Hiring Wisdom: Yes, It Matters How You Treat Your Job Applicants

If you already have a job and are not looking for a new job, but a new job comes looking for you, it is stressful.

If you already have a job and are looking for a new job, it is more stressful. If you don’t have a job and are looking for a job, it is very stressful.

With this in mind, recruiters and hiring managers need to realize that no one walks away from the hiring process feeling neutral.

A code of conduct worth considering

Applicants either feel they were treated with respect or they were treated poorly. Whether they get the job or not, how you treat applicants matters because their perceptions of your organization affects your employment brand and reputation.

To this end, employers would be well-served by adopting a code of conduct governing their interactions with job applicants:

Respect: We will treat all job applicants with the respect they deserve.
Confidentiality: We will not share any of the information job applicants provide with anyone who is not directly involved in the hiring process.
Communications: We will promptly acknowledge the receipt of all applications and will keep applicants informed of our decisions as soon as they are made.
Accuracy: We will accurately portray the job, both its challenges and opportunities, so applicants can make well-informed decisions.
Professionalism: We will apply the same hiring standards and explain how our hiring system works to every applicant.
Compliance: We will adhere to all federal, state, and local laws and regulations as they relate to the recruiting and hiring process.
Courtesy: We will honor all commitments, promises, and appointments and will give the applicant our complete attention during the interview process.
Hiring Standards: We will strive to hire the best person for the job as well as to make sure that the job is right for the person.

This was originally published on Mel Kleiman’s Humetrics blog.