This One Tip Will Make You an Exceptional Employer of Choice

Not so long ago I found my dream job advertised. I was SO excited. I polished my resume and included my most up to date skills; I wrote a fabulous job application and even included something a little out of left field with my application so I might be remembered. I sat back and waited for the phone call asking me to come in for an interview because I was their dream candidate.
And I waited, and I waited...
How many times have you applied for a job thinking you had a real chance at it and then heard nothing? Sometimes not even an acknowledgement that your application has been received.
You might wait two weeks and give the company a call or send them an email and sometimes still get no reply. You feel frustrated because you don't know if the job is still open or if you should still be hopeful.
When four weeks pass and you haven't heard anything the light starts to fade from your eyes and all hope of getting the dream job withers away. You must now consider the next job to apply for.
This, unfortunately, seems to be 'situation normal' now. There are even disclaimers on job advertisements with lines such as

"If you haven't heard from us in 4 weeks consider the job to be taken"
or

"We will only contact shortlisted candidates"

I'm sad and I'm angry about the way recruiters and companies treat job applicants. It feels like companies consider candidates to be numbers and not people striving for their next big break. They have lost sight of the fact that they should be selling the company as a great place to work, regardless of the economy and how many people may apply.
So, if you're a recruitment company or a business advertising for new roles, you can easily become an employer of choice by doing just this one thing -
Acknowledging applicants
Yes, it is that easy!
As a candidate, I've gone to a huge effort to write a great job application and I only want three things from you -

1. an acknowledgement that you have received it
2. if the process has been delayed, I want to know I'm still in the race; and
3. even if I don't get an interview I want a notification to tell me the process has been completed so I can move on and start applying for other jobs.

Many companies now have automated recruitment solutions so there no excuses for not keeping applicants informed but even if you don't have these systems it only requires a couple of templates to keep people informed.If you can do that you will stand head and shoulders above the rest of the pack and win the admiration of applicants. Even those who don't win the job will still be impressed that you contacted them because NOBODY else is doing it.
It doesn't matter if the job is in the mailroom or a senior executive position everyone deserves to be acknowledged for the time and effort they have taken to bother applying for a job at YOUR company.
I was lucky enough to get my dream job, even after a lengthy delay in the recruitment process, and I implemented this one change for my organisation because what was once said about nerds can ring equally true for candidates -

"Be nice to nerds, they'll probably be your boss one day"
Bill Gates

So, take some time to build the templates to acknowledge all applicants for all positions and watch your employer reputation soar.
If you need advice or more information on how to achieve this, I would love to have a chat.

Cindy O'Dea
I own the Perth, WA based Practical HR Strategies. I have over 25 years HR and Learning and Development experience and have worked in organisations in all three tiers of government, mining and higher education. I'm passionate about providing no-nonsense solutions to help with the toughest part of any business - managing people!

4 Top Tips: How to Effectively Negotiate a New Car Price

Purchasing a new car can become a fairly complicated process. It means spending hours on researching a suitable car, testing long forgotten math skills to calculate the finance terms and prepping to get the best price out of a car deal. However, the benefits to negotiate a car price are plenty. With a negotiated price, not only do you pay less money but you can also use the money and invest it elsewhere. Learning how to effectively negotiate a new car price is a skill that you can master. Keep the following tips in mind while you set out to negotiate the price of your next car.

1) Do Your Homework

Before turning up at the dealership, make sure you have done enough research regarding the car you wish to purchase. Conducting a good research will assist you in getting a clear picture of the type of car you want, the required features and the approximate budget you can allocate to the car. Many car manufacturers have special prices on their website. You could use the research to your advantage during negotiating the price of the car. If you go into the dealership with an idea of a fixed car and an approximate price, you will be able to dismiss any attempted sales tactics to make you buy an unnecessarily expensive car.

2) Visit Several Dealerships

After conducting a thorough research, try to visit more than one dealership. Amongst all the prices, compare the price of the lowest deal with another dealer and ask if he can beat the previous price. Another reason to visit various dealerships is to get the car with all the features you require. Expanding your reach will enable you to obtain the best price while still retaining all the features of the car you wish to purchase.

3) Negotiate on the Total Amount

Many a times, an illusion of a lower monthly payment clouds your judgment. A low monthly payment is usually spanned out over a long time frame with a heavy interest rate. In order to negotiate the lowest price, make sure you negotiate the final price based on the total amount of the car. Additionally, if you provide a down payment and repay the remaining amount within a short time frame, you will be able to make a better offer to the dealer.

4) Lay a Floor Price and a Ceiling Price

During the process, have a mental range between which you would like to negotiate your car. The floor price is the lowest price at which you should start negotiating. Usually, the floor price is 5 to 10 percent lower than the car manufacturer's price. Alternatively, a ceiling price is the final price up to which you are willing to pay. If any dealer quotes a price that is higher than your ceiling price, you should shop around and look for other options. Therefore, a floor price and a ceiling price will assist you in cracking your deal and help you purchase the car within your range.

While purchasing a new car may be a long process, negotiating the deal doesn't have to be. Consider the above pointers before you set out to negotiate the price of your next new car.