Does a company needs to make a great first impression on a candidate during the interview process? Of course!
While it is critical for a candidate to make a great first impression on a client during the interview process, it is also extremely important for a client (and in this case client means anyone at the company who will be interviewing a candidate) to make a great first impression on the candidate. It works both ways. All of us tend to place more emphasis on the former, and this is a mistake, as a negative client representative can turn a promising candidate off entirely.
If you are a company seeking new hires, you should heed these words! Perhaps you have had a terribly busy and stressful day. Maybe you just received a call that your water heater broke or, even worse, you didn’t get that dinner reservation at Perse. Regardless of the reason for your unpleasant mood, you MUST put your best foot forward when meeting a candidate. You should be very friendly, positive, and informative—positioning the company in the best light possible so it is appealing to any candidate who walks into your office for an interview. The best interviews end with a candidate who really wants to work for the company—and this is often based upon the vibe that he or she feels during the first interview.
LESSON: Interviewing is really a two way street, and a client needs to make an effort to leave a great and lasting impression on a candidate during this process.
Jodi Shapiro – Senior Consultant