Mirror mirror on the wall

Did you know your hiring process is the first impression a candidate gets about your organization?

I am actually surprised recruiters don’t go through customer service training, it’s probably a great idea so that we can give ourselves the important tools of managing difficult candidates and hiring managers. Typically, during onboarding/ orientation and with your direct manager, they will be able to throw you a few bones and show you the ropes but really formal training is important because we are the first face of the organization to many externals.

Being vulnerable – I recall a mid-level candidate I had once that was a top contender that withdrew midway through the process. I was caught flat footed so gave him (let’s call him Joe as well), and he mentioned there was nothing particularly wrong but he did not feel cared for as a candidate even though his process was moving seamlessly and within the appropriate timelines. He called me professional. Now that’s not a bad thing but if I think about the organization I represented at the time, we operated in a very tight knit and fun + work manner. Didn’t he get the sense that was our culture? Didn’t he want to wait until he is in to truly understand us? No. I knew then that no matter how professional you may be, you also need to give your candidates a true glimpse of who you (as the organization) are. If you are stiff and cold – well no need to sell falsehoods in an energetic and fun resembling interview. Be real because the best hires I’ve come to find join companies understanding the reality and how they can fit into it.

Back to hiring timelines – One of the best practices I learned during my time at McKinsey was the value of “Decision Meetings”. These were meetings hosted by the recruiter and attended by interviewer panellists. It was recommended to host the meeting same day if possible and at worst same week. Why? Our interviewers minds were fresh and uncluttered mixing candidate profiles because one tends to forget about an interview experience even with interview notes. The decision meetings always needed to have a solid outcome; Yes, No or Keep-In-Touch. Think about it like a court of law; we respect the law, we respect the judges and lawyers as they speak and I am not sure I have ever heard of a court case that had no answer- perhaps a dragged out proceeding but it’s either a guilty or not guilty outcome and people can then go about their lives. Decision meetings were were not always easy to host but the fact that a way forward needed to be concluded on made the selection process a lot more seamless. Many of the calls I made to share the feedback went quite well even the negative ones because they had detailed information on their interview performance, in a reasonably fast TAT (Turn around time). Closure is important to us all, candidates most especially.

Hiring mistakes are indeed expensive but I would not recommend taking weeks on end to make a final decision on hiring a candidate. My personal rule is, if you need to think that hard and long about something, it’s probably your instinct telling you something is amiss and it’s either not the right time to say yes to whatever it is you have on your plate or even say yes at all.

Moral of the week: Your hiring process is a strong reflection of how your organization works. Moving too slow? Probably implies you are a very bureaucratic organization. Moving too fast? Probably implies we are herding animals not engaging humans.