Job hunting is hell. When you search for a new perfect person to fill a vacancy, remember that your candidates go through hell to find a new job. Who should be grateful that they are willing to do it?
You should.
Yes, as a hiring manager, you should be grateful that any candidate is willing to go through the job search nightmare to find a job.
This is why two recent posts on LinkedIn prompted me to write this little rant.
“I just wanted to come on here and remind everyone on the importance of thank you notes. When I was on the job search myself, I would leave every interview and immediately start crafting a thank you note as soon as possible. I always made sure I sent one, regardless how good I thought it went/ how interested I was in the position. And now as a Recruiter, I know a thank you note can make or break a hire. To the younger generation and recent grads who are entering the workforce and conducting most of their interviews on phone/video, PLEASE SEND THANK YOU NOTES. We can’t lose touch for showing gratitude to a busy person taking time out of their day to meet with you!”
Let’s break down why this is not the attitude you should have toward your candidates. Here are three glaring problems with Costa’s post.
To keep reading, click here: Your Job Candidates Don’t Owe You Thank You Notes
These days, both sides are happy if the other one doesn’t “ghost” them! 🙂
Thank you for keeping it real! As always you’re spot on!
I love how the EHRL keeps it real! Thank you!!
The importance of thank you notes: It can help you stand out from the rest of the candidates.
Not exactly. In my market, you should feel lucky if you have qualified candidates who apply and show up. Reach out to thank them to distinguish yourself from the other employers who are after them.
Thank you notes or some acknowledgment that the interview had been conducted should be on both sides. The applicants should not be left in limbo state of whether to keep looking and the interviewer should acknowledge that they have reviewed the interview carefully for the job. Problem is that no one is making the final decision on hiring and the company doesn’t want to lose a potential applicant.
Again, not exactly. In my industry (IT), most candidates receive multiple offers within a few weeks of being on the market. They are not waiting for your answer. Within a few days, they often have moved on and accepted an offer somewhere else. That’s why I like to send thank you notes to candidates – it plays well, but it also keeps lines of communication open to help me find out who is no longer available.
Thank you notes are extremely important. As a hiring manager you should understand that such a small thing can increase the chance of candidate to take your offer instead of your competitor and simplify the process for both you and a candidate.
You will get the job done and the candidate will finally find his offer.
If we talk about hiring on LinkedIn, there are also ways to automate the whole “reach out” process from first touch to the very last with tools like https://www.linkedhelper.com/for-recruiters.html
This.