Stop Treating Job Seekers So Shabbily: Here’s What Smart Companies Should Do To Attract The Best And Brightest In The New War For Talent
Posted 12th August 2021 • Written by Jack Kelly on forbes.com • • • • •
The pandemic has taught companies that it's vitally important to their brand and success to take good care of their workers. The next challenge for corporations is to change the way they attract, recruit and treat people during the interview process.
If you are involved with the hiring process, this is the time to tap into your empathetic nature and be part of the change that you’d like to see in the workplace. Here are some of the suggestions that I’ve gathered from interviews with well over 100 people who’ve searched for a job during the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Job Description
Don’t write unrealistic job descriptions that necessitate too many requirements that can’t reasonably be met by the overwhelming majority of potential applicants.
Instead of coercing a person into completing a lengthy, glitchy and intrusive application, please keep the actual human being in mind and make it more simple. No one wants to spend half an hour filling out a long and boring online form when they can simply upload a résumé or their LinkedIn profile. Jumping through hoops irritates the best candidates. They view this as a bad omen of what’s to come. They’ll stop midway and seek out other companies that offer a more reasonable and accommodating experience. It's critical to research the appropriate salary ranges for the role and not pick an arbitrary number or rely on what you happen to believe is the right number.
The Salary
Top talent is in short supply and high demand. It's imperative to gain a pulse of the job market before you write a job advertisement and price the salary of the position.
Share the compensation up front. If the company and its representatives are vague about the salary, bonus, benefits, stock options and remuneration, it won’t end well.
The Interview Process
In a fast-moving job market, you can’t expect candidates to wait around. There are plenty of other opportunities out there. When you ghost an applicant, you alienate them for life. They tell several friends, who pass it along to others and it hurts your reputation.
Acknowledge résumés when they are submitted. Tell the truth or at least don’t lie about things. Be honest about the job.
Set up reasonable interview times. It's a power trip when you demand a person to show up for an interview with only hours or a day’s notice. It's infuriating to job seekers when you show up late to an interview without any apologies. It's beyond rude when an interviewer cancels a meeting at the last minute. It's even worse when they forget and are a no-show. Be clear about who the candidate will meet. Share their titles and responsibilities. Give feedback to the candidate throughout the process, as it will help both the job seeker and the interviewers.
Treat job seekers with dignity and respect; they are people—not products.
There is no need for 14 interviews over a six-month time frame for a junior position. If a hiring manager can’t make a decision within a reasonable time, they shouldn’t be in that role.Some people are great for the job; however, they aren’t the best at selling themselves. Give them a chance. Otherwise, you end up with smooth talkers who can’t do the job and leave within a year or so.
You don’t need college and advanced degrees for many jobs. Focus on substance not pedigrees.
What Will Happen
To succeed in this new, fast-growing, post-pandemic environment, businesses must offer flexible hybrid and remote-work options. They also need to treat job seekers with dignity, courtesy and respect. The companies that make a concerted effort to roll out the red carpet and cater to job candidates will be the winners in this battle. Word travels fast. The smart and empathetic companies will end up getting the best and brightest applicants, and they will greatly improve results at these forward-thinking organizations.
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