Your relationship with a recruiter before, during and after an interview is important. So important, you might blow your chances to be a viable candidate. You might be wondering why would I care if I blow off a meeting since a recruiter is not the company. Here’s why…

This week I spent time with a recruiter and got a sneak peek into her work. She had a phone interview scheduled with a potential candidate for a job. The appointment was confirmed for a half hour.

Half hour time slots are common for a first interview. Recruiters have a process or list of questions to ask you. They are efficient with their time because of the number of people they are screening for any given job.

At the appointed time, the recruiter calls the number the candidate provides for the interview. No answer, so she leaves a voice mail. Time marches on…and there is no return call during the time set aside for the interview.

The recruiter is on to the next candidate with another phone interview. She notices the first candidate is now calling over 45 minutes late while she is talking to the next person.

An hour and a half later the first candidate leaves a voice mail. So you might be wondering what will the recruiter do? Did the recruiter follow back up?

The first candidate will be lucky to receive a call back in a couple of days. The recruiter’s calendar is booked solid. Still, I am curious about what might happen next and how would it affects the candidate’s positioning with the hiring company.

In our discussion of the situation, the recruiter acknowledges that even if the first candidate moves forward, she will note what happened with the missed interview. Why? Professional, management and executive positions require some of the same skill sets.

Follow-through, attention to detail, keeping commitments, effective communication and respect – are some of the skills and behaviors that companies rely on to run an efficient business. When you are interviewing with recruiter (who is an extension of a company), they are evaluating you every step of the process.

So, next time you find yourself working with a recruiter, keep your appointment or let know them via phone or text that you have to reschedule ahead of time. Better yet – schedule the phone meeting when you KNOW you will not have a conflict.