We ask applicants to sit in our lobby between interview appointments because we have more important, real work to to do at the moment. There is no clearer signal about your uncaring attitude toward your employees than your insensitive treatment of applicants during the courting stage. Do unto others . . . Even though there are probably half a dozen or more other employers doing whatever it takes to vie for this candidate's services, somehow we think we are so desirable that they will pay for the privilege just to interview with our company. We put an acceptably qualified candidate on the back burner while we continue to shop around for someone who might be just a little bit better.
Qualifed candidates are in and out of the job market in days.
Unless you do all your shopping in a 48 hour period, chances are your acceptably qualified candidate will be gone by the time you determine there are no better candidates. We refuse to let a manager take a resume so he can contact a hot candidate because we in HR haven't scanned it into our database yet. Rule number one is, if you want to keep your job, satisfy the customer. More importantly, in this competitive marketplace, speed wins. Do what you have to to get to the applicant first.