As I've said before, perhaps nothing frustrates a serious job candidate more than spending hours in careful preparation only to find that the people he (or she) ultimately meets with haven't done anywhere near the same amount of work in return. Sure, we all know the playing field is not level when it comes to candidates and hiring managers, but if you expect someone to leap through hoops and walk across water to impress you, a little homework on your own part might be in order if for no other reason than common courtesy. If not, well, then you get scenarios like this one...
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10. First, drag the interview process out over several months. Nothing says "We move quickly here" or conveys how competently decisions are made at the company than this. After a series of phone interviews, when you think you're ready for that final step -
9. Make the candidate fly several hundred miles to meet with you even if the office where he'll be working is simply a few miles down the road from his house. Sure, in an era of virtual technology, Skype connections, and online linkage, having someone spend an entire day just traveling to meet with you for 3-4 hours will seem like an excellent use of his time and yours. Bonus? When he arrives -
8. Tell him you've been trying to fill this position for a year. See Item #10 again. (Seriously, go ahead. I'll wait.) Nothing says, "We're a very organized outfit" and "outstanding management" than confessing this up front. Rest assured your candidate will not sink back in his chair and think, "Let me get this straight: You're telling me in this job market you people can't find a suitable candidate for this position?" Oh, and while you're at it -
7. Forget something as basic and fundamental as remembering to bring your own business card to the interview. Better still? Don't bother to bring one after any breaks. Let's face it: There's probably no better way to say, "I'm not prepared for this interview" or "I'm not taking this all that seriously" than this. It's especially helpful for letting the candidate know just how long it's been since you interviewed for a position. In fact, if this isn't good enough, you can always -
6. Interview him while wearing tennis shoes. Sure, he's taken the time to wear a professional suit and pressed shirt with a matching tie - probably even wore it on the plane, in fact - but nothing says, "Gotcha! We're a casual office! Isn't that great?" than this. (And don't worry - he's not sizing you folks up the way you are him and thinking, "Huh???") Better still -
5. When the time comes for the team portion of the interview, argue in front of the candidate over the role-playing exercise. This works especially well if you neglected to tell the candidate that you would be giving him a case study in the first place. Have one manager question what his "role" is supposed to be in the interview, bicker a bit, and then have him re-read the instructions you were just given. This tells him just how much preparation you're putting into this evaluation process and how seriously you're taking his candidacy. (Trust me, he won't think you're just going through the motions at this stage.) Want to go really over the top? Well, then -
4. Don't call him a cab when the interview is over, make him walk! Sure, the train station might be just up the street where he can catch a cab back to the airport, but there's no need to be overly courteous. Besides, a little walk through the mud and dirt in summer (or snow and slush in winter) to get there will do him some good in his fine dress shoes! This in addition to everything else will be especially helpful if this is a supposedly final interview and you -
3. Tell the candidate you can't discuss salary or benefits. After all, there's no reason to be discussion this at this stage, is there? And putting some sort of benefits summary together - or even better, putting it online or having the recruiter forward it in advance - is obviously way too much trouble.
2. Don't bother replying to any follow-up messages the candidate sends. Sure, there are probably countless legal reasons why you don't (or can't) say too much; but if someone takes the time to send a courtesy follow-up via e-mail or even a handwritten note, simply ignoring him and then calling out of the blue for an interview is a great way to make a strong impression. If that's not to your liking, however, you could always just -
1. Send a completely generic thanks-but-no-thanks message after the interview. Candidates will probably spend a great deal of time working through their courtesy follow-ups - some professional organizations still advise sending old-fashioned full-page thank-you letters on fancy letterhead spelling out precisely why you enjoyed talking with everyone and why you would be a strong fit for the job - but that's no reason to put any real thought behind your reply. In fact, simply saying, "Thanks for interviewing and we hope your travel back was uneventful" can tell the candidate plenty about how well his time was spent that day.
Got any stories of your own? Feel free to share!
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