Myth Busters: Employer Edition
Last week I devoted my blog to dispelling some common myths to which job seekers still cling. This week, I turn my sights to the other side of the desk. And let me tell you, employers, you’ve got work to do. Your recruiting processes are broken; your hiring managers don’t know how to conduct an interview; they are indecisive. On top of all that, you seem to have a distorted perspective regarding sourcing and retaining talent. Here are some top examples:
Myth: Our application system is smooth and makes it easy for candidates to apply to our company.
Reality: I speak with A LOT of people engaged in a job search, and without a doubt, their Number 1 Complaint has to do with the proliferation of byzantine ATS software. Here are just a few things that candidates hate, all of which will make them abandon your application:
You require them to create an account to log into your system.
Once the candidate has uploaded a resume, they must repopulate the fields in the application with the exact same information on the resume.
Date of graduation is a required field. Are you trying to figure out your candidates’ ages?
Your application includes essay questions. This is not an exam. Find out the answers to your questions via a conversation with a candidate.
Myth: The candidate needs to sell me on why they want to work here. Working for this company is a privilege!
Reality: The candidate is interviewing YOU just as much as you are interviewing them. It is not a one-way conversation.
Myth: I like to grill candidates and look for holes in their stories.
Reality: It’s an interview, not an interrogation. The assumption that the candidate is lying to you is absurd.
Myth: We need to hire someone who has done the exact same job at one of our competitors. No one outside this industry can understand it.
Reality: Skills are transferable. Someone who can learn and adapt can undoubtedly flourish in an industry in which they’ve not previously worked. Stop being so myopic.
Myth: We need to test candidates by giving them a project or case study to complete and then have them present this to a panel.
Reality: Candidates despise this one. Requesting a candidate to walk you through how they would approach a hypothetical problem is one thing. It’s quite another to ask them to spend hours preparing materials to present to your team. Candidates always wonder if this is a way for a company to get work for free essentially. I advise clients not to participate in these exercises – EVER.
Myth: Candidates shouldn’t ask about compensation upfront. It is wildly inappropriate and makes it seem like they are only interested in the job for the money.
Reality: Can we please stop pretending that people go to work for reasons not primarily related to earning a living? Of course, they are interested in the money. And having a candid discussion about salary upfront can save time for all parties involved.
If your company is serious about recruiting good people, you first need to make it easy for candidates to apply to your company. And please, train your hiring managers on how to conduct an interview! They are dropping the ball out there.