We’re all feeling the same thing here… candidates are different today than they were yesterday. We need to interact with them differently. We need to recognize that they are in power, moreover, we need to meet them where they are. We need new commandments. Here’s my take…
- I am the Candidate. Recruiters, sourcers, hiring managers, HR and executives, treat me with kindness and respect.
- Thou shall not derail the candidate in their journey.
- Thou shall not thwart the candidate’s desires to find the perfect match.
- Thou shall not cloud cultural transparency for candidates.
- Thou shall not spin reputation.
- Thou shall not be dishonest with candidates at any time.
- Thou shall not be disrespectful of any candidate.
- Thou shall not manage waste candidates expectations.
- Thou shall not communicate with candidates erratically.
- Thou shall not love passive candidates more than active candidates.
- Thou shall not think of candidates as numbers or metrics.
Turns out, we can learn something from The Bible after all. Who knew? That said, please challenge the aforementioned and add ones that you feel need to be added, etc. Thanks.

William is the President & Editor-at-Large of RecruitingDaily. At the intersection of HR and technology, he’s a writer, speaker, advisor, consultant, investor, storyteller & teacher. He’s been writing about HR and Recruiting related issues for longer than he cares to disclose. William serves on the Board of Advisors / Board of Directors for 20+ HR technology startups. William is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BA in Art History. He also earned an MA in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.