It’s an encouraging sign of economic recovery when articles and surveys start to sprout up on the topic of pleasing job candidates. The most recent to cross my desk is a survey conducted by CareerBuilder of some 5,000 job seekers and 2,000 hiring managers seeking to understand the factors influencing candidates’ behaviors. (www.careerbuildercommunications.com/candidatebehavior/)
One not-so-startling conclusion? That job seekers don’t like it when they’re treated with disrespect during the hiring process. That’s not a news flash, but I do feel surprised by the disconnect between hiring managers and candidates. Apparently employers have been kidding themselves into believing that what happens online stays online — that poor behavior toward job seekers would not adversely affect anyone’s view of the company as a whole.
Seriously? In this era of instant Yelp reviews and Glassdoor reports on hiring processes? Not to mention Twitter, blogs, Facebook and any number of outlets for disgruntled candidates to express themselves. The fact that we don’t see more negative reviews of specific organizations’ treatment of candidates tells us who has more grace in this equation. Or perhaps it just tells us that candidates are afraid to speak up in a public forum, lest the post stick to them through their careers.
In either case, it appears the tide is beginning to turn, as it usually does when the business cycle changes from “Workers are a dime a dozen” to “We need more talent!” An interesting demographic element comes into play in this recovery when we account for the growing influence of millennial job seekers, many of whom never got the memo that it’s OK for employers to disrespect their workers, whatever the context. Whether their expectations will result in real change is yet to be seen, but the interim period of adjustment promises to be entertaining.
The CareerBuilder report (produced in partnership with Inavero) provides data for conclusions the average bear could have drawn without surveying 7,000 people. But just in case, here is some data to ponder when considering this aspect of the candidate / hiring manager dynamic:
- Eighty-two percent of the employers surveyed believe there will be little or no negative impact on the company when the candidate has a bad experience in the hiring process. But 58 percent to 65 percent of job seekers said they would be less likely to buy from companies that treated them poorly as candidates. The candidate percentages were influenced by the level of mistreatment employers perpetrated, ranging from not responding to applications to not contacting a candidate after an interview.
- Although 52 percent of employers reported they respond to fewer than half the candidates who apply, 84 percent of candidates expect a personal (not automated) email response. Obviously, a lot of them are not receiving the correspondence they feel is the base level of courtesy.
The survey also found that 69 percent of job seekers who were treated well in the hiring process would buy from the company, and that a whopping 77 percent would take a lower salary from an employer who impressed them during the hiring process.
That’s a whole lot of goodwill springing from that Golden Rule we all learned in kindergarten. So, employers, I have a question for you: Why isn’t it common practice to value job seekers the same way you’d value a potential customer or anyone else reaching out to your company? After all, you’re the one who started it when you posted the job opening.
Don’t worry – I’m not asking for an actual response or justification. But I’ll lend a hand by offering these basic tips for you to follow next time you need someone to join your team.
1. Don't play with people. If you're not really hiring, don't use online postings as your personal survey tools to see who might respond and what salary they'll request. If you really want this information, find another way to get it.
2. Plan the entire process before you post. Not just the job description and what you want, but who on staff is assigned to handle the responses — every single one. If you can't do this, either say that clearly in the posting ("If you don't receive a response by Thursday, you weren't selected for interview") or find another process to use.
3. Think beyond online postings. I don't care how big or small your company is — I will never be convinced you're finding the best candidates in this seriously flawed process. Why not get out of your chair and attend a professional association meeting in person? Or host a chat group for prospective candidates or … something. Just don't say you weren't warned when you encounter even more trouble finding good employees if you're using such poor tools.
