How To Make Better First Impressions On Candidates During the Hiring Process

How To Make Better First Impressions On Candidates During the Hiring ProcessWhile job seekers are focused on wowing hiring managers in order to snag an offer, its equally important that those tasked with finding new talent make a positive impression, too. As the job market gets mora competitive for hiring managers, a strong first impression helps your business stand out and continue to attract the most qualified professionals that your field has to offer. When youre looking to promote your employer brand by putting your companys best foot forward during the job bewerbungsinterview process, consider these tipsClearly state job requirementsYoud be surprised how many hiring managers try to fill an open role without knowing exactly who or what theyre seeking. This makes the hiring process confusing for everyone involved. Before you begin bringing candidates in for an interview, be sure that everyone involved knows what the job entails. What kinds of tasks will the person be doing? What a re the short- and long-term goals associated with the position? To whom do they report? What is the salary range? Which colleagues will they be working with most closely? What kinds of clients can they expect to service? What type of experience is necessary to excel in this role? Is any formal training or certification required?Hammering out these details before you begin hiring is essential to avoid wasting candidates time. You should also have these details in writing, so all applicants can be aware of what to expect before they submit their materials. Working off the cuff with regard to a job description makes your business look unprofessional.Be honest about what youre looking forYou may be tempted to beef up your job description to attract the best talent, but youll only end up burning bridges. Its important to be transparent during all parts of the interview process. If youre looking for a salesperson and the job requires a lot of cold calling, make this known. If youre lookin g for an account manager and theyll only be dealing with one type of client, let them know what kind of work they can expect to do should they receive an offer. You dont want to hire someone, only to have them quit two weeks in because the position wasnt at all what they expected due to a misleading job description.Know what you need out of the person who fills the roleIts likely your candidate will have follow-up questions as the interview is concluding, and some of these inquiries may pertain to the type of person youre looking for as you go through the hiring process. They may want to know what kind of person has filled the role before. What type of professional is usually successful within your company? Are you a bunch of extroverts, or more of a mixed bag? Be prepared with a thorough assessment in case the topic comes up. While you dont want to get too narrow as you create the ideal candidate in your mind, you should have some semblance of an idea about what youre looking for a s you begin the interview process and be comfortable talking about it with applicants.All individuals involved in the hiring process should be preparedWhether youre handling the hiring on your own or rely on a panel-style interview to complete the process, everyone involved should be prepared before you bring candidates in. This means youve looked over each applicants resume and cover letter, know what you want to ask, can give them an idea about how long the hiring process will take, can provide details about what the position entails, and can explain what the next steps will be. While many hiring managers feel pressure to get an open role filled as quickly as possible, its important not to begin the interview process until youre completely prepared. Bringing candidates in when you lack information or feel disjointed gives a negative impression to those who have applied for the job and can cause you to miss out on the best candidates, as they may choose to go elsewhere.Youd expect candidates to be prepared for the jobinterview so you should be too.Click To TweetBe transparent about communication throughout hiringCandidates repeatedly express frustration with the lack of communication during the hiring process. Trying to find a job is stressful enough, but not knowing where they stand during the interview process only makes it more confusing. They thought their second interview went well, but now its been a week and they havent heard anything, so theyre left wondering whether they should continue submitting their resume as aggressively as they once were. Show the job seekers who applied to your opening that you respect their time and energy by practicing good communication from start to finish during your hiring process. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you, and ask them how theyd prefer to be contacted. Some people find a phone call much easier, while others cant answer the telephone during the day, making email the best option.Offer honest fe edback to those who dont receive an offerTelling someone you dont have room for them at your company is never a pleasant task, but you can play an important role in their professional development. If there was a specific reason why they didnt get the job, consider letting them know. For example, perhaps they didnt have enough knowledge in one specific area. Be upfront with them about this so they can beef up this area of their resume. Maybe the person you went with had a professional certification that made them a more desirable candidate. Let those who didnt get an offer know so they can consider pursuing this additional training in order to become more competitive during future job searches.Choose the proper interview spaceThe environment in which you choose to conduct an interview has a significant impact on how the conversation goes. Though it may not feel important, choosing a loud, busy space causes distractions for both interviewer and job seeker. If youre straining to hear o ne another over a raucous sales meeting or half of your staff enjoying a lunch break, it will be hard to have a serious, focused conversation. On the other hand, a dimly-lit, stark room can feel unwelcoming to those coming in to discuss job opportunities. Be open to choosing a location outside of your normal office space, as well. Many hiring managers find that coffee shops or other off-campus sites lend themselves to a more relaxed job interview than the traditional conference room setting.Test the technology ahead of timeIf youll need to incorporate technology into your discussion perhaps you want to show a short PowerPoint presentation or youd like to bring up your companys website on a projector make sure youre completely comfortable with the functionality of the software ahead of time. There are few things that look worse than when you have to bring in additional hands to get technology issues resolved so you can continue on with your interview. It gives off an unprofessional appearance, and grinds the interview process to a halt. This can cause the candidate to question whether your business is truly up-to-date on the latest technology, and may encourage them to seek opportunities with businesses that have a better grasp on these details.When technology fails during a job interview it leaves a bad impression on candidates.Click To Tweet Dont skip the small talkWhile keeping the interview process running on time is crucial, bringing a candidate in and immediately drilling them on their previous work experience and educational background makes the whole thing feel uncomfortable and sterile. Take two or three minutes to make the person feel welcome by making casual conversation. This makes the discussion feel more natural and helps put the candidate at ease.Keep your social media up to dateBefore submitting their materials to your company, a responsible job seeker will probably scope out your company to see what youre all about. What kinds of clients do y ou take on? Have you won any notable awards or honors? What does the atmosphere within your office appear to be like? One way theyll do this is by checking out your erreichbar presence. If your website and social media are desperately outdated, it sends a bad message to those who may be interested in applying for a job at your company. While you may be great at customer service, the fact that you dont pay attention to your online presence can illustrate that youre out of touch with this important aspect of doing business in 2017. As a result, you may lose out on top-tier talent, who will decide instead to apply with a more tech-savvy and forward-thinking firm.Try to keep the process as on-schedule as possibleWhile some delays may be inevitable as youre interviewing, make an effort to move the process along as quickly as you can. Sure, youll want to make small talk with a candidate before immediately diving into an intense conversation, but dont let yourself get into a half-hour disc ussion of your favorite Netflix shows. If youre doing a panel interview and one person is late, dont wait 20 minutes for them to arrive. Instead, get started without them and let them catch up when theyre able. A candidate who shows up to find that youre running 45 minutes behind schedule for their interview will question how professional the business is. Respect your own time, as well as the job seekers, to make a positive first impression.Remember that candidates are judging your professionalism during the job interview too.Click To TweetMake sure theyre greeted warmlyThe hiring manager isnt the only person who plays a role in the interview process. Your companys receptionist has a major influence on the first impression your company creates, so make sure he or she gives off the kind of positive vibes you hope your business radiates. If this person is cold and unfriendly, the candidate will immediately have a negative impression of your company. Yet, if theyre engaging, this indiv idual will feel at home and probably less nervous about the process.Considering the first impression your business gives off ensures youre making a positive impact right away on each potential new hire you see. While it may not seem small details like how your receptionist greets candidates or the kind of room in which you conduct interviews matters, paying attention to these components of the process allows you to give off a polished and put together first impression. This can make your business stand out among the completion and help you recruit top-tier talent.Dont let a bad first impressions scare off the best candidates. Download our eBook, Give Candidates The Best Interview Experience With This Expert Advice.