Etiquette of the Job Search -6 Tips to Always Follow

Today’s Employment market has moved us into a Candidate Driven Market for sure.

Demands from Employers and not enough qualified individuals to fill the positions has made Hiring that much more difficult.

However, just because it’s a candidate driven market doesn’t mean that a Candidate interviewing can’t follow a few Tips on Etiquette.?In fact, no one knows what tomorrow will bring so ensuing you don’t burn bridges while going through the interview process is more important than ever.?

Here are some Tips on Etiquette during the Job Search

1.?????Know Thy Self- Know what your strengths are and what you are looking for in your next opportunity.?If you are unhappy where you are currently it’s important to take the time to identify what’s missing and what you are looking for in your next opportunity.??If you have a good understanding what your strengths are and what you want/need when you’re interviewing, you can be clear about these points in the discovery phase of the interview. Finding a role that highlights your strengths is what leads to success, recognition, advancement etc.?Making a change for more of the same typically doesn’t move you past the finish line.?Be honest with yourself and be clear on what you are looking for and what you need with those you speak with.?I have personally had an individual that after a first conversation with a client identified that the role at hand didn’t match their strengths (giving specifics) and pass on a 2nd interview.?Due to this candor when a role appeared a little while later that did utilize those strengths, guess who that company thought of to interview and eventually hire (you guessed it, the one who knew themselves well enough to not interview for a role that didn’t match their strengths).

2.?????Candor on Your Interview Status- It’s acceptable for you to interview multiple places.?However, sharing within the interview that you are actively searching and speaking to other companies is important.?It shows that you are upfront and honest.?It also encourages hiring authorities to move quickly (or quicker) if they are really interested and able to.?When candidates identified they’ve been presented with an offer, and this is the first time a company is hearing they were interviewing elsewhere, it comes across as sneaky and lacking some integrity.?Since there is always a possibility that the new roles won’t work out it’s important to ensure all who you are interviewing with understand where you are in the interviewing process to avoid hard feelings later.

3.?????Research Location before an Interview- Covid has opened up the world of possibility when it comes to where you can live for many roles.?Yet in industries like “Food Manufacturing” where there is a physical plant, the location continues to be a place you need to go to. ?Location, Commute and if your significant other can find employment in that area or if they’d be open to living in that area (schools, family, neighborhoods, etc) can easily be identified upfront. ?A quick search on distance, the area, etc and a conversation at the dinner table can help mitigate concerns later in the process.?Do your homework upfront to prevent broken hearts in the future.

4.?????Be Clear on Total Compensation Expectations- if your current company has other perks beyond compensation (Insurance, 401k contributions, Bonuses, Stock Options, Equity, Free monthly massages, Extra Timeoff (beyond 2-3 weeks) etc)- share this as part of your expectations right away for what you’ll need to consider a change.?Companies today want to present an offer that gets the candidate excited and ultimately accepted- the clearer you can be on what you need/want and are used to, the better the company can present you with their best offer the first time.

5.?????Identify What it Would Take- I see it time and time again, an offer is presented- the candidate feels there are pieces missing (or a lot of pieces missing) and decline the offer without any further discussion.?Assuming positive intent, my advice would be to share what you would need to consider a change.?Identify all the points, in one conversation/email or response (avoid the back and forth) that you need clarified or changed.?The company may decline your points but you never know until you ask.?However, if you were upfront on what I identified in Number 4 (Being Clear on Total Compensation Expectations) your points should be minimum and likely insignificant in moving the conversation forward.

6.?????Be Honest and Be Excited- From someone who presents offers to candidates all the time I still find it interesting when a very outgoing, kind individual when presented with an offer changes their tone.?They suddenly sound closed off and don’t want to share if they are excited about an opportunity or not.?Being excited about a company and opportunity does NOT mean you are going to accept all the terms that were presented.?However, when I present an offer to an individual if they don’t sound excited my immediate thought is that they are not truly interested in my client or the role I’m presenting.?We say it all the time, similar to dating, the offer is the company saying that “they love you”.?If you can’t say “I love you back” right away then you should question your true interest in the company.?Sharing your excitement, what you love about the opportunity doesn’t mean that you won’t have to iron out some details or that you’re accepting on the spot but what it does say is that you WANT this to work.?If this opportunity doesn’t play on your strengths (that you know so well due to Point 1) then this should have been clear way before an offer was presented.?Being honest with yourself and with the company you are interviewing with throughout the process allows opportunities to work through questions or concerns.?

Candidates are in a great position right now because they don’t have to settle.?They can find better opportunities that match their true strengths and wants/needs.?However, I still believe in the “treat others as you want to be treated” and following these 6 Tips will ensure you always have the proper Etiquette throughout the Job Search.?Best of luck and Happy Hunting.

-Denise Chludzinski

9/24/2021