When somebody is looking for a job, seconds become minutes, minutes are hours, and days turn into months. It is never easy to go through this wait.
My heart goes out to all those in a job search process and how it can be gruelling, tiresome and torrid. Post-pandemic, the situation has become more worrisome. It is common to see jobseekers complaining of a cold shoulder or lukewarm response when going through the revolving doors.
These days, even knocking on doors for a job is not an easy experience, and the entire ecosystem has turned unfriendly, if not hostile.
All the more reason why the state of mind of the jobseeker needs a positive engagement. It, therefore, puts the onus on those handling these approaches to do so with absolute sensitivity and care. Be it a recruiter, a receptionist, an interviewer or family member, each must address this with respect.
Blase about it
I have noticed a very casual attitude with most recruitment professionals. For that matter, even organizations, while interacting in these situations. They consider these approaches a routine process with little regard to their criticality for the candidates.
At the time of application or through the selection process, the journey is flawed with unclear communication, no clear timelines and frequent delays. In this context, a clear outcome is critical to the candidate, but seldom happens.
It is a familiar scene in companies that most resumes get deposited into junk folders that remain unanswered. Even if they find a way into the data bank, only a minuscule percentage reaches the secondary levels and that too with passive engagement.
Needless waste of time
The time taken between the selection process from initial to final interviews remains a concern. The process is often tedious and unclear with ever-changing schedules and short notices. Indeed, in most cases, no apologies are proffered to cite the unavailability of an interviewer.
We got to pay special attention to how our HR department staff are trained and how they respond. Whether we need their services or not, the candidates deserve courtesy.
Rewrite the protocol
We don't have to hire everyone or deviate from the outlined merits. Still, we must stick to a positive engagement during the interface irrespective of what stage it is, be it a resume review, an interview, or the final selection.
I have seen professionals in recruitment taking weeks to respond to. Companies must make a conscious effort to automate their process and ensure every approach is reviewed and responded to within a proper communication protocol.
They must adhere to this across the life cycle of job hiring, and companies must follow an articulate engagement process with a standard workflow. As a principle of good governance and people-centric organizations, recruitment must be made seamless.
And friendly…
