Five things managers do that job candidates hate

By Toni Bowers

For managers, the hiring process is, admittedly, a bear. But it's also time-consuming and arduous for job candidates. Here are five things you can do to make the experience more pleasant for those who apply to your open positions.

The hiring process is, admittedly, a bear for managers. It's time-consuming and arduous. But enough about you. How do you think the job candidates feel? Because the process is all that for them too, as well as being pretty scary. Here are five things that job candidates wish you wouldn't do during the hiring process.

1.  Already having an internal candidate in mind

I've worked at some companies that have a policy that every job opening has to involve interviewing external candidates even if you already have an internal candidate in mind. I've also worked at jobs that require managers to open a job to internal candidates even if they have no intention of hiring someone internally.

I know that companies are just trying to make sure they open things up to all the people they can in the hopes that they get the best person, but this still rankles if you're someone looking for a job. You're playing with people's time and expectations.

2.  Waiting too long to let a job candidate know something

Waiting weeks and weeks for an answer is bad even if the answer is that you got the job. It's pretty devastating when you find out that, after all the waiting, you don't have the job.

Maybe you're with one of those companies whose deciders take all that time because they're striving with surgical precision to make the best possible decision. They want the best person and they also don't want to waste money with a bad hire.

But you know and I know that the most common reasons for keeping candidates waiting is that

1. You're waiting to see how your real first choice works out before you let the others off the hook completely
2. The decision to hire, and who to hire, has to go through corporate channels –a process that is slower than molasses in winter.

3.  Not letting a job candidate know if he or she did not get the position

If a job candidate doesn't hear from a company at all, he or she knows they don't have the job. But it's still disappointing and disconcerting not to hear anything. Is this just laziness or rudeness on your part?

I will allow that you may just want to avoid any kind of unpleasant experience. After all, it's not a lot of fun breaking that kind of news to someone.

Maybe you're also concerned that  if you go into some detail about why a candidate didn't get the job, you could be setting your company up for a lawsuit. I know of one instance when a woman applied for a job with several people from the company she presently worked for. The reply was that her qualifications were not up to par. Yet, that company hired several (male) employees who were a couple of levels below her at the current company and who were not as qualified as she was. She sued.

Still, there's a way around that. Just send out a general notice like: "Thank you for showing interest in the (POSITION) with (COMPANY). This letter is to let you know that we have identified our finalist and will not be moving forward with your candidacy." What's so hard about that?

4.  Vague, misleading job descriptions

From the looks of some want ads I see, it looks like some companies use a boilerplate job description and just adds a few IT-related terms. But it would save a lot of time if you would just come right out and be specific. For example, instead of saying you're seeking someone who has "experience with object-oriented JavaScript or programming," (which could, in some minds, mean a person who once watched someone create a desktop widget), be specific: "Extensive knowledge of DOM scripting with native JavaScript and familiarity with JS frameworks such as jQuery or Mootools." "Experience with..." is perhaps the vaguest, and most open to interpretation, phrase one could use. Try to avoid it.

5.  Interview process is too long

Is your company's interview process so long that job candidates could qualify for HR benefits? And I'm not talking about all-day get-grilled-by-the-team-then-four-VPs kind of interview. I'm talking about one process that includes a fifth or sixth interview. For the guy who actually gets the job in the end, this is forgivable. Sort of like birthing a baby. But for the people who go through that long process only to be told they don't have the job, it's confusing and makes them question everything about themselves.

I know you're seeking perfection, but I can tell you that there are some people who are just extremely good at interviewing and not doing the actual job. You'd like to think that by putting candidates through a process longer and more arduous than a Keeping up with the Kardashians marathon you'll be able to spot the perfect person. Unfortunately, the effort does not always end that way.

Hiring is a big deal and it's important to find the best candidate for a position. But there are things that you, as a manager, can do to make the process easier for those folks who are applying.

Five ways for IT pros to shine in 2014

By Joseph Parker

When you take stock of your career achievements and failures, be sure to also look ahead and consider forming these good habits.

In our ever-changing business environment, how do you stand out amongst your IT peers? Below are tips that I hope will help you get started down the right path. If you form these habits properly, they will transcend the workplace and flow into your personal life as well.

1. Evaluate your present position

In Robert Greene's book The 33 Strategies of War, he explains that "…seeing things as they are…" is a key component in any successful strategy. So, the first step in planning for the upcoming year is to assess yourself honestly and make a change where there is weakness, confusion, and self-doubt.

2. Give solutions, not complaints

There are always problems at work; fortunately, problems come with opportunities. You should focus on the problem rather than the hype and then map out solutions as a result of what you see, taking into account all of the circumstances that caused the issue (be sure to integrate tip #1 into this process). When you present your solutions, you'll be perceived as a problem-solver, and this could open more doors for you in the future.

3. Be strategic with project tasks

You should see every task as being part of a larger project or goal -- in short, look beyond your assignment and at the big picture. As you break down projects into manageable parts, try to foresee what could go wrong at each step. If something arises that was not accounted for, respond accordingly, taking into account the present situation and compensating/eliminating the emotional reaction. By seeing things as they are and not just how they appear, you'll separate yourself from those who panic.

4. Serve others

If you're a manager, you should serve employees who report to you by providing them with the resources they need to succeed. This can range from good communication and trust (the antithesis of micromanagement) to actual tools they use in their work. In doing so, you enable each one of them to successful, which in turn leads to your success.

The same concept applies to working with clients; you should serve them in their expectations, and be honest at each stage of their prospective campaigns. When you support others to whom you are dependent, you also empower them and support yourself in the process.

5. Create opportunities for yourself

Every industry has questions that need answering, so you find ways to answer them -- even if it means creating the project for yourself. This will show others where opportunities lie, and it will create a lasting competitive edge for yourself and the company. Contrary to popular, we are all responsible for what we do and don't do, the latter becoming a regret. You can create opportunities, even where none appear to exist.