Are Job Applicants Destroying Your Brand?
Topics: sales, sales management, sales consulting, sales training, recruiting, best practices, hiring
Phil walks into his favorite retailer to apply for a job. He sits down at the kiosk and begins to fill out the employment application. He fumbles through the online form and realizes that he forgot to enter his apartment number. He clicks the browser to go back to the prior page. In doing so, all of the information he already entered is wiped out. Darn it! He begins completing the application again. Name, address, social security number, etc.
Once done, the manager waves him into his office as if he is flagging down a cab in Midtown Manhattan during rush hour. Phil makes his way down to the office. He is shocked and disgusted by what he sees in the office. It is a mess and that is putting it mildly. Scattered papers are one thing, but leftover crumbs from lunch are another. Phil begins to wonder if he might need a tetanus shot after this experience.
John, the manager, tells Phil to sit down. Phil looks at the chair and notices that it is so badly ripped that it is beyond repair. The pattern of the rip looks like the path the Mississippi River travels as it heads from North to South. Phil looks at John and notices that his shirt flap isn’t tucked in. Better yet, John has a sauce stain on his left pocket. Phil begins to wonder if he is being “Punk’d.” Where are those cameras?
The interview begins with John asking Phil why he wants to work there. Phil wasn’t expecting a question like that right off the bat and stammers in his response. The truth is that Phil simply wanted a job so he could pay the bills. John didn’t look impressed. A couple of more questions with mediocre answers and the interview ends. John tells Phil that they will call him in a day or two to update him on his candidacy. The call never comes.
So if you are Phil, when do you think you will shop at that store again? Do I hear NEVER? How many people is Phil going to tell about his experience? 10? 20? 50? How many of those people will look at that store differently? And to how many people will they tell Phil’s story?
To be clear, John wasn’t wrong for not hiring Phil. As the manager, he is responsible for selecting the talent to work in his store. However, the manager is also tasked with protecting the corporate brand. And that, he failed to do. Phil left that store with such a negative impression of the experience that all the marketing and advertising in the world would not bring him back in.
Granted, this story is exaggerated. At least, I hope it is. Yet, there are things that recruiters and hiring managers do every day that damage the brand of the company. It doesn’t take much to create a miserable experience. Things like, interviewers being late, offices being dirty, and interviewers being rude are just a few. The top of the list from the candidate perspective is when things go dark, meaning that no communication is ever received from the company informing them that they are no longer being considered for employment. When I talk to candidates, the lack of notification that they are no longer being considered is at the top of their list of company conduct that leaves a negative impression. They feel disrespected.
Some of you are probably reading this and thinking that you aren’t in the retail space so this issue doesn’t affect you. Care to wager on that? Consider this. You interview a sales candidate and for whatever reason elect not to hire them. The candidate has a less than favorable experience with your company during the interview process leaving a bad taste in his mouth. He lands with a competitor of yours and proceeds to share his experiences with your company. Stories of your firm’s unprofessionalism spread like wildfire throughout not just this competitor’s organization, but with other competitors in your industry. Don’t think this can happen? Keep in mind your frog is someone else’s prince.
Maybe you don’t care what the competition thinks of your company. But do you care if this is a strategic partner instead? Better yet, it is one of your clients that hires this candidate. Now your client gets to hear the “great experiences” this candidate had while interviewing with your company. When these stories reach your CEO from your client, who will get the call in your company about this matter?
Look, hiring managers and recruiters don’t intentionally create bad candidate experiences. Sometimes they simply get tunnel-vision. “I have to fill the seat. I have to fill the seat. I have to fill the seat.” It almost sounds like the repetition of “Time to make the donuts.” from the old Dunkin Donuts commercial. True, every day that seat is open, it costs the company x number of dollars, not to mention some manager or recruiter’s bonus. Thus, when it is determined that a candidate is not a fit for the role, it is all too easy to forget about them and move on to the next one. However, the same level of care that was used to recruit the candidate to visit the organization should match the level of care when exiting. Why create enemies? If your company hires 100 people per year and it takes 11 candidates to fill one seat, 1,000 people were not hired by your company. Thus, a lot of people were touched by your process. How did they walk away feeling about their experiences with y
our company? Try this math with your company’s hiring metrics.
Companies spend hundreds of thousands, or is it millions, of dollars building a brand image. Managers and recruiters are responsible for protecting it. When I say recruiters, I mean both internal and external ones. While internal ones seem obvious to you, the external ones may not be. Yet, they are acting as an agent for your company when they are the intermediary between you and the candidate. As far as the candidate is concerned, the recruiter is your company.
One of the important components of a sales talent screening program is the candidate exit process. It’s not a lot of work to do this. It just takes a little thought. (If you would like my tip sheet for putting together a candidate exit program, send me an email.) That little thought could save your company thousands.
Lee B. Salz is President of Sales Dodo and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.” Lee is available for keynote speaking, business consulting, and sales training. He can be reached via email at lsalz@salesdodo.com, his website at www.salesdodo.com or by phone at 763.416.4321.
