worst still, it hurts the company’s bottom line as time is lost interviewing the wrong candidates and losing the best candidates to a frustrating process.
These days, it’s not just about money for worthwhile candidates—company culture matters just as much. Put yourself in the shoes of your interviewees and ask yourself if you would be impressed by the professionalism with which your company operates in the interview process?
Take the ten minutes to gather and communicate interview feedback. I guarantee it will make all the difference in the effectiveness of your interview process.
If you have any questions or comments about today’s video, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I’ll talk to you again soon!
Rob Bowerman is President and Founder of The Bowerman Group- a leading executive search firm for luxury brands in the US and Canada. Rob is also President of The Pinnacle Society, the premier consortium of industry-leading recruiters in North America.