Putting The Boot In!

There seems to be a general consensus within our office at the moment that things are picking up and activity levels are starting to resemble some of the good old times with activity levels rife, new jobs aplenty and more and more candidates spending less and less time on the market which is always a win-win for everyone involved. Yes, it feels like we are in a better place right now than we have been since the turn of 2009 but whilst some people are in better places and better jobs because of the resurgence in budgets and project workload, there are undoubtedly others who are still fighting for every inch in a 2 inch market who are probably asking themselves the question – why? Having the opportunity as part of my job to speak to these very people everyday throws up some interesting thoughts on this matter. For example, there is a common theme cropping up from my conversations that a lack of sector experience has often hindered a candidate’s chance of securing that special role and this is an argument I would agree with as companies enjoy such choice amongst their shortlist of candidates right now. This in itself is of course going to be a major factor for why some candidates are searching longer and harder than others – because their chances of success are simply that much more reduced as a consequence of the market being so buoyant right now for talent. However, I would also argue that one of the reasons why certain candidates might be experiencing a tougher time securing a role than others is that of feedback or to be more specific – the lack of feedback in many cases. It would be no secret to say that whilst roles have started to open up over the last few months, companies on the other hand have increasingly done the opposite in terms of the way they feedback to the market. Perhaps this is a natural and in many ways expected consequence of the surge in jobs and the effect this activity has on a hiring manager’s time or more controversially, perhaps these roles aren’t considered of great importance or significance to the manager’s hiring for them even though they are still essential hires for the business. Whatever the reason may be, there does appear to be a trend where an increasing number of candidates are receiving little to no feedback for roles they are considered for which I believe is having a knock on effect for the recruitment process. It is important more than ever that candidates know where they stand and why so they can continue to build upon developmental areas within their interview technique but most importantly, so they can plot a better course for their career in these difficult times. This process of feedback isn’t one way though and it ultimately serves businesses well with their talent resourcing if they go on to interview candidates who have already come through the process of prior feedback and are able to put this to use when interviewing for selection and hire. I suppose the message I am trying to make here is that businesses can save themselves valuable time searching for that right individual if feedback is always given to the candidates they meet (not to mention save recruitment consultants time too!). Without it, this would surely be the act of putting the boot in for candidates struggling in the job market right now and only helps to stagnate good talent and slow your hiring process down.

Advertisement