The HR Nightmare: Why Your Top Candidate Turned You Down
Vincent Benjamin

Hiring is a complex game. You have to find exactly the right candidates at exactly the right time. They have to have the precise skills you’re looking for and fit the corporate culture and environment. Or do they?

What if it is simpler than that?

Hiring superstar candidates may be more about your hiring process than about candidate perfection. Have you ever experienced a situation where you spent time pre-screening, interviewing, and evaluating candidates only to get to the offer and discover your choice is no longer available for the job? Why does this happen?

Companies all across the U.S. are missing out on great candidates for just one simple reason: lack of candidate feedback.

How can you solve this problem within your own organization? Here are just a few things you can tweak in your hiring process to entice the best candidates to apply and ensure you can make the right hiring decision.

  1. Create a standard interviewing process. There are two sides to the average interviewing coin. Either a hiring manager will make a hiring decision on the spot based on a gut reaction or they will draw out the process wanting to see who else is out there. Either can result in a bad hire or a loss of a great candidate. Instead, create a streamlined but standardized interviewing process that every candidate will face. Ask each potential employee the same general questions so you can compare and contrast their answers. Have at least one or two other people in your organization interview them as well so you can get an additional opinion.
  2. Follow up with every step. Candidates who are interviewing with your company are not putting a hold on their job search while they wait for your response. They will continue to search for a job and if they get an offer they might just take it. However, you can keep them interested and engaged with your organization by providing regular feedback. Let them know where they are in the process and when you expect to make a decision. If someone is not the right fit for your company let them know, but be gracious because you never know when a different opportunity may be right.
  3. Work with a local staffing agency. Most business owners aren’t trained in the art of interviewing and hiring and that is okay. A local staffing service can get to know your company and specific needs. They can source and pre-screen candidates and only send you the top qualified applicants. They can set up all the interviews and help you with feedback. Working with a staffing company can allow you to focus on running your business while you’re searching for the right new employee.

VincentBenjamin, with offices in Phoenix AZ, Orange County CA, Los Angeles CA, and Denver Co, can help you find your next employee and work with you throughout the hiring process. Contact us today!

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