Q: Who applies for a job, gets an interview – but then doesn’t turn up on the day?
A: Plenty! If you’re trying to recruit, and this is happening to you – check out our ten reasons below:
1. ‘I set off – but couldn’t find you’. Is your office well signposted? Are you sending them proper directions?
2. ‘Sorry – what was the job again? Is it any good?’ Are you getting them excited? What was your initial contact with them? Would YOU have been excited by what you told them?
3. ‘Sorry – I didn’t hear from you, and I’ve got another job’. How fast is your process? More to the point, how SLOW is your process? Time to audit each link in the chain – are you quick, agile and efficient?
4. ‘The job looked ok – on paper’. The first contact they had with you was an application form – nothing else. You’re forgiven, unless you work in sales – where, as you should know, people buy PEOPLE. It’s good to talk!
5. ‘I drove over, but couldn’t park’. Is parking difficult in your area? Did you tell them in advance? Did you send them any info on car parks, or handy places to look? Maybe you should have advised them to get the train or the bus?
6. ‘Sorry – I got a job, but didn’t bother cancelling with you’. Not much you can do about that – unless you fancy giving them a quick shout the day before, just to confirm. That helps to build rapport too.
7. ‘My mate attended one of your interviews. Never got the job – and never got any feedback’. The best form of marketing is word of mouth, we know that. It works in a good way, and in a bad way. Give feedback and treat people well – even if they didn’t get the job.
8. ‘Sorry – something came up. It was an emergency’. Them’s the breaks – it happens sometimes. Move onJ
9. ‘I changed my mind’. They changed their mind. People do. See above!
10. ‘I can’t afford to pay for the DBS check’. Flag this in advance – and check they can afford it. Check again at a point later in your communications with them, and avoid any last minute, time-wasting headaches.