Clear communication is the foundation of any good relationship, and that includes the relationship between you and a prospective candidate. The entire hiring process runs much more smoothly when all the players are aware of what’s going on.

For this reason, you should have a candidate charter that outlines exactly what candidates can expect from you, and what you expect from them. In your charter, you might include:

• your step-by-step recruitment and hiring process
• when candidates will be contacted and by whom
• what candidates can do to help you or to contribute to the process in a positive way
• how a candidate’s information is stored in your database
• your policies or standards about confidentiality, disclosure of information, ethics, diversity and other key issues
• what happens when…” scenarios that address common situations

Make this charter freely available on your web site, hand it out at career fairs, and make sure it’s included in every recruitment package. Do whatever you can to get it out there because clear expectations and communication foster trust and goodwill, and that can only help your recruitment efforts.