Previous Articles Highlighter:
Cheap Holidays To Cyprus To See Ayia Napa Attractions (1)
It would probably be easier to go one of the local restaurants and have them make the fish instead of you buying it yourself. The Water World Water Park is another fun thing to do whether you have kids or not.
Great Business Is Great Marketing (2)
When they wake up in the morning, when they close their eyes at night, everything is about marketing. Their marketing and branding efforts infiltrate everything they do. Every single of one their employees is attuned to the image and the philosophy of the company.
Culture And History Are Part Of Your Holidays To Luxor (3)
If you are looking for tombs and ancient ruins, the capital Thebes will be a good place to see. If you are looking for a modern Luxor, the east side is where you will want to be.
Foreign Buyers Can't Get Enough Of New York City (4)
as the most stable and secure country for real estate investment. This may be, in part, because of the higher levels of transparency in U.S. companies and markets that foreign investors often find refreshing and reassuring.
6 Tips On How To Provide Better Customer Service (5)
So always treat everyone with polite manner and with respect. You won't have anything to worry about. 2. Never "Fight" with a Customer You don't have to adopt the policy that "the customer's always right" but you should never fight with your customers even when you know they're wrong.
Get The Best Registry Cleaning Software (6)
The cleaners available can ensure your system is operating with optimum efficiency and your files aren't backing up over time. Greg McKenzie currently writes reviews on the top registry cleaners available.
The Golden Sands Of Tanjung Benoa Beach, Bali (7)
When comes to accommodation, Tanjung Benoa allows guests to choose from an array of accommodation choices. As mentioned earlier, many of the hotels in the area are concentrated around the beach area.
Travel Asia - A Popular Choice For Travelers (8)
Just few among many of the attractions in Thailand are Bangkok, the capital city; Ayutthaya, which is much famed for its Gothic ruins; Chiang-Mai, bestowed with the title 'Rose of the North,' Krabi, which is a paradise for enjoying a range of water sport activities; and Pattaya, one of the best resorts in Asia.
How To Use Sedu Straighteners To Best Effect (9)
Some pressure needs to be applied to ensure that you have a better control of the hair so as to achieve better manageability. Though the process of using Sedu hair straighteners is easy, the results of the overall process emerge much better if a certain process is followed.
The Shame Of Spain F1 Fans (10)
The apartheid system segregated people by race and discriminated against blacks. Formula 1 insisted in racing in South Africa 1985 under apartheid. It became a blemish on their history, and it is something they do not want to repeat.
Newer Articles Highlighter:
A Dining Experience In The Maldives (1)
Cuisine in the Maldives is definitely wide-ranging from the local staples to Western fare, and a lot of Asian and Indian preparations in between. Owing to the geography, the sea provides abundant bounty to the islands.
Are You Sure You Want To Start A Home Based Business? (2)
Others choose self-employment for personal, non-financial, goals. While these people appreciate the extra income that their home based business provides they are really driven by their own personal agenda.
Keep Outsourcing Relationships Short Term (3)
It's pretty galling to see relatively inexperienced MBAs strolling around charging consulting rates when they typically know less about the issues than the people who work in the organization. Sometimes, overly expensive long-term relationships sneak in the back door as a way to accomplish some other purpose.
Technology Gives A Cutting Edge In Cutting Sheet And Plate Metals (4)
The steel industry continues to be on the cutting edge of steel cutting technology. And lasers and plasma cutters are one of the methods they employ to stay there.
Why Pay Late Fees On DVDs When You Have Online Rental Companies? (5)
All you do is rent the movies then you have no late fees so it's not like you are going to have to pay some huge bill if you do not put them in your mailbox early enough for the mail man to get them out.
The Advantages Of Having A Forum (6)
As a result of this they are more likely to buy your products as well because they will know that you are a trusted source. If you don't know much about free phpbb forum hosting then any company who offers the service will be more than happy to help you and answer any questions.
7 Ways To Kickstart Writing Your Book This Year (7)
With one to three of these elements your book is worth writing. More than three, it has potential of making great sales and even to best seller status. Now, get started; write your book and make the world a better place.
Why Bungee Jumping Has Spread Into The Mainstream (8)
Topics: sports, extreme sports, bungee jumping, sports equipment Bungee jumping is quite a dangerous sport and quite the adrenaline rush as well. You can jump from all kinds of places you just need to learn how to jump before you make your move.
Why Everyone Is Talking About Sales Training (9)
Of course this is not the case in most scenarios but it is important to bear it in mind. Perhaps your sales staff need a refresher course to help them regain the impetus that made them initially so successful.
Fun At SeaWorld San Diego: What You Don't Want To Miss (10)
You can also take the Skyride, which takes just six minutes round trip, and allows you to see Mission Bay Park. The Skytower will take you up 265 feet for a panoramic view of this beautiful area.