Originally published on the TalentWise blog September 29, 2015.
—
TalentWise is proud to sponsor the Candidate Experience Symposium, happening this week in Fort Worth, TX. We’re excited to be leading a table discussion around how engaging the hiring manager leads to a better candidate experience. This is the first of two blogs surrounding the Candidate Experience Symposium.
Imagine this: you’ve landed a job interview for a position that seems absolutely perfect for you. The recruiter could not have outlined a dreamier role over the phone, and based on the job expectations you were communicated, you’re feeling pumped—you’re qualified and you’re excited. You arrive on site to interview with the hiring manager, your future boss. She’s got a big smile and can’t wait to meet you after what the recruiter told her about you.
Then suddenly the tables turn. The dream job you thought you were applying for is not exactly what your hiring manager is describing. The examples you provide of the past projects you’ve nailed (like a boss!) don’t seem to impress the hiring manager quite like it did the recruiter. You leave the interview struggling to accept that you’re back at square one when you had such good feelings only hours ago. Where did things go wrong?
You probably didn’t do anything wrong; you just stumbled unknowingly into an unfortunate situation. The recruiter and hiring manager clearly weren’t on the same page regarding the needs for this role and very well may have wasted of your time dangling false hopes in front of you like a carrot on a string. You have every right to be disappointed, but so should that employer—because if they don’t address the expectations for future candidates, this inefficient cycle may continue.
It’s no secret that the relationship between recruiters and hiring managers can often be a challenging one. You’ve been warned of the effects that a disconnect can have on your organization; if your teams aren’t on the same page your time to hire can be slowed down, while your recruiters and hiring managers trudge through a painful and broken process amidst passive-aggressive emails and dead end conversations. Worst of all: it can feel really awkward for the candidate, negatively affecting their image of your brand, possibly even turning them away from your organization and what they thought was their dream job.
Effective recruiting is a process that requires more than just a recruiter passing a qualified candidate to a hiring manager. It takes a village! Aligning your recruiters and hiring managers in agreement with clear expectations will help make the process smoother for everyone involved, including the candidate. Good communication, realistic expectations, and mutual trust are all key. The stronger the collaboration from the beginning, the better the experience you’re setting up for the candidate.
Establishing clear expectations for the position before you begin screening candidates is not only going to help save HR and hiring managers time and stress, but it will help the candidate to better prepare for the interview and bring you their best self. A disjointed impression of your company won’t leave a candidate feeling like they’re entering a pristine machine of an organization, nor would it excite them to start productive work in the way that a seamless and consistent process will. You want your new hires to be engaged and excited for a productive day one, but first you’ve got to reel them in with a positive candidate experience.
Spencer Czapiewski 