Page 141 - Boost Your Hiring

Step Two
The Selection

Process

As we did in Part I, let’s look at a very familiar interview scenario:

John arrives 10 minutes before his interview appointment and an-
nounces himself to the receptionist. She is very cordial and asks
him to have a seat while she locates the manager. In the meantime
he is given an application to fill out. Fifteen minutes later John
finishes the application and sits waiting for the interviewer. The
receptionist informs John that it will be a few more minutes. As
John sits waiting, he is able to watch the employees in the com-
pany as they walk through the lobby. Everyone seems in a hurry,
and no one appears to be very happy. He can overhear a conversa-
tion in an adjacent office, and the voices sound stressed. After half
an hour, he is told to go down the hall to the third door on the
right. John is now concerned. He feels a cold chill. Is this the way
they treat all candidates, or is this just a bad day?

Setting the Stage—
Establishing the Environment
Any candidate is a potential customer, stockholder, or future employee
and should be received as such. When you treat the candidate with dis-
respect, you are sending a clear message that he or she doesn’t really
count. This person may get the impression that this is the general atti-
tude of the company toward its employees. Leaving the applicant sitting
in the lobby for more than a few minutes may set a negative tone for the
interview.
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