How to respond to impolite candidates is one of the challenges for HR.

 

This is because not all candidates have the same manners, even though attitude is a very important part in selecting candidates.

 

If HR has to deal with impolite candidates, how should HR respond to these impolite candidates?

 

In this article, Ipresens will explain about impolite candidates?

 

What are Some Examples and Behavior of Disrespectful Candidates?

 

When assessing candidates during the recruitment process, you must understand the characteristics of impolite candidate behavior.

 

This understanding will be a guide for HR to assess candidates before accepting work at the company.

 

So what are some examples of these impolite candidates? Here's an example for you:

 

• Asking about salary when HR has just uploaded job vacancy information.

 

• Already asked for leave when HR just announced a job interview.

 

• Don't want to be reprimanded and think HR is disrespectful.

 

• Asking for vacancy information impolitely, for example via WhatsApp messages.

 

• Interrupting conversations when conducting telephone screening or when interviewing candidates.

 

Apart from the examples of impolite behavior above, there are actually still examples of impolite behavior from other candidates.

 

When you notice a disrespectful attitude from this candidate, don't hesitate to take action against the disrespectful behavior.



 

What is the Reason the Candidate is Rude?

 

There are various reasons why candidates behave rudely during the recruitment process.

 

This can be something that makes you curious, how can they be so rude when they need a job?

 

Here are several reasons why candidates can be rude during the recruitment process:

 

• Candidate education factor: education has a huge influence on determining a person's mindset and behavior.

 

• Many candidates still think that working is like being a coolie or being considered a slave. This makes them disrespectful and less respectful of the recruiting team.

 

• Have never applied for a job in the formal sector so they have no experience in this formal sector and are still carried away by the way they behave when working in the non-formal sector.

 

• The candidate feels that he has a lot of experience and is very qualified to work, so he feels that the company needs him.

 

• Do not have access to know how to work in the formal sector so do not have adequate information about this.

 

How to Deal with Impolite Candidates?

 

If you find a candidate who is rude during the recruitment process, what should you do?

 

Maybe some of you are still confused about how to respond to this impolite candidate.

 

Here are some ways to deal with candidates who are rude to you:

 

a. Identify the Type of Difficulty

 

The first step is to identify the type of incivility or challenge you are having with the candidate.

 

Is it a lack of communication, a mismatch in expectations, a personality mismatch, a disagreement about the role or company, or something else?

 

Depending on the type of difficulty, you may need to adjust your approach, questions, or tone to address it effectively.

 

b. Understand the Reasons for the Candidate's Impolite Behavior

 

So that you don't just judge the candidate's impolite attitude, you need to understand the reasons for the candidate's impolite attitude.

 

For example, from the candidate's educational background, understand that the candidate's educational background greatly influences the candidate's attitude.

 

If you feel that the candidate can be informed properly, then provide information regarding the candidate's disrespectful behavior.

 

However, if the candidate's disrespectful behavior has taken root, then you can decide not to process the candidate to the next stage.

 

c. Ask Open-Ended and Behavioral Questions
 

One way to deal with rude or challenging candidates is to ask open-ended and behavioral questions.

 

Open-ended questions are those that require more than a simple yes or no answer, and they allow candidates to express their opinions, motivations, and experiences.

 

Behavioral questions are questions that ask candidates to explain how they handled certain situations in the past, and they reveal their skills, abilities and personality.

 

By asking open-ended questions and behavioral questions, you can encourage candidates to share more information, demonstrate their fit with the role and company, and identify any red flags or gaps.

 

d. Provide Feedback and Guidance

 

Sometimes, disrespectful candidates may not realize how they appear or what they did wrong.

 

In such cases, you may need to provide feedback and guidance to help them improve their performance or behavior.

 

For example, you may need to remind them about interview etiquette, role expectations, or company values.

 

You may also need to provide constructive criticism, suggestions, or examples to help them understand what you are looking for and how they can improve.

 

e. Use Rules and Regulations in the Recruitment Process

 

To deal with impolite candidates, you can look at the company's rules and regulations.

 

Every company definitely has rules and regulations, including those to regulate the recruitment process.

 

This regulation also relates to the criteria for candidates who will be accepted for work and who will not qualify to work at your company.

 

Here you can review the company's rules and regulations, especially in terms of employee recruitment.

 

If the candidate does not comply with the company's rules and regulations, then you can take action, namely not continuing the candidate's job application process.

 

f. Knowing When to end Recruitment

 

One of the important things to know is when you should end the recruiting process if the type of incivility becomes too much to handle or resolve.

 

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you may not be able to connect with a candidate, overcome obstacles, or reach a mutual understanding.

 

In such cases, you may need to end the interview politely and professionally and thank the candidate for their time.

 

You may also need to document the reasons for ending the interview and share them with the hiring team or manager.

 

g. Ignore

 

The final step is to ignore candidates who behave impolitely.

This is the way to deal with an impolite candidate that wastes your energy the least.

If you feel that the candidate is rude and far from the required qualifications, then ignore it and focus your attention on the candidate who meets your needs.

 

Why Politeness is Important in Recruitment?

 

Now that you know how to deal with impolite candidates, are you curious why politeness in recruitment is important?

 

In the recruitment process, the candidate's technical ability is important and becomes the value in accepting or rejecting the candidate.

 

However, apart from the candidate's abilities, the candidate's politeness and attitude are also no less important. 
 

You should not ignore the attitude that the candidate has because this could be an obstacle in the future.

 

Employees who are able to be polite and have a good attitude can improve effective communication and can work well with the team.

 

This is different when you choose a candidate who is not polite, which can affect the team that works with that candidate later.

 

From this it can be seen that choosing an impolite candidate can affect teamwork and will affect the company as a whole.

 

How to Avoid Rude Candidates?

 

To avoid impolite candidates, you can do the following:

 

a. Create a standard recruitment process

 

The first way that can be done to avoid impolite candidates is to create standards in the recruitment process.

This standard can be used as a guideline in employee recruitment.

This standard is given in various stages which are divided into two, namely before the interview process and after the interview process.

The process before the interview consists of:

 

• Do thorough research and background on the candidate. Here you can check the candidate's social media and contact the candidate's references.

 

• Have a discussion with the HR manager regarding the time needed to fill the vacancy.

 

• Create requirements for what skills, experience and values ​​are needed. Here you can get an idea of ​​the ideal candidate.

 

The process after the interview consists of:

 

• There's no harm in holding a personality test to assess the candidate's soft skills and personality. This test applies to senior managerial positions.

 

• For administrative positions, you can take performance assessment tests to measure the skills and knowledge required.

 

• Create a standard checklist of questions for all positions with key qualifications until you find what you're looking for.

 

b. Choose Only Qualified Candidates

 

The second way is to only select qualified candidates.

For example, you can assess this from your CV, your skills, and your personality.

If you are not sure about the qualities of a candidate, then don't choose that candidate.

 

c. Use Technology

 

Lastly, use technology to avoid impolite candidates.

By using this technology, you can make the recruitment process easier, including avoiding selecting impolite candidates.

You can use the HRIS system from  Ipresens to make it easier to manage employees in your company.

 Ipresens is a payroll software and HRIS application that is equipped with various features for managing your employees, including efficient employee recruitment.

 

Conclusion

 

Finding employees who are rude is a challenge in itself during the recruitment process.

As HR, you must have a way of dealing with impolite candidates so that you can find the best candidate according to the company's needs.

With Ipresens, you can make the recruitment process more efficient so that you can easily respond to candidates who do not meet the company's needs.

 

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