The HR Manager at the company you just applied for isn’t the gatekeeper. That manager is your friend. Not in a “lets get coffee” sort of way, but rather a “if you are the right candidate, this person will kill themselves to get you hired”sort of way.
Why?
Because I don’t want to do this all over again.
Its taken a lot of time to make everything happen when I am looking for great talent, time I can’t get back, so why would I want to interview or hire the wrong person, and have to start over?
If you’ve submitted your resume, wait 2 weeks. If you haven’t heard from me, send one follow-up email, or make one phone call. I’ll tell you what’s going on, and where in the process your resume is sitting. I’ll give you the straightest skinny I have. I won’t lie about this.
Why?
Because there are 100 reasons I might not have called you in the first place. And if you turn out to be the right candidate, I’m not starting our business relationship off with a lie. And because its bad for business to have a customer hate me. (Logically, if you would work for me, you could potentially be our customer)
But.
If I tell you you are not in the running for the position. Believe me.
Again, I have no reason to lie to you.
Calling every day/week won’t help. It doesn’t make you “assertive”, it makes you seem desperate. And I ask myself “Why is this person hanging their career on my one job opening?”
Companies hire great candidates every day. If your resume seems lost in an abyss, or if the managers are unresponsive, you want to look at the company with a critical eye. Those processes in the “before hire” are the same ones you’ll work with in the “after hire”.
Great matches are tough to make, and usually there are many stakeholders involved. HR is the manager of that process. We aren’t someone to “get around”. Hiring you makes my job easier, and if you are the rockstar we’re looking for, I’m going to do everything I can to get you in the door. You can bank on it.
Agreed, the new look is quite nice =) So is this post. It provides needed perspective to candidates on the role of HR in the selection process. Thanks too for your permission to repost it. You can find it here http://is.gd/aSnBB.
Thanks so much. Between the talented @designtwit and your suggestions, I think its evolving nicely.
And sadly, when you have 50 candidates for 1 position, like I’ve seen recently, and many of them no where near the requirements for the job, its just not feasible to hand hold each and every one through the process. I know its frustrating, but I also know that if the company thinks you (or me) is the right fit, they get on it.
Most of the time…. and if they don’t – there are some really broken processes.
AWESOME! Love the new look! Very cool! Great advice to Jobseekers. Lack of follow up is a huge issue for jobseekers. Keep up the great writing!
Shennee