Are You Courteous?

"There is nothing that costs so little and goes so far as courtesy."

I keep a quote book and this quote above is a keeper. My reason for sharing it now is simple. Now is the time when people really start to look for summer jobs. These people have high hopes of getting their dream jobs, meeting new friends, seeing new places, you name it, they're dreaming it. Nothing can dash job seekers' hope so much as "crickets." I'm talking about putting out the effort to learn about an employer, completing the application, submitting references, jumping through endless hoops and then hear NOTHING! Even an automated response is better than nothing, but what happened to common courtesy in this exchange. Has the web made us so ambivalent that we don't care anymore? I hope not.

I hearken back to one of my first posts after I joined Cool Works last spring - "Applicants are people too." Behind every completed form and electronic signature is a person; a living, breathing person. Are they not as worthy of time as you?

It is simple.

• Acknowledge the effort.
• Thank them for applying.
• Try to make it work. If it does, GREAT! If it doesn't, be nice about it.
• Be courteous.

Because really, isn't that what you would expect if you were the applicant?

Charles DeGaulle vs Your Employment Page

Just last week I returned from an 11-day trip to Europe which included 2 mind-numbing visits to the Charles DeGaulle Airport, where my husband and I felt like spinning tops. Now to be fair to CDG they are in the midst of some big renovation projects, but WOW was it ever confusing. We did successfully make it to Munich for Oktoberfest and got a few "prosts" in before we ventured back through CDG on the way home, but, boy did we ever feel exhausted and worn out by the travel experience.

Now think about your recruiting process and particularly your website. Do you do this to your prospective job applicants? Do they feel worn out and drained by simply attempting to find the employment section on your website? What about the application itself? How many unnecessary hoops must they jump through to apply?

In the web recruiting world there are two main things to remember. 1) Clicks are sacred. 2) Applicants should be even more sacred.

You want the best candidates? Who doesn't? To help get them, ponder this list when you design or renovate your recruiting process.

• Make it only one-click to your employment section.
• Get an on-line application.
• Acknowledge new applications quickly - say thanks for applying!
• Communicate constantly.
• Anticipate questions.
• Use the Golden Rule - treat your applicants as you would like to be treated.

Don't wear out your applicants' patience when they are simply trying to learn more about your organization. Frankly, if they have made it to your website, you should treat them like a honored guest. Because honestly, if it was you, and you didn't feel welcome, wouldn't you go find another place to be?