THE Meeting.

THE Meeting.  I got to commute with a former colleague last week.  He worked for me as an intern when he was in college and then joined our team after graduation.  We are now ‘mature members of the workforce’ – I’ve known the guy a long time.

As the train chugged toward Grand Central, we did our typical family and work catch-ups and then shared what we each had on tap for the day.  He sounded a little frustrated and blasé about an interview he had that afternoon for a new team member.  I pointed out that for him it was A meeting, for that candidate it was THE meeting. (Yeah, I’m always coaching…)

• THE meeting to land a job they are excited about.

• THE meeting to get back to work after being laid off, terminated or leaving by choice, but maybe walking away from a toxic or unfulfilling environment.

• THE meeting to gain some (or more) financial stability.

• THE meeting to land a job where they are productive, able to grow and learn.

• THE meeting that might allow them to exhale.

  
  

More and more I read about candidates ghosted by recruiters and hiring managers; having shown up fully to conversations and interviews never to hear from the company again.  There is no ‘we are going in a different direction’ or ‘we hired another candidate’.  No acknowledgement of the candidate’s time, energy and effort.  

And while this is prevalent in recruiting, it also happens day-to-day in the office.  

A direct report sends their work product up the proverbial ladder and the email goes unacknowledged.  Questions remain unanswered, alignment sought is not gained, and silence leaves that employee questioning if they did something wrong, unsure how best to proceed.  A junior team member takes the initiative and the more experienced colleague sees it as AN email, not THE email that is demonstrating competence and ambition.  

The suggestion in both scenarios is the same:  ENGAGE.  Follow-up, respond, answer, close the loop.  If you meet a candidate, don’t leave it to the recruiter to let them know they will not be advancing in the process; do it yourself.  It takes mere seconds to thank someone for their time and let them know that you are going in a different direction.  Better yet if you can provide feedback on what kept them from the finish line.

To your internal colleagues:  RESPOND.  Confirm that you received their message, answer their questions, provide next steps or a timeline for you to do so.  If you don’t have time now, then let them know when you will get back to them.  Don’t leave them hanging because it was just another note for you, but it was THE work for them.