Still Learning #1
Usually, no news is good news. But in search, that doesn’t apply. When a candidate has completed multiple interviews and discussed compensation expectations and their notice period, silence is not golden. Anything but. Typically, it means that even if the candidate has been well received, the hiring manager is still searching. Perhaps for someone with different academic credentials, regulatory experience or, more than likely, a lower price tag. The candidate can remain hopeful but mostly, they become anxious. Candidates start to wonder what went wrong and they rehash every exchange, in an attempt to understand what they may have missed.
But here’s the thing. Hiring firms would be better off being direct. Letting a candidate know that they’re still considering others and they appreciate the candidate’s patience, is both reasonable and respectful. It takes less than a minute to email a candidate and notify them that the first round of interviews isn’t complete. And in the candidate’s eyes, it makes the hiring firm seem forthcoming and thoughtful. That’s refreshing.
Most hiring managers were, at some point, candidates themselves. They know what it’s like to be on hold. Really, this isn’t much different than when passengers realize the plane is circling but there’s no word from the pilot. Passengers, and candidates alike, appreciate communication. Even if what they hear isn’t what they hoped.