Silence is Not Always Golden

Hello…. is anybody there?

One of my greatest fears and frustrations is when one party goes silent. No one enjoys getting ghosted in any aspect of their lives, but the whole recruitment process can falter or fail, if communication is inconsistent or, worse still, non-existent.

I recently had a candidate be super communicative until after the second interview. The client wanted to move quickly through the reference check and offer stage to ensure a smooth onboarding process, but it took several attempts to contact my candidate before she would respond. This included her response to the client’s email containing the contract with specific questions about her start date. Things were completely fine, and she started her new role the following Monday. But the anxiety could have been mitigated by keeping everyone in the loop.

Keep the lines of communication open

When you are working with a recruitment consultant, remember the golden rule – Communication is the key to success.

Understandably, there are times when you’re not ready to make a decision - you may want to reflect on an interview you’ve attended, perhaps do further research into an organisation or take the time to thoroughly read an employment contract before signing it. Thinking time is fine, but ensure you communicate that. A simple acknowledgment of receipt and setting the expectation for a more comprehensive response works well. It’s not hard to say in an email, phone call or text:

“Thanks Sally – I’ll take a look through the contract and get back to you tomorrow afternoon with any questions I may have.”

I am in the business of people and after four and a half years, I have learned that silence isn’t a good thing. To assist your recruiter in not going grey too early, please keep us updated and reply to our communication (particularly at the contract stage!) so we know you’re still there!