Treat them with respect and dignity.
We promise, wherever possible...

• To treat applicants like customers and to keep them informed on a periodic
  basis.

Explanation: Because at many companies applicants are likely to be current or
future customers, management must treat this opportunity to interact with them
(as applicants) as another opportunity to positively build your company's brand.
Management must also realize that treating people poorly as applicants will
almost certainly negatively impact their buying habits. Keeping in touch is
relatively easy if you utilize a customer relationship management (CRM) process
and its related software.

• To treat applicants like they were investors in our company. You will
  treat each as a unique individual who deserves your respect because they have
  honored you with an application for employment.
  Explanation: Because applicants actually are investing a significant amount
  of their time in the application process, and if they get the job, they are
  investing a significant part of their work life in your company, treating them
  like investors is a wise approach. Once you start considering them on the level
  of investors, you'll make every effort to make all applicants feel special.
• Not to abuse or run roughshod over applicants because of any power advantage
  we might have.
  Explanation: Because many applicants are desperate for a job (especially the
  unemployed ones), they will endure almost anything without complaining.
  Companies need to acknowledge the possibility of abuse upfront and then develop
  measures to ensure that it doesn't occur either in HR or by line managers.
• To respect an applicant's time when you request information from them.
  Explanation: It's the right thing to do to consider the burden we place on
  applicants when we ask them for information. It's also wise to remember that
  requiring excess information (especially in the early stages) results in higher
  applicant dropout rates.
• To answer applicant's questions rapidly and honestly when they are asked
  and, wherever possible, to anticipate their questions, so that those who are
  uncomfortable asking questions won't be at a disadvantage.
  Explanation: Because of their lack of power, and frequently their
  nervousness, recruiters need to anticipate the information needs of applicants
  and also the fact that applicants might fail to ask some questions they would
  like answers for.
• To identify your expectations and to solicit your feedback.
  Explanation: Most hiring processes involved limited or one-way
  communications. Rather than ignoring their expectations, start the process by
  asking applicants, "What are your expectations?" You should also periodically
  ask them how they are doing during the selection process.

2.
Provide information on the job.
We promise, wherever possible...

• To ensure that job descriptions, want ads, and brochures contain accurate
  and current information

about the job responsibilities and the required
skills so that applicants get a realistic job preview.
Explanation: Inaccurate job descriptions mean high dropout rates when
applicants find out during the interview process what the real job entails. It
may also lead to higher turnover rate after applicants begin the job. To ensure
accuracy, HR needs to conduct accurate job analysis and make an effort not to
make the required qualifications overly high. It is equally important to put in
checks and balances so that managers and recruiters don't make a job seem more
exciting than it really is and that we tell applicants clearly what we are
looking for in an applicant, so we don't confuse and frustrate them.

• To ensure that recruiters and managers provide an accurate view of important
  issues to applicants like work/life balance, job sharing, working at home,
  and promotional opportunities.
• To only post jobs where outside applicants have a realistic chance of
  getting them.
  Explanation: In order not to deceive the applicant, the company agrees not to
  post "wired jobs," that is, either jobs that appear on the surface to be open to
  outside applicants but in reality are already unofficially assigned to a current
  employee or jobs that a hiring manager really has no intent of filling at the
  present time. In addition, it's important to rapidly remove postings for
  recently filled jobs, because these postings unfairly tease applicants as well
  as waste their time for no real reason.

3. Provide information
on the selection process.
We promise, wherever possible...

• To notify applicants promptly when their initial application is received,
  accepted, or rejected,

and not to send misleading or meaningless regret
letters that are so general in content that they do not provide the applicant
with information on what they did well on and possible areas for improvement.

• To educate applicants upfront about the entire hiring process, including
  time frames, who they will meet, and the finalist selection criteria.
  Explanation: Applicants have fewer fears and lower dropout rates if they know
  in advance what to expect. Rather than keeping applicants in the dark, make them
  aware of the minimum and maximum timeframe involved, who will be the primary
  decision makers, and what criteria will be used to select the finalist.
• To honestly keep applicants informed about how well they are doing by
  telling them after they complete each step in the process. Include what they did
  right and what they need to do more of or less of. In addition, notify
  applicants promptly when their application is no longer being actively
  considered.
• That managers and recruiters will be fully engaged and committed to the
  hiring process by measuring and rewarding them for maintaining an equitable
  and applicant friendly hiring process.
  Explanation: When there is little accountability, processes and people often
  get sloppy. To ensure that everyone involved maintains a laser focus on quality
  hiring, it's essential that HR, wherever feasible, measures and rewards managers
  and recruiters for great hiring. This helps ensure that the process is timely
  and responsive, and produces great results.

4. The interview
process.
We promise, wherever possible...

• To ensure that every applicant gets to participate in a fair and legal
  interview process.

We commit to training all participants involved in the
process on the legal requirements and the "best practices" in interviewing.

• To limit the number of interviews to a reasonable number, so that the
  applicant does not suffer through "death by interview."
  Explanation: Research tells us that excessive interviews add little to
  selection accuracy but do, however slow the hiring process and frustrate
  applicants, especially those who are currently employed.
• To respect the applicant's current boss and job-related time constraints
  by making a good-faith effort to provide interview times and locations that
  fit the applicants needs.
  Explanation: By providing night and weekend interview times, you show respect
  for applicants' time and minimize the likelihood that they have to lie to their
  current boss in order to attend. In addition, by occasionally providing
  interview locations in the suburbs close to where applicants live, you can
  further increase the likelihood that top performers will show up for interviews.
• To make the interview process more of a conversation between equals and less
  adversarial. During the interview, respect the applicant's time, ask only
  job-related questions, and give the applicant your undivided attention.
  Explanation: Most interviews seek to find flaws rather than identify the
  strengths of applicants. Interviews can become more of an information sharing
  session if you inform the applicant upfront about what will occur during
  interview process. Letting them know whom they will speak to, what types of
  questions to expect, and even how to dress can help to alleviate their fears and
  anxieties.
• To provide the applicant with a voice in designing the interview process
  in order to ensure that they are provided with an opportunity to ask
  relevant questions, present their work in a fashion that allows them to put
  their best foot forward, and interview with people that they need to talk to in
  order to make their final decision.
• To provide applicants with an independent opportunity to talk to their
  future coworkers in order to have an opportunity to evaluate their team and
  as an additional assurance that managers and recruiters didn't oversell the job.

5. The offer process.
We promise, wherever possible...

• To make a fair offer within the range of the applicant's expectations the
  very first time.

We promise to play no games by initially making lowball
offers.

• To proactively provide information that applicant's are likely to need in
  order to make an accurate decision on the offer, including, where feasible,
  bonus potential, average promotion rates, and information related to job
  security.
• To provide the applicant with sufficient time to consider the offer and
  to put no undue pressure on them to rush their decision.
• When feasible, to provide a no-fault opportunity for the applicant to
  gracefully back out of a job during the first three months if it appears
  that the opportunity is not a good fit for both sides.