A Note to Recruiters Hiring Managers What Ever Happened to Professional Courtesy in Job Search - CareerAlley

A Note to Recruiters Hiring Managers What Ever Happened to Professional Courtesy in Job Search - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. I believe in integrity. Dogs have it. Humans are sometimes lacking it. Cesar Millan While the vast majority of the posts on CareerAlley are aimed at job searchers, todays post is primarily slanted to the hiring process (HR Recruiters, Hiring Managers and Executive Recruiters) although the topic will be of interest to all. I speak with (or exchange emails with) lots of people who are in various stages of the hunt. One alarming trend that has come up over the last year or so is the (seemingly) growing lack of professional courtesy provided by some recruiters, HR managers and hiring managers. Like everything in life, the few sometimes spoil it for the many. We all understand that the volume of resumes and applications submitted for each open position has skyrocketed over the last few years and no one should expect a thanks but no thanks for applications submitted, but I do have a different view regarding job search interview etiquette. Two scenarios: Company A calls you and sets-up a telephone interview with their HR generalist (lets call her Denise). You spend 45 minutes on the phone with Denise, going over your skills, background and why you think you are a great fit for this opportunity. At the end of the interview, Denise says Thanks for your time. We are in the middle of our interview process and will get back to you if we would like to pursue this further. That is a perfect response. It leaves the door open for additional interviews but also lets you know that you may not be hearing from them again. Of course what you do (or dont do) after your interview in terms of your thank you note could have an impact on next steps (but thank you letters is a topic for another day). Company B calls your recruiter to set-up an in-person interview with their HR specialist (lets call him Kirk). You spend an hour with Kirk, going over your skills, background, answering lots of tough questions about your qualifications and why you think you are a great fit for this opportunity. At the end of the interview, Kirk says Thanks for your time. I think you are an excellent fit for this role. Assuming you are interested, I will be bringing you back to interview with the hiring manager, Mr. Cool as well as our head of operations. This is a great response if you are the candidate. Youve obviously aced the interview and have made it into the next round of interviews. You send a fabulous thank you note and wait a week or so to hear back. No one calls, so you call your recruiter (who is not available so you leave a message). Another week goes by and youve heard nothing. You follow-up with an email to the recruiter but still do not hear back. Several weeks later you realize that y ou will not be getting a call back for the next round of interviews. Now many things could have happened after you interviewed. Maybe the job was put on hold, the job requirements changed or perhaps the company decided to promote someone internally. I would like to think we are all adults, we know we wont get an offer for many of the jobs we interview for. But there is a huge difference between a non-committal response to your interview and an explicit call back. Whatever the answer, my view is that out of common professional courtesy, someone should call or email candidates to let them know the outcome of a proposed call back that never materializes. Links to several articles follow for your review. Recruiters Need to Follow Through Avoid the Angry Email: Why Recruiters Need to Set Expectations with Hiring Managers How Long After an Interview Should You Hear Back or follow up with a call? Why Wont Anyone Call Back After an Interview!?! The Right Way to Follow-up after an Interview Good luck in your search. What's next? Ready to take action? Choose the right tools to help you build your career. Looking for related topics? Find out how to identify and land your dream job. Subscribe and make meaningful progress on your career. It’s about time you focused on your career. Get Educated Contact Us Advertise Copyright 2020 CareerAlley. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy + Disclosure home popular resources subscribe search