An important factor to any successful workout is to stretch and allow your body flexibility. When you are flexible you enhance your performance and decrease the chance of injury. This philosophy should be applied to job searches and hiring processes. Candidate should be flexible in their ability to accommodate interview schedules and hiring managers should be flexible to make the hiring process as least restrictive as possible. Many times these two factors are at odds and causes a negative experience for the Manager and Candidate.

As a candidate seeking employment or a promotion flexibility can be a strength. Many organizations will designate certain days and times to schedule interviews. This practice provides minimal down time for getting potential candidates scheduled. When there is an interest, in a candidate, the person responsible for scheduling can present the applicant with a range of times/days and immediately put the meeting time on the hiring manager’s calendar.

Kendall Lambright, President of LG Human Capital Solutions shares with potential candidates, “If you are unemployed your full-time job is finding employment and being cooperative is essential. If you are employed then you have a responsibility to the interview process to be fairly flexible.” Limiting your availability may be an early warning sign to a recruiter that the candidate is either not engaged in the opportunity or not willing to be accommodating and show the potential of being a team player. He concludes, “The job market is a competitive place and only making yourself available a minimal amount of time compared to your competition, who provides a variety of options and availability, forces the organization to ask the question: Who do we think is more interested in the opportunity?

As an Employer when you begin the interview process for your next employee or promotion of an inside candidate, flexibility should be used to show your willingness to support employee engagement and set a workplace culture that is positive which leads to a strong hire and retention. Most hiring processes consist of several interviews and sometimes assessments. This cannot be done in one day, so keep in mind that the interviewee may have to take off several days from work. Being flexible in scheduling and possibly varying the interview methods can help you conduct effective interviews and minimize downtime between interviews and making your final decision.

Kendall reminds our clients that when they are conducting interviews they are also being interviewed by the candidate. “The interview experience that the applicant has is the first impression of your organization. The timely scheduling of interviews along with follow-up interviews and providing feedback affords the candidate a snapshot of your company’s culture,” he adds. You always want a potential candidate to complete the interview process feeling positive about it. Your expectation should be to have all candidates feel that if hired you will be engaged in their professional development because of the priority you displayed throughout interview.

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee. Being flexible in business can help a person advance in their career or find the best candidate for an opportunity. As a candidate or employer flexibility welcomes the opportunity to develop and improve.