17/12/2024
Employers, this one is for you. Your recruitment process impacts your brand—don’t mess it up!
I recently witnessed a recruitment process that, in my opinion, was far from good. Here’s what happened:
A formal interview was conducted with a shortlisted candidate, followed by a presentation the following week. All good so far. Unfortunately, this is where it went off track.
The candidate was told she would receive an update within two days of the presentation. A week later, she was still waiting for any form of communication. Then, at 5:40 PM on a Friday night, she received an email asking her to travel to Auckland (1.5 hours away) on Monday morning for an informal coffee catch-up at 8:30 AM with three potential team members. Short notice, but she agreed, thinking this was about team fit and that things were moving quickly.
What followed was a 30-minute general chat, a tour of the office, and introductions—including to the CEO. Promising signals: the team expressed how much they hoped to see her in the office in the New Year.
And then… nothing.
Ten days later, the candidate received a voicemail from HR saying she had been unsuccessful because she lacked technical knowledge in her presentation—a presentation delivered nearly three weeks earlier. Context: the candidate was given restricted access to data for her presentation. The manager’s immediate feedback at the time? They were impressed with her quick analysis of a system she had never seen before. They asked how she has managed to get so much information about the scenario company so quickly and they also loved one of her ideas and said they would pass it on to their team for customer presentations.
So, understandably, this was confusing and disappointing.
As employers, we have a responsibility to treat candidates with respect and professionalism:
• Keep people in the loop. If you commit to providing an update by a certain time, follow through—even if the update is simply that you need more time.
• Be consistent and intentional. Do not progress someone through multiple steps if you’ve already decided their skills aren’t the right match. • Provide clear, accurate feedback. Ensure it aligns with the context and the candidate’s performance. • Use the right communication channels. Feedback should come directly from the interviewing manager, not someone uninvolved in the process—and certainly not via voicemail.
It’s not rocket science. A good recruitment process ensures that candidates leave with their dignity intact, and your brand’s reputation protected.
In this case, the candidate was left feeling disillusioned. The flip side? During the same timeframe, she engaged in another recruitment process with a company that got it right. Timelines were clear and adhered to. Communication was excellent. Within two hours of her final interview with the Australian CEO, she received a job offer, with the company expressing excitement to have her on board.
Employers, the takeaway is simple: A poor recruitment process hurts your brand. A good one sets you apart. Do better—your candidates and your company deserve it.
