Practice the Golden Rule
Recently, I received a message from a job seeker that was depressing on two counts. It read, in part, "... I just can't figure, when applying online, why there is not a response from the employer, even when the person applying is qualified. I guess online employment hunting is so impersonal that there isn't any feedback ...." It was signed Jobless in New Mexico.
The message was a downer, first and foremost, because the person who sent it was struggling to find a job. It was also depressing, however, because it illustrates how far we have come and how far we have yet to go in recruitment. Thanks to the Internet, we now can reach deeper into the candidate population faster and cheaper than ever before. We can connect with even the passive prospects and "A" level performers who were formerly accessible only via headhunters or by time-intensive networking. We have all of those advantages, and in many organizations, at least, we're frittering them away. How? By violating something as simple as the Golden Rule.
As any grade school child can tell us, that rule simply urges us to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. So, why are we behaving as if job seekers are persona non grata in our organizations? I've heard all of the rationalizations, but frankly, they simply aren't compelling. Usually they are a version of one of the two following themes: in tough economic times, there are simply too many applicants, and in good economic times, there are simply too many openings for recruiters to communicate with those who would like to work for their employer.
Implicit in this statement is the real reason prospective employers mistreat candidates: their recruiting functions are not staffed to do the work they should. While that's an unfortunate reality in far too many organizations, it is not a justification for such behavior. Why? Because technology, in general, and such developments as applicant tracking systems and corporate Web-sites, in particular, provide an effective way for us to:
· practice the Golden Rule in our candidate interactions and
· do so within the constraints imposed on our headcount in the recruiting organization.
Taking this step is vitally important because the experience a candidate has while interacting with an organization is a key element of its employment brand. The way candidates are treated conveys a subliminal, but powerful message about an employer's culture and the value it places on people. While those who are desperate for employment will probably apply no matter how shabbily they are treated, the best and brightest will not tolerate impolite or disrespectful behavior, even if it is unintended. They deserve to be treated better, they expect to be treated better, and they will only consider working for employers where they are.
How can you use technology to burnish the experience you provide to candidates? The following steps will get you started:
· An easy first step, of course, is to use the auto-responder built into your applicant or resume management system. (If you don't have such a system, see if your e-mail technology can generate an automated reply to resume submissions.) While these messages are obviously generic and therefore impersonal, they do address the "black hole" experience of resume submission. When job seekers apply for a position and get no acknowledgement that their credentials have been received, they immediately assume the worst; the Internet has let them down, their resume or application has been lost, and they will be overlooked for a position they want and could do well. A simple "Thank you; we got it." would go a long way toward relieving that angst.
· In addition, use the message in your auto-responder to enhance and promote your organization's employment brand. To do that, the message content:
(1) must persuade the candidate that they will be treated fairly and responsibly in a process that is well organized and meticulous. Your communication should thank them for their submission, underscore your organization's commitment to hiring only the best prospects for each opening, and tell them what will happen next in what time period, whether they are selected for further evaluation or not.
(2) should also tell them that you provide in-depth information on your corporate career site to answer any questions they may have. If you don't provide such information, you should. It indicates that you care enough about candidates to try and be helpful to them even before an offer of employment is extended. How do you determine what information they want? Ask some of your recent hires what was most helpful to them in making a decision to join your organization.
· Manage the expectations of job seekers by being honest about your limitations. Use your corporate career site to tell them, right up front, what you cannot do and why. For example, you might say that the volume of applications is so great that you unfortunately don't have the resources to provide individual feedback or the answers to personal questions early in the evaluation process. Simple as such a statement might seem, it conveys an appreciation for the needs and concerns of job seekers that can differentiate an employer and induce even the best and brightest to apply.
There are never enough arms and legs in today's staffing organizations to do everything we know we should in dealing with candidates. That reality, however, does not mean that we don't have ways to set our employer apart among top prospects. Ironically, one of the most effective strategies is to use technology to implement a practice most of us learned in grade school. Treating candidates as we would like to be treated not only makes you popular on the playground, it also helps make your organization's employment brand very hard to resist.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
Who is Peter Weddle? Peter Weddle is a recruiter, HR consultant and business CEO turned author and commentator. Described by The Washington Post as "... a man filled with ingenious ideas," he has earned an international reputation, pioneering concepts in Human Resource leadership and employment. He has authored or edited over two dozen books and been a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, The National Business Employment Weekly and CNN.com. Today, he writes two newsletters that are distributed worldwide and oversees WEDDLE's LLC, a print publisher specializing in the field of human resources. WEDDLE's annual Guides and Directory to job boards are recognized for their accuracy and helpfulness, leading the American Staffing Association to call Weddle the "Zagat of the online employment industry."
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