I was talking with a young woman last week about her last job interview.  Here’s a recap of what happened.

1) She interviewed for a job in June

2) The company told her they wanted her, and they wanted her to start July 22 or the week of.  They told her they would call her to confirm the actual start date

3) The July 22 date came…no call.

4) The young woman called the company on July 23 to inquire about the situation.  She has not yet received a call back from the company.

In my opinion, this is by far the rudest, most inconsiderate action on behalf of the company.  What this company does not know is that she is now talking to people like me about the situation.  I am not going to blog about who the company is, but I can assure you of this:  If I hear of anyone who is considering employment with this company, I will quickly inform them that they need to run as far away from them as they can.

So, here are the 5 actions that you must avoid…if you don’t, great job candidates will leave you, AND they will probably blog and tweet about it, letting millions of people know that your company stinks.

1) Making promises you cannot deliver.

This is the oldest rule in business…Under-promise and over-deliver.  If you have any doubt in your mind that a candidate is not going to be a good fit for your company, do not make any promises you cannot keep.

2) Not returning a phone call.

Please…I don’t even need to go into this one.  This is just ridiculous.  This young woman should have received a call back on July 1 letting her know that she was not selected or that the date/plan had changed.

3) Having a “loose” recruitment process.

Your job candidates should know the process upfront.   I recommend that you have the following:

Please, please…spell out this process on your website and in any hiring literature you publish.

1.  A resume screening process.  Make sure your candidate has the required skills before you even contact them.  If after reviewing a resume, this candidate is not a good fit, go ahead and thank them so much for applying but the skills of a, b, c are required and you do need someone with those skills.

2. If the resume passes the first test, schedule a phone interview.  If during the phone interview, you are certain the candidate is not going to be a great fit, meet with your interview team, make the decision and then telephone the candidate and let her know.  This gives the candidate the time to move on to the next interview without wondering if she is in the running for the job.

3. Schedule 3 interviews, and let your candidates know that you will inform them  if they are moving on to the next round…and let them know as soon as possible (preferably within 48 hours.)

4. At each step of the process, if you are “cutting” someone, call them, let them  know how much you appreciate them coming for the interview but that you are looking for someone with the x, y, z skills.

5.  At the end of the interview process, send a very nice letter to your candidates thanking them profusely for considering your company.  Encourage them to build out their skills and come back again in the future.

4) Sending a “Dear John” letter by e-mail.

Our world has become so impersonal.  Our high tech world has become so messy that candidates are saying they are hearing “no” by a form letter by e-mail and even a text.  This is ridiculous.  If you don’t have the staff on hand to actually telephone the individual to let them know that he/she is not moving on to the next round, then you should not be holding open interviews.  You should be recruiting from inside your company or inside a small closed network but not opening up your recruitment process to the world.

5) Being cold/insensitive during the rejection process.

Again…the “sorry…you didn’t make it” approach is just infuriating to me.  The candidate needs to be called, thanked for their time, praised for the skills they do offer and then told why they were not hired.  Give the candidate time to ask questions and offer feedback (but only if they ask for it.)  If a candidate wants to know more about why they were not hired, speak this in the positive and make it about the skills they need to improve…whether it be their communication skills, their tech skills, foreign language skills, etc.  But, make this closing off process as empathetic as possible

Our young employees are going to be key to our success in the future, and they do want and appreciate feedback.  They WANT to know why they weren’t hired or what they can do better.  If your company is not “big enough” to have the tough yet compassionate conversation at the end, in my opinion, you won’t be around in the future.  Customer service is not just about how you treat your paying customers…it is about how you treat your employees AND your potential employees.  So…it’s time to get with it!  Remember…you are dealing with human beings…not robots or a piece of software.

Jaclyn Schiff of The Schiff Report has a great interview with Adam Gilbert of My Body Tutor. We interviewed Adam on Y-Talk Radio earlier in January. This interview is a great read regarding Gen Y’s commitment to health and fitness.

It really is fascinating to watch the health and fitness trend with this younger generation. During our college visits over the past three years, the gym and the focus on healthy foods have been big recruitment features on the majority of visits. And…my daughters take advantage of the facilities offered (and I know for a fact that the Whole Foods in Durham gets a lot of Duke traffic, because my daughter and Ann and I talk about the latest, greatest foods she and her friends have discovered there over the last 18 months).

 Almost 25% of Americans are getting their info on this exciting Presidential election online — On the Internet. Two key points here: 1) It is an exciting election because god knows who is going to be the Republican and Democratic parties nominee and 2) the percentage of people going online for info is probably higher for Gen Y than the rest of the population (well, we all know it is higher, right). So this is really forcing the candidates to think about “CHANGE” — and change how they have campaigned and communicated with voters. They can not longer do it the old way. I doubt many Gen Yers are waking up early Sunday am to watch Meet The Press. And why should they. Why should I for that matter. I can just watch it later on when I do my evening stroll across the Internet. Each candidate has to think about the following to reach Gen Y:

1. What Internet websites should I use to share my views
2. How do I engage in real discussions with real YOUNG people online
3. Should I use video, audio or text
4. Should I do it real time or not
5. How do I change the way I speak for an online audience
6. How do I condense my message(s) into digestible sound bites
7. How do I monitor what my candidates are doing
8. How do I know who is linking to their websites and who is linking to mine
9. What are the real questions people are asking.. it is not enough to say they are concerned about the economy
10. How do I use social networking platforms like Facebook and Myspace..
11. ..etc.

