10 Things Employers Forget When Hiring

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Excellent points Alison - they are people, not things to get rid of and on to another "to do" list. Readers may be interested in my video of 10 steps to hire better http://youtu.be/nvfulAFkFII . Putting your judging hat on can blind you to a potential winner. I've found the odds of a great hire are about 50% until I see them in training. You don't want to go by your gut feeling but understand the words, "You're hired" to a new hire are just the entry to your business - not the finish line.

Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor of NY 11:45AM November 08, 2011

Alison, thank you for putting into words what many (if not all) of us job seekers go through when we finally are interviewed for a job. It is extremely emotional and quite stressful when you don't know how you did, if you're even being considered for the next step, etc. And you're right, common decency and courtesy are all we ask for. If we didn't make the cut, can't you just tell us, so we can move on? Is that how they (the HR folks) would want to be treated if they were in our shoes? I know I would not treat another individual the way many HR people treat potential job candidates. It's a shame, too, because it does say so much about the culture of the company. And that perception may not be accurate, but then what else do we have to go on except the lack of response from its HR person?

Debbie of CO 9:32AM November 08, 2011

Great advice! I especially agree with #8. I sent hundreds of applications out before finding a position only to receive notice for about a third of the jobs I applied to and about half of the jobs I interviewed for. Some places I even had to send out an email or call, because I never heard back, to see what happened. From the job-seeker standpoint, I hope HR people take a look at this!

Elo of WI 1:09AM November 08, 2011

I sure hope some HR folks actually READ this. I absolutely refuse to provide my social security # just to apply. There are many other ways companies can use a unique number as an identifier. I insist on controlling this important information and won't compromise my security. THANKS!!! Dr. D Follow me on Twitter: DrDteachu

Dr. D of OK 6:39PM November 07, 2011

Great points here. I might also add training employees on how to interview! As a recruiter I can't tell you how many times I've cringed after hearing from candidates about how badly they were interviewed. Some companies are very lucky not to be on the receiving end of lawsuits. You just can't ask if a candidate is planning to have children! And I've heard worse.
Many great candidates are lost simply because their interviewers just didn't know how to ask questions or judge qualifications.
It's definitely a two-way street!

Lisa Correu of MO 3:17PM November 07, 2011

Alison, in Point 5 you state - On the other hand, if you’re do these things, your new hire will assume that disorganization is a hallmark of the culture.
Do you mean if you don't do these things, your new hire will assume......?
I agree with #4. I recently interviewed at a place whose application had the SSN line. I debated about giving it to them and eventually did. I never heard back from this company. I think that is a big invasion of privacy.

K of CA 1:37PM November 07, 2011

I loved number 9 – truth in advertising. Just be honest about what the job is – and don’t worry about what you think the candidate wants to hear. That’s how you get a good fit.
It’s good to keep in mind that a negative to one person may be a positive, or irrelevant, to another – the same goes for “perks.”
I’ve had interviews where they went on and on about the insurance benefits, even after I told them I don’t care as I have insurance through my husband. Selling point to someone else, totally irrelevant to me. Same for working from home or vacation time, nice – but not in my evaluation matrix – but they may be huge perks for someone else.
Salary and career trajectory? Off street parking? How are metrics determined? Bonus plan? C level support for IT initiatives? Degree of autonomy? The answers to those questions will tell me whether or not I can be successful in that company.
Boils down to communication on both sides.

Jamie of IL 12:19PM November 07, 2011

You can remind employers to get back to people all they want but I can't tell you the number of times I've been in for interviews and the recruiters fall off the face of the Earth. Rude!

Lisa of NY 11:01AM November 07, 2011