I’ve been thinking about the famous quote, typically attributed to Albert Einstein, that says the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This year I am contemplating this principle across areas of my life from working in an office, self-care, financial independence, career pathing, and the process of finding work. This principle encourages us to rethink, reinvent, and redo aspects of our lives. How are you doing? How are you capitalizing? How are you evolving? The time to evolve is now. This time is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and think about how you do everything.
During this time of significant unemployment across multiple industries and geographies, it has become clear that the job-seeking process demonstrates a need to transform. When I ponder the current state process, in general, it is similar to that of the ’80s and ’90s. Jobs get posted, people apply, someone reviews the application and makes a decision on validating candidacy. Yet it is still one of the most frustrating tasks to encounter. Worldridge Partners conducted a survey that found 18.8% of job applicants surveyed said they were frustrated from not hearing back from employers after countless interviews. This frustration has always been the case, but with 38M unemployed people, it is becoming an epidemic.
Employers tend to take their time, add countless interviews, and assessments to serve their criteria, but often forget the time and needs of the job seeker. Today more than ever, employers need to start leaning in on empathy and vulnerability when they open a position to the public, and it starts with recruitment teams. How you treat people in the job-seeking process will ultimately create a subculture of your organization defined as candidate experience. Treating people well and making them whole, creates a positive buzz about who you are as an organization from the inside out and affects others who will share that story with possible clients, prospective clients, new employees, and existing employees. How are you doing?
This year, organizations that caught on to how important this is in their search for great talent are starting to be creative and invest in the recruitment process in different ways. They are winning. How do we know? They are authentic and vulnerable in socializing it on Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other social media outlets.
Think about it; prior to Covid, companies would have people travelling onsite to interview. Now interviews are predominately being conducted virtually. That is a considerable saving in a company’s travel budget. Money that is repurposed positively with the Talent Acquisition budget can be used in creative ways to make your candidate population feel whole and valued.
Here are my top three recommendations:
1. Train your recruiters to respond to any candidate that spends any length of time speaking to the organization. A good rule of thumb to consider is that if a person is investing their time to talk with you, they deserve a human response in return.
2. Talent Acquisition leaders should make sure their disposition messaging is warm and recognizes the time spent completing the application (especially if you are using antiquated applicant tracking system tools). If you haven’t changed it since Covid-19, you are not current. If you are not using one, you are part of the frustration for job seekers.
3. If a candidate spent 2-3 + rounds of interviews with your organization, consider sending a Visa Gift Card, Uber Eats Card or another venue to thank the candidate for the time they spent investigating the company and the opportunity.
Companies need to be clear about work from home or remote expectations. If you are wondering why 50% of your applicants are halfway across the country, it is probably because your job posting neglects to mention if the position in onsite or open to remote. Be clear in your expectations. Facebook job postings list out the locations of a situation. They then offer a place for prospective applicants to checkmark to be contacted should the position become geographically agnostic.
Also consider that if you have a budget for the role, list out your range. We have to stop asking people about their expected salary range. It is uncomfortable and antiquated. Based on the applicant pool, the compensation ranges can always be amended based upon position and departmental budget. People are becoming open to titles and compensation and seeking quality of company and culture. Stop dispositioning out great talent because you surmise their salary will be too high or that the requirements may be too elementary. It does not serve either party. Instead, as the hiring organization, be authentic in your messaging and expectations.
If you do not currently have a recruiting team, consider hiring a contractor or consultant to handle this process. Candidate Experience is not an area that should be left unattended during this time of significant unemployment. Your organization’s reputation matters and is substantial in who you will attract today, but also future state.
“Be the change you want to see in the world” (Gandhi). You may be in the hiring seat today but ask yourself how you would want to experience finding a job in the future. The climate of corporate is changing; therefore, so does its processes and workflows to accommodate the transformation towards the future of work.
Just making a few tweaks and a little investment will take your organization in the right direction. Be a part of the solution, rather than the problem.
