Navigating Respectful Communication: How Should I Address My Future HR Manager?

Dear Seniors,

I am working in a 25-year-old company as a Recruitment Executive where there is no HR hierarchy. Now my boss wants to appoint an HR Manager in the company. It will be my responsibility to search for resumes and convince candidates to come for interviews. The company is a family-run business where all the salary responsibilities are managed by the Account department.

I am now very confused about how to interact with my future Sir/Madam and what I am supposed to call them - sir or madam - because I generally refer to candidates as Mr. or Miss. Please help me solve this issue.

Fahim Khan

Fahim,

The best way to handle this is to:

1. Your job is to hire a manager - so do it.
2. Addressing your future boss by his first name or by Sir/Madam depends on the rapport you establish during the interaction process.
3. Generally, the norm is to address by Sir/Madam initially. Later on, once the required comfort level is met, you can call him/her by the first name.
4. Don't get too pally-pally with the boss. Let him/her find out whether it's a lala company or not. You don't be the bad guy revealing all and sundry to him/her. Allow him to do his homework before he joins.

Be optimistic; you may never know he may be the shield for you in the future.

Thanks,
Giridhar

Dear Mr. Giridhar,

Thank you for your valuable suggestion. I have just started the recruitment process. I would like to seek one more suggestion from you: What is the appropriate way to address a married female candidate over the telephone - as Mrs. or Miss?

Warm Regards,
Fahim Khan 😄😄😄

Hi Fahim,

See her CV - if she is married, call her Mrs., else call Ms. The ideal approach would be to ask her - "Hello, Ma'am - do I call you Ms. or Mrs.?"

Thanks,
Giridhar

Hi,

I guess the first step towards making your so-called "lala" company more professional would be by starting to work on this requirement professionally. You can address the candidates by their last name if you are not comfortable using the first name to start with. Once they are hired, you can ask them how he/she would like to be addressed. Usually, if you do not know the marital status, it's better to use "Ms." as the title. If you need any more help, please feel free to ask.

Goodbye,
Shilpa

Hi,

What Shilpa says is correct. When you are in the hiring process, you are representing the company, and it is not your personal requirement, nor are you seeking any kind of help from them. Using the last name at the time of the interview and the use of Ms & Mrs as per the record available with you is fine. After the completion of the hiring process, you have to clarify with him/her the level of comfortability in calling their name.

All the best.

Chary VS

Dear Fahim Khan,

The suggestions you received from Mr. Giridhar and Ms. Shilpa are quite appreciable. I would like to add more important points to the discussion. Whenever you have to appoint someone to a senior position, you should consider their experience, particularly in hard-core HR, and also from which field they come. It would be beneficial if they have experience in a similar field or organization.

Regards,
Yogesh

Go about your task very professionally. If it is the company norm to call by name, then call him or her by name and add the correct salutation. Whoever you select will form their first opinion about your competence and professionalism during the process. Follow all the norms of recruitment as per the book, give them the correct respect, be very articulate, take care of timings, seating, the right ambiance to conduct the interview, etc. Do this recruitment as a challenge, knowing that your future career and performance will be judged by this person.

All the best, take up the challenge.

Regards,
Loveindra

Dear Fahim,

As a professional, it is your duty to recruit people into the organization. Please ensure you fulfill this responsibility without being concerned about other matters. Addressing individuals by their names or using Mr./Mrs. is merely a formality; therefore, please do not prioritize this. Ultimately, what truly matters is the quality of work you deliver.

Have a nice day and all the best.

Anita.

Dear Shilpa,

Thank you for your valuable suggestion. I'll keep in mind your points.

Thankful to you and all seniors (Anita, Loveindra, Yogesh) who have suggested ways for me to cope with the problem.

Fahim Khan 😄😄😄😄