Hiring managers: this is the one thing candidates want from you during a crisis (besides a job)

It’s fair to say that we live in a very overwhelming world right now, but life hasn’t stopped for many people. Candidates are still looking for jobs, and organisations are still hiring.

We’ve seen articles written about what job seekers should expect during this crisis, however this is a reminder that candidates are human and need to be treated as such, especially in difficult circumstances.

And the number one thing that candidates want right now is transparency.

When a candidate gets called back for the interview but the timeline of the process, or if the role is still even available, isn’t communicated clearly, the uncertainty (and waste of the candidate’s time) can then sour your relations.

Your organisation may then miss out on a potential employee – or several, if they talk to their friends and tell them of their bad experience with your organisation. (Don’t forget, the candidate is also interviewing you, and may decide that you’re not the right fit for them!)

But being told “Everything is a bit crazy right now but we’re still looking for someone to fill this role,” can turn someone’s outlook around.

Our Head of Marketing Elle put it perfectly: being human, vulnerable and honest right now is OK. It’s more than OK.

Everyone is going through a big adjustment, and it’s okay if you don’t know what the future holds. Communicating this to the candidate, as well as your intentions for them, can make a big difference.

A few ways you can help candidates during this time by being a little more transparent:

• Let them know if the role they applied to is still the same role, or whether it’s changed – will they still be interested despite the changes?
• Are you interviewing them to fill the role in a timely manner? Or are you interviewing them but have to put off hiring someone until this crisis blows over? Set their expectations
• Can they reach out to you if they haven’t heard back by the expected timeline? If yes, make them feel welcome to do so

We’re all human and we’re all living in this crazy world together, so let’s do our best to make it easier for both parties.