When employers say We will let you know after an interview

The list, according to experts, includes jobs ads ignoring candidate’s needs to interviewers not offering feedback .At a time when there is a war for talent at the market, candidates determine the rules of the game. More than the company selecting a prospective employee, it’s actually the employee who selects the prospective employer, where he/she would be spending many years of his/her career. The need of the hour thus is that the hiring process needs to be fine-tuned to take care of smallest nuances which may put off a candidate from accepting an offer.

Speaking to TimesJobs.com, industry experts highlight several things about the hiring process that candidates hate the most, making employers lose out on good talent.

Lopamudra Banerjee, head-HR, Carrier Midea India and deputy director-HR, South East Asia, Midea

Job Ads Ignore the Needs of Candidates: Top talent is deterred by job advertisements that focus almost exclusively on the organisation’s needs. If your ads don’t talk about how the company can meet candidates’ needs, in terms of pay, personal growth and work-life balance and so on, then the chances are that the best candidates will not apply. A recent study found that candidate-centered postings receive many more and higher quality applicants than employer-centered postings.

Interviewers Coming Late and Unprepared: Candidates who are really serious and want a position in a company usually demonstrate it in many small ways. A prepared candidate will be on time (probably early) and will expect to see the same from the interviewer. Respect the candidate’s time. The candidate will also expect the interviewer to have thoroughly looked at his or her resume. Make sure you are not reading the resume while the candidate is sitting across the table. Simply taking an interest in what the candidate has to say could create an encouraging environment. Ninety per cent of candidates who felt they were treated with courtesy would encourage other people to apply for your organisation.

Not Offering Feedback: Candidates who have made it through the application process and one round of interview deserve the courtesy of a feedback. It is important to keep the candidates updated at every step of the way and to design a formal time schedule to revert to them. While the candidate may not be right for the job you are offering right now, he or she may be a perfect fit for another role which may come up in the future. Not offering timely and helpful feedback to candidates will ensure that you burn bridges with talent who could become a part of the organisation at a later date.

Asha Poluru, chief-people experience, Altimetrik

No Response to Candidate’s Application: One of the biggest evils of the hiring process is there is no response from the employer on the status of the candidate’s application. Employers ignore applications which don’t match the requirements.

Long Interview Process: A common candidate complaint is that there are too many interviews which take up a lot of candidate’s time, which distracts them from their current job and/or their personal life. No candidate wants to work for a company that disrespects their time before they have even joined the team.

Longer Waiting Period: From the time the job goes live to fulfillment, some organisations take about 30 to 90 days time to complete the hiring process. Top talents in the market don’t have the patience to go through the entire ordeal of waiting. A longer hiring process will makes candidates see your organisation as slow, ponderous, not very dynamic, and way behind the times.

Debi Prasad Das, senior VP and chief human resource officer, CEAT Ltd

Not Engaging with Candidates: Top talent has multiple choices today. The perception that only the candidate needs the job is changing drastically. In reality, the company is more in need of good people than the people needing the job. Hence, the interviewers need to ensure that they engage with the candidate with humility and courtesy.

“I know it better” attitude: An interviewer should explore what the candidate knows and how well, rather than what the candidate does not know and ridicule him/her for it. The best way to use the time with the candidate in to listen, acknowledge and appreciate achievements of the candidate, thus making the interaction pleasant and enjoyable for both. The candidate also carries a good impression about the company and work culture. I know of a large corporation where senior people don’t want to work because of the way they are treated during interviews.

Lousy bye-bye: It is important to be courteous to the candidate. A warm good-bye is as important as a warm welcome. At RPG many senior leaders ensure they escort the candidate to the lift to see them off after the interview is over. Also, a proper closure of the process, feedback to candidate on the process and clear planned communication of way forward (between interview and joining), checklist, follow up for documents etc is imperative.

Neha Singh Verma, TimesJobs.com