 And I have just gotten started here. I am sure you can provide some more questions for the candidates. More questions and advice on how to leverage the Web.
 

From Ypulse.com

Below is an interview I did with Anastasia Goodstein who manages the Ypulse website.

Anastasia:
It’s time for another book giveaway. This time it’s a business book called Millennial Leaders: Success Stories from Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders. I was pleasantly surprised to see some familiar faces interviews including Dr. Jean Twenge (who just confirmed she will be speaking at the Ypulse College Mashup), Ben Casnocha (also interviewed on Ypulse), and our friend DK at MediaSnackers over in the UK. I did a quick email interview with one of the authors, Scott K. Wilder, below. Some of the characteristics given seem applicable to more than just this generation and could apply to any entrepreneur in my mind (just my two cents). We’re giving three copies away to the first three commenters who answer the question: What do you think the biggest challenge is for managing Millennials @ work?

Ypulse: What criteria did you use to choose the leaders featured in the book?

Scott K. Wilder: Leaders were chosen via word of mouth. We allowed individuals to recommend who should be interviewed for the book by submitting names to our website. We also researched extensively a number of young leaders and influencers by reading local and national newspapers, and by reviewing blogs and websites.

YP: What were some common themes related to this generation that emerged for you in writing the book?

SW: Common themes include:

Generation Y’s Goals:
- Achieve recognition and respect for their efforts
- An interesting, eclectic and diverse network of support
- Authenticity and bold self expression (Let me be more of me)
- Balance
- Engage people in their conversations about what’s meaningful
- Fabulous career
- Flexibility in life and career
- Freedom to work for a company and own an own a small business
- Instant gratification
- Live first, work second
- Make a contribution to the workplace, community and the world
- Meaningful work
- Rich and rewarding life experiences
- To be in control of their choices, career and lifestyle
- To see what’s possible

Gen Y’s Challenges:
- Anxiety and stress to perform/achieve
- Choosing a great place to live first and work second
- Difficulty speaking in public
- Helicopter parents are preventing independence
- Isolation and loneliness
- Managing unrealistic expectations (I can do it all, be it all!)
- Networking face to face
- Overwhelmed

Values:
- Authenticity
- Balance
- Challenge
- Diversity
- Flexibility
- Freedom
- Friendship
- Sustainability
- To be heard and valued
- World Peace

Characteristics of Gen Y Entrepreneurs
- They challenge the status quo
- They cherish creativity and imagination more than rule-following
- They are not afraid to take risks
- They are relentlessly optimistic
- They are non-stop experimenters. They like having side projects
- They love “building stuff”
- They accept — sometimes enjoy — uncertainty, chaos, and randomness

Newsletter readers: Visit Ypulse.com for the rest of this interview.

YP: What is the biggest misperception people from older generations have about Gen Y?

SW: There are so many, I am not sure where to begin. The most common one is that they are slackers, that they are lazy, that they are unmotivated. I find they are extremely engaged in their work, but unlike the Baby Boomer generation, they do not live to work. They live to live, and want to make sure that they take plenty of time to smell the roses (my words). The want to learn, to buiild, take risks, and make sure their work has meaning. If they can find these things, they will perform many great things in the work place I absolutely love their energy! And working with them.

YP: What was your favorite anecdote or moment in the book?

SW: Maybe I like this story because it about a Gen Yer who grew up in the Bay Area where I live. Ben Casnocha who at the age of 12 created a website that linked constituents with government officials who could answer their question. After receiving recognition from his community and government, 2 years later, at the age of 14, he founded Comcate, an e-government software company. Today, Ben is 19 and continues to be a successful entrepreneur.

YP: Who should read this book and why?

SW: The following people can benefit from the book:
- Executive and Business Coaches
- Teachers, Professors and athletic coaches
- Parents
- Business Leaders
- Baby Boomers
- Gen Yers

The book provides insight into how to work with Gen Y and highlights Gen Y’s strengths as individuals. For corporate leaders, the book provides insights on how to attract and retail Gen Yers. For Gen Yers, it provides advice on how to be successful in the world. The key aspect of the book is that it consists of interviews with Gen Y and each chapter highlights 5 key “Points of Reflection.” Generation Y young adults are our future, and it is time for us to start working with them…not resisting their efforts. Gen Y is the true greatest generation. They are
productive, loyal, creative, inquisitive and learners.

YP: Anything else you want to add?

SW: The people who have been tagged as “Gen Y” — the generation between the ages of 18 and 30 — are making a tremendous impact on today’s culture. Their entrepreneurial prowess and adventurous spirit has spawned countless successes in business. This generation has grown up with more technological advances than any prior group. They process information in a unique manner. They have a distinctive way of managing their interests, their businesses, and their lives. And their power is a force to be reckoned with.

Posted by anastasia