Broken Promises - Copeland Coaching

Broken Promises For years, one of the hardest challenges Ive seen with the job search is what Ill call broken promises. These broken promises can happen anywhere along the job search journey. And honestly, they have the ability to be pretty upsetting to job seekers at every point of the process. Let me give a few examples. Maybe youve submitted your resume and the hiring manager has promised you an interview. Then, they drop off the face of the earth. Or, youve had an interview and are told youll know something in a week, and then radio silence. Or, perhaps youve gone through an interview or two, and youve been told youre advancing to the next round. Then, poof! The company ghosts you. Or, youve gotten to the very last round of the entire process and youve been told youre the one, and the company decides not to hire anyone. Or, perhaps they offer you a contract role when you interviewed for a full time job. Or, maybe they offer you a lower title or a different job than you interviewed for. Unfortunately, most companies look at the process of hiring as a business transaction. Its not personal. If it works, it works. If it doesnt, it doesnt. No big deal, right? Wrong. If its been a while since you interviewed, you may have forgotten what a job seeker sacrifices to interview. They may give up money from their existing job when they miss work to come to your interviews. They may risk being fired if theyre found to be interviewing. Or, they may turn down other job interview opportunities to pursue yours. Theyre making choices, based on the feedback youre giving them. Job seeker, the best advice for you I have is this. Until theres a job offer on the table, theres no offer. Dont assume the company will move you forward. Dont put your other searches on hold until you have something in writing. Dont reorganize your life plans until you have a contract. I know, this can be hard. When a company tells you they love you, theyre convincing. They may even be telling the truth. Its not unusual for a company to love you and then have a reason they cant hire someone new. Hiring manager, I know, you cant hire everyone. Lots of things happen that are outside of your control. Budgets change, timelines change, priorities change. But, there is something you can control. You can be transparent. You can let a candidate know directly when youve moved on. You can do it quickly, not months later. If the timeline changes, you can give the job seeker an update. Job seekers care much less that they werent hired, if the rejection comes from a company that was honest and transparent. They may even apply again when a new opportunity comes along thats a better fit. Now, thats a positive business transaction! I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here. Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If youve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in iTunes or Stitcher. Happy hunting! Angela Copeland @CopelandCoach