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You Think Hiring Someone Can Be Frustrating? Try Being a Candidate
Career Change

By Steve Margalit, FPC National

“We do not learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience.” – John Dewey.

The hiring process, which is largely controlled by the whim of the hiring company (as it should be) does not always run as smoothly as it could on its own.  Attracting and hiring exceptional talent should be the among the most important responsibilities company leadership needs to focus on.  In fact, it’s essential for sustained growth.  A successful hiring process recognizes that it takes two to tango, and it sometimes requires a little freestyle along with the complicated choreography of the interview process.  Executive recruiters are often right in the middle of it, directing traffic and collecting feedback along the way.  We usually recap what candidates need to improve upon to land their dream job.  Today, however, we’re sharing some of the frustrations top candidates have experienced in their job search in the hopes of improving the process for all!

Disorganized interviewers, missed appointments, lack of feedback

“I was supposed to interview on video with three people today, one of them never showed and nobody notified me in advance” – Anonymous candidate

Candidate interview fatigue is a real thing.  Long drawn out processes can really temper a candidate’s level of interest in an opportunity.  If the timeline to hire is too long, undefined, or involves too many steps, companies run the risk of losing some great candidates.  Establishing who on the hiring team is the main point of contact to schedule and brief the team before and after interviews can help avoid the embarrassment of miscommunication regarding appointments – almost sure to turn off a candidate.  Engaging an Executive Recruiter to act as a liaison between the parties can be effective in avoiding such mishaps. Another completely avoidable dealbreaker is lack of preparation on the hiring managers part – for instance, the first time they see the resume is when the candidate sits down for the interview.  Qualified candidates deserve more consideration than that!  Finally, after an extensive interview process, the company goes dark on them.  Hiring Managers, listen up – good, bad or indifferent…you should provide a timely yes or no decision!  It’s the right thing to do.

Everchanging, inconsistent roles and responsibilities

“Sounds like they have a great future, but they seem to be growing too quickly and they are moving in too many directions at once” – Anonymous candidate

When the roles and responsibilities of the job are presented differently by each interviewer, it raises a big red flag to the candidate.  The appearance of chaos behind the curtain is not something that excites or motivates strong candidates to sign up for.  Careful communication and coordination among the hiring manager and interview team is critical to presenting a consistent message.  Top candidates are in high demand in current job market, losing them to the unforced error of internal disarray is unacceptable and can most certainly be avoided.

Antiquated technology for today’s interviewing challenges

“Their video interviewing platform kept crashing, felt like their technology is behind the times” – Anonymous candidate

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, companies have had to quickly change how they conduct interviews and manage their hiring process.  With the rapid developments in technology over the past decade, and the by-products of the ‘digital generation’ emerging in the workforce, these gaps in technology stand out for all the wrong reasons.  Investment in high tech infrastructure can send the message to stellar candidates that you’re ready to compete.  It also ensures you’ll be prepared to adapt in an unprecedented environment (like the one we’re in now), carrying on in a business-as-usual manner with remote working capabilities.

Understanding the market on salary

“I thought we really connected on the interview, but they never asked what salary I was looking for, next thing I knew, they presented a low-ball offer, I was definitely insulted” – Anonymous candidate

When you make it to the finish line of the hiring process with a candidate you are interested in hiring, anything less than a realistic professional offer is bound to end in disappointment.  It’s important as a hiring manager to do your homework and get a feel for the fair-market compensation for the level of experience and geographic location of the position.  Be direct, ask the candidate what their compensation expectations are.  Do not make this a cloak-and-dagger operation.  If you happen to be working with a specialized Executive Recruiter, their developed relationships with candidates can be an asset in setting realistic expectations on both sides and help broker a fair deal.

The foundation of any successful relationship is built on mutual consideration.  You can’t take anything for granted.  If you’re serious about building new relationships with potential candidates, the best way you can show consideration is being fully prepared to manage the process from beginning to end.  First, you need to figure out what you want.  Next, as a leader it’s critical you get your team engaged and deliver a consistent message.  Be prepared for the unexpected, ready to adjust on the fly and get creative where necessary.  Lastly, utilize all of your resources to make sure you deliver a fair and reasonable offer.  If you’re looking to partner with an industry specialized recruiter, search www.fpcnational.com.  Good Luck!

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