We’ve all been there. We are looking for work on one of those job boards. We spot a few that pique our interests and we seem qualified for. We spend considerable time on researching the company, writing the resume, adding a cover letter, and contacting references. After completing what we think is a stellar application, we hit submit.

Then we wait …and wait …and wait …and wait.

We think, “maybe I wasn’t selected?” or “should I drop them a note to see how things are going?” We check online and the job is still posted so they haven’t filled it yet… We think that “maybe I’m still being considered” …or not.

We’ve all been here too. I call it applicant purgatory. You have applied, but you don’t know what the outcome is. The employer has not sent out a notice, and when you reach out, it’s radio silence. According to the most recent LinkedIn Workforce Report, the median time it takes to be hired is 49 days.

Let’s put this into context. For those who are not working right now, that’s 49 days that there won’t be a paycheck. The economic impact on qualified but un-hired professionals is enormous. A month and a half is a lifetime if we can’t pay rent, the mortgage, utilities, put gas in the car, or worse, feed our children.

Small businesses need to be careful to not be THAT company. Every touch point, including when you put out an application for staffing, is an opportunity to project your company’s brand. It also allows prospective applicants to get a glimpse into who you are as the owner, since the leader sets the tone and informs the company ethos. Applicants are interviewing you as well, so you need to put your best foot forward.

Because of the pandemic, it is an applicant’s market right now. They can pick and choose between offers. Meanwhile potential employers are offering competitive salaries, benefits, and flexible working conditions wherever possible. To think that you can ghost an applicant is to set yourself up for a bad reputation as a company.

Yes, you can blame the applicant pool for being fickle and asking for too much, but you have to own your role in the situation. If you do not send out status notices to applicants to, at the very least, inform them that you are still reviewing applications, then applicants will begin to ghost your company, too.

They have financial obligations that cannot wait until you get your act together. After they are hired, these will also be the applicants to leave first. Those will likely be the most qualified ones, as well. Employees can sense ineptitude when they see it. How you as the business owner behaves during the application process influences the quality of viable candidates that you will have to work with.

Small businesses are job creators. That said, you must also create a structure to find, hire, and retain the best possible candidates for those jobs. The structure you create will reflect your leadership style and the company culture.

When a job is closed, send out status notices to all applicants thanking them for applying. During the hiring process, set clear timelines for reviewing applications and conducting interviews. This will help applicants know what to expect. You should also stick to your own timeline.

Once you’ve selected a candidate, let everyone on either side of that decision know… and remember to thank all applicants. Saying “Thank You” is simple, doesn’t cost you anything and will leave a rejected applicant with a sense that they were not forgotten. Even though they were not hired this time this time, they may consider looking again in the future when you have another job opportunity available. They may also refer a friend who would be a better fit.

The bottom line is that even hiring is an opportunity to showcase your company brand and your leadership philosophy. It may seem that those doing the hiring have all the power, but that isn’t definite so anymore. With the millions of open jobs, it’s an applicant’s market right now, so they are also interviewing your company.

The alternative, of course, is for them to start their own business. That may sound fine, but if they are good enough at it, they may just become a competitor. Not only did you miss out on that talent, but over time, they could actually put you out of business.