In response to a good friend having a difficult time with a job search......

As a Principal Recruiter with more than 17 years of experience in the industry, it never ceases to amaze me how many recruiters treat applicants poorly. Most amazing to me is how recruiters behave towards one another. I have always prided myself in open, honest and timely communication with applicants, whether or not they are chosen for a role within my organization. If we as a company are undecided and dragging our feet, I tell the applicants such and keep them updated on our progress. If we have chosen another candidate, I don't keep them waiting for weeks on end for feedback and never leave them wondering what became of their interview.
Incredibly, this has been done to me (often) despite the fact that I am a fellow member of the Talent Acquisition community. It not only reflects poorly upon the individuals but also upon the companies that employ them as their Hiring Managers, Directors and Talent Acquisition SMEs.
If the process of applying for jobs and not hearing back is aggravating, discouraging and daunting to me, having many successful years within the industry, I can only imagine how it must feel to an individual who is unfamiliar with the practice or worse yet unemployed.
We as professionals should make it our responsibility to treat each and every applicant with dignity and respect, including our colleagues!

Comment by Tim Spagnola on March 28, 2012 at 9:49am: Jody - great post and a most important message. If only all viewed things this way. Sure time and other things get in the way during the day, but in the end it is about treating others how you would like to be treated. Continue working each day the way that you do and know you are not alone with bringing this approach to your desk (although at times it feels like we are the minority).

Comment by Barry Frydman on March 28, 2012 at 9:59am: Most candidates send me a sincere thank you for simply telling them they have been eliminated.

I just wish I didn't have to chase the hiring firms to find out.

Comment by Elise Reynolds on March 28, 2012 at 10:01am: It is a very important point to remember, thanks for the reminder.

Also, I want to add take a minute or two to actively help a job seeker. If you can't place them spend a couple of minutes explaining what Linkedin might do for their job search. It only takes a few minutes and it might be a key piece of advice for the job seeker.

Comment by Jody Simon on March 28, 2012 at 10:17am: Elise, Thanks for adding that, I couldn't agree more! Not every candidate is a great fit for my company but taking a minute out of my life over the phone, at a career fair, etc. to assist someone in their career search can really make a difference!

Barry, Agreed! I'd always rather know the truth than have someone simply never call back, or worse yet tell me that they are going to call back and not follow through. I recently had a Director tell me they would call me back in 40 minutes and then never call back at all. Makes you wonder what working for that person would be like no? Guess I dodged a bullet on that one....

Tim, Sometimes I feel as if we are definitely in the minority! Good news is that I feel good at the end of the day....every day!!

Comment by David King on March 28, 2012 at 11:23am: Jody, this is a great post...very sincere...and I totally agree.

Elise, is definitely right! When interviewing candidates for a specific position, I try to spend 3-5 minutes at the end to share a few "takeaways" that might help the candidate's other search efforts. I may not be able to move them further in the process, but I can share something useful to help them.

Unfortunately, we do not have a position for each applicant. And likely wise, there might not be ANY positions offered to some candidates if someone does not give them honest, candid feedback (bad resume formats, disturbing behavior during the interview, etc.).

I try to remember, and put into action, these words from the Dalai Lama: Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

Comment by Kelly Blokdijk on March 28, 2012 at 2:23pm: You make some great points, Jody. It really is the most basic concept of treating others how you would like to be treated that seems to be entirely lacking these days.

Just over a year ago, I wrote about a similar situation regarding one of my professional contacts dealing with this type of issue. I'd welcome your thoughts!

http://community.ere.net/blogs/kellyblokdijk/2011/02/professional-c...

KB @TalentTalks

Comment by Jody Simon on March 28, 2012 at 3:36pm: Thanks for commenting Kelly! I just read your blog on ERE and I totally feel for your friend Andrew. I, like yourself, am one to always extend professional courtesy to industry (and non-industry) connections in an attempt to help as many people as possible through this maze called a career search. Much like Andrew I have been met with very little reciprocity.

LinkedIn was built as a site for professionals to connect and if I reach out to you, it's because I think that a connection between us would be mutually beneficial resulting in added value to your organization. If I was trying to be your buddy, I would request your friendship on Facebook! The fact that one industry professional would treat another with such indifference says volumes about their character.

Some of us use LinkedIn as intended, to build and nurture professional relationships, while others tend to simply use it as a showcase to display their title, skills and prowess...............man it must be lonely at the top!