So you’ve had many interviews, some with candidates you like, some that are not a fit for your organization – now what?

Time is of the essence when trying to attract top candidates into your workplace – whether it is your internal hiring team or by way of a recruiting agency like Rust Belt Recruiting, timeliness is critical when taking a candidate through the process.

In this tight job market, qualified candidates have many options. They are either actively looking and interviewing, or they are content in their current position and need compelling reasons to consider a new opportunity.

Showing urgency and eagerness to a candidate makes them feel valued, which in turn will give your workplace the leg up if/when you want to hire them.

When you use a recruiter, you are entering into a partnership. The key to a successful partnership is transparency on both sides of the fence.  Sometimes even our clients that are hiring at the highest urgency turn busy and slow to respond after an interview. This puts our team in a tough position as we are the liaison between the client and the candidate. We don’t want to create a confusing or negative perception of the employer, but because there is often the chance that the employer may want to ultimately move forward with that candidate, we have to be careful not to close the line of communication, either.

The client may not want to say ‘no’ to us, but a no is often better than no response at all.

If things have changed all of a sudden – for example, the position is on hold or you have begun interviewing internal candidates – just tell us! You won’t hurt our feelings. It will save us time and effort by understanding why you don’t want to move forward with another candidate, and it allows our team to reallocate resources to other needs and priorities…or, to stop heckling you for feedback!

The longer you wait to deliver feedback, the timeline pushes out from there. If one person isn’t a fit, we want to move on to the next! With feedback on the candidate and the interview, we can learn what wasn’t aligned and tailor the search even further. We want to begin finding the next candidate for you!

A prolonged interviewing processes can create a negative experience for all parties involved, and that is where we, as your partner, come in. We are here to advise and to take time to ensure strong communication between you and the candidates, with the ultimate goal of securing the best person for the job. A ‘no’ helps us get to the ‘yes’.

Remember, it’s okay to say NO!