In today’s fluid employment market, employers and potential employees are coming into contact on a frequent basis in a number of different ways. Some of these contacts are via e-mail only, while others involve numerous phone calls and possibly several face-to-face visits.

During each of these exchanges, both the organization and the candidate have an opportunity to make an impression on the other party. Failure to recognize this fact, on either side, can have a lasting impact that may not bode well for a future relationship.

The savvy job applicant has long known that first impressions count. Prepared job seekers know the drill that includes putting together a flawless resume, writing a compelling cover letter, wearing appropriate interview attire, having a firm handshake and good eye contact and answering questions directly, thoroughly and intelligently.

Many interviewees are so adept in these skills nowadays that employers struggle to get a true picture of the individual, with both strengths and weaknesses. Self-help tools, job coaches, web resources and training programs for those seeking employment abound. The determined candidate can become a virtual expert in finding a position by “wowing” potential employers with attention to detail, perfectly crafted responses to tough questions and the ability to appear like an ideal fit for the organization.

Once upon a time, it was considered only the candidate’s job to convince the hiring team that a job offer should be his or hers. The onus was on the job seeker to worry about impressions and always put the best foot forward. There were a prescribed set of action steps pertaining to this process that were focused on the applicant, not the employer.

In this scenario, the applicant had everything to lose if missteps occurred along the way. For example, arriving late for an interview or not sending a thank-you note to the interviewer could and would be used to eliminate a candidate from further consideration. The employer held all (or most of) the power in this relationship.

Back when candidates were abundant, hiring managers, interviewers and HR staff did not seem all that concerned about the impression they were leaving on job applicants. It was not uncommon for an employer to fail to respond to e-mail and voice mail or just leave candidates hanging for weeks or even months at a time.

Interviews often were strung out over a long period while employers searched the market for more viable prospects or just plain delayed the decision-making process to attend to other more pressing priorities.

I have heard horror stories about applicants being asked back for five or six interviews with unprepared interviewers and then never being given a reason for an ultimate rejection by the employer. The tales of unreturned phone calls and emails or, worse yet, illegal and inappropriate interview questions also abound.

Pre-employment tests, including personal, psychological profiles that have no job-related connection have also been known to be part of the selection process. Again, the job seeker was expected to stay the course and go along with the process whatever it might entail.

In a less competitive market, job seekers were assumed to be patient and willing to put up with whatever process the hiring employer might deem necessary to make the selection decision. Diligence was expected and usually delivered by candidates who had limited job opportunities.

It was almost as if people in the job market followed the old “speak when spoken to” rule and sat quietly back while the hiring organization took its own sweet time, calling all of the shots.

I hear often from job seekers today that the slow, unresponsive or evasive employer leaves a bad taste in their mouths. Frankly, it can cause a potentially interested candidate to eliminate the employer from consideration.

The savvy job seeker expects to be treated with courtesy and respect throughout the interviewing and selection process. If the employer has a hard time managing this process in a professional manner, candidates grow concerned that the organization itself might be flawed or have a culture that does not value its people.

So, employers take heed. It is not only the interviewee that needs to be making a good impression. Organizations that want to attract talented people need to be focused on making a good impression on all candidates, whether they end up hiring them or not.

Mary Lynn Fayoumi, CAE, SPHR, is president and CEO of The Management Association of Illinois, headquartered in Downers Grove. Contact her at mfayoumi@hrsource.org.