As a recruiter in a corporate environment, I strived to ensure that the candidates had the best experience possible when working with me and my clients. It wasn’t easy. I didn’t always have control over what inexperienced or boorish interviewers did while the candidate was in their presence. Sometimes schedules got completely messed up or hiring managers couldn’t make up their minds. Whatever the situation though, I made sure that the applicant had one constant – me. If that meant staying late to meet with someone, running over to an office to sit with a candidate during a dead period, taking someone to dinner, shuttling people to the airport, whatever, I did it. Day to day it was more about timely follow up and continual updates on the candidate’s progress throughout the process though. I wouldn’t have considered myself personally successful if I didn’t make these efforts and it could have meant losing top candidates in the end.
Recently, I have been more and more dismayed by how candidates are being treated in their interview experiences. I wish I could isolate this to a specific company or agency and warn you away from them, but unfortunately it seems there is rampant arrogance that job seekers should put up with a great deal of garbage when looking for their dream job. What a bass ackwards way of thinking. Who wants to work at a company that treats their potential employees like crap? And would you as a job seeker refer friends or family to go through this awful experience. Would you want to continue to use the products they develop? In one fell swoop they could be losing using great talent and a bevy of customers if they aren’t careful.
As a job seeker, I think you may have become desensitized to this treatment; it’s just something you have to go through on your way to your next position. You may also feel powerless to take charge during your job search and end a relationship with a crappy employer. But as an advocate for job seekers and employers alike I think you should demand better - think of it as a job seeker bill of rights.
Here’s my take...
The right to timely follow up from recruiters and employers – you shouldn’t have to wait days or weeks on end to hear back from recruiters or hiring authorities. They should provide you with a time frame for making a decision, or you should ask for one, and stick to it. If we are working in a truly “fast paced” workplace then a 3-5 business day turn around doesn’t seem impossible.
The right to know which position you are interviewing for upfront – Have you experienced this? You walk into an interview and you barely know which job you are vying for? You should always have an opportunity to prepare for the specific position you are interviewing against and know what you are getting into. There’s a chance that they may indicate you are a better match elsewhere in the company, and that’s okay, but you shouldn’t feel clueless on your interview day.
The right to have adequate time to prepare for any phone or in-person interviews – Many people are under the mistaken impression that qualified candidates are only on the job market for a day. While this is true to a degree, if you are an excellent candidate, you are also going to be taking time to determine which companies are the best match for you. You won’t just jump into an interview experience, but weigh all your options. Don’t feel pressured by recruiters that want you to interview the next day. Set up mutually convenient times and stick to your guns.
The right to interview your future employer – You should feel comfortable asking questions about the work environment, position, career opportunities, benefits or other areas that are important to you during the interview process. Interviewing is a two way street and you should have the opportunity to evaluate a potential employer.
The right to a speedy interview process – Meeting with tens of interviewers during one round of interviews? Having to make repeated trips and take time off of work? There are better ways to evaluate candidates in less time and with better results. Employers take notice; great candidates won’t put up with this and would rather continue working in their current position then risk losing their job just to interview with your company.
The right to be navigated to the right role within the company – You’ve finally made a contact with a hiring authority at your dream company only to be “rejected” because you aren’t right for the position they are hiring for. Unfortunately, there isn’t a mechanism in place to help get you to the right position in the company and it may feel as if you have lost out. You shouldn't be penalized for being a stronger candidate for a different role. Smart companies know great talent when they see it and are able to plug candidates into the right division. If your company isn't doing this you are missing out on a lot of qualified people!
The right to be treated with dignity and respect by everyone throughout the job search process – I’ve heard many people feel that they have been treated poorly by interviewers with big egos. I think it is okay to ask questions about your passion and desire to work for the company, but no reason at all to degrade or humiliate candidates during an interview. There are appropriate questions to evaluate all levels of talent. Even if you are the greatest company on earth candidates won’t want to work with people that treat them poorly during an interview – imagine what impression of the workplace environment they are getting?
What else would you like to see on this list? As a job seeker, what would you tell employers to change?