Every candidate knows the importance of what they say during the interview, but we can learn a lot about them before the interview even starts.
For example, the way you provide your availability says a lot about your communication style. Which one of these people would you rather hire, based on the messages below?
Candidate 1
I look forward to the next round and can meet at the following times:
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Monday 7/21: 12-3 PM ET
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Tuesday 7/22: 9-12 PM ET (preferred)
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Wednesday 7/23: 12-1 PM ET
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Candidate 2
Monday I can do around lunch, maybe later but not too late. Later in the week is no good, I’m on a trip, but I can maybe do Wednesday at lunch or slightly later but Tuesday morning is probably best now that I think about it.
It’s the same information in both messages, but Candidate 1 is already showing how they’ll make your life easier.
We can also tell a lot by how quickly a person sends over a resume – do they communicate when they will have it and then deliver it accordingly, or take days with multiple follow-ups required even though they are between jobs? It’s a small but important example of not only how interested a candidate is in the role, but how they handle a project.
Little details like this can make a difference in the opposite direction, too. Immediate follow-up vs making a candidate wait weeks before an update will communicate just as much as anything you tell them during an interview.
Even the experience outside of the interview room affects how a candidate perceives an opportunity. Recently, a candidate told me how a brief interaction with a partner in the lobby gave him a great impression – the partner wasn’t even one of his interviewers, but he was so welcoming that it spoke volumes about the culture of the firm.
Everything about the interview process is a branding opportunity for both the candidate and the firm!