NEW YEARS “RECRUITMENT” RESOLUTION

HOW DO I DO IT? HOW CAN I DO IT BETTER!

2020, a different level of experiences…… being out of work for so long due to COVID-19, months of uncertainty, application, after application, after application.

Being on the other end of the recruiting process I’m going to look at it and when I’m back in the saddle again, working, …… I’m going to make some conscious changes on how I operate.

Obviously itching to get back to work, I’ve been scouring the job boards, company websites, social media, searching for an opportunity which might match my resume and experience and possibly be a good match for my current career goals …… slim pickings, yes due to the current pandemic but there has been some applications submitted for possible opportunities.

There are a lot of people out there right now in the same boat as myself, looking, searching, applying….. so how do you stand out, how do you get your resume noticed, how do you get your application past the electronic screening, into the hands of the actual hiring manager?

GETTING NOTICED

Something I have tried recently is to look for the Human element, ……. look for a connection to the company, do you personally know someone who works there or has in the past, re-connect, reach out to them, and ask if they could possibly assist, put in a good word…….

If, ….which is a big percentage of the time, you do not have that connection within the company, research the senior executives within the company and or department for which you are applying and see if you have a connection to one of them, then if no connection, what I’ve done is reach out directly to one of them and introduce myself, mostly though LinkedIn with a short note stating my interest in a job within their circle, and inviting them as a professional connection.

FRUSTRATIONS……

• · Frustration that not too many people are recruiting right now due to the pandemic, but hey, cannot do much about that.

• · Frustration that your application does not get past electronic screening and get into the hands of an experienced professional because your resume does not have certain buzz words planted within the paragraphs, even though you know your past experience and workplaces are exactly what they are looking for.

• · Frustration that the job posting and details do not state the budgeted salary range, ……

• does the salary even meet my needs? ….is it worth applying? ……am I wasting my time? ….am I wasting the recruiters time? …… all these questions are posed by not stating the salary band.

• · Frustration that you get an automated rejection email just a couple hours after the application being submitted – you know no-one has even looked at your name, let alone your details.

• · Frustration that although you are asked to attach your resume to an application, the process still requires you to type line by line your experience and past employers, the same information within your attached resume.

• · Frustrated that you submit your application online, after which you do not receive any sort of confirmation and / or acknowledgement that your application has even been received.

• · Frustration that there is very little if any communication in regard to the application and position, ……. whether you are being considered, or the position has already been filled, and of course the unfortunate note just to say thank you, but you are not a right fit for what we are looking for.

SALARY INFORMATION

Almost all businesses work with budgets, when a new position is posted for recruitment, that decision making hiring manager will most always know what that budgeted salary would be….

When I’m looking to buy something, Every single thing starts off informing me of a price, whether you need it or not,

Sitting down in a restaurant for dinner,…. doing your groceries, looking for a service, ….

up front you know how much it is going to cost, you have a choice to make

Caesar Salad $8.95 Loaf of Bread $1.99 Gallon of Milk $3.99 House $450,000 Car Insurance $1,427 Hair Cut $25 New Air Fryer that I don’t need $170

But when it comes to Job Salary information, …… 8 times out of 10 this is what you see ✘Pay Range Unavailable ✘Negotiable ✘Are You Interested in Salary information for this Job? ✘To Be Determined

✘Based on Experience ✘Based on Managers Mood ✘Based on the least amount we can get away with People need Jobs : You need People : Publish the Budgeted Salary Range

PEOPLE – we are all Human ……

Lets talk about that Human element for a second, …..this is one of the biggest points that I’m going to make one of those conscientious changes to.

When applying for a job in the same field, we are mostly all in the same boat, in my case hospitality, but when it comes to the initial stages of recruitment, where is that hospitality? ….. people, not just recruiters, do not seem to be very hospitable, as mentioned above with some of the frustrations,

• · How many times have you sent an email, or a follow-up to a recruiter, for them to not even acknowledge your email?

• · How many times have you had an initial pre-interview telephone conversation with a screening specialist, and then never hear from them again?

• · As stated above, reaching out directly with LinkedIn messaging inviting a conversation, with your request being ignored.

• · How many times have you received a message on LinkedIn from someone you do not know, and you have just ignored it?......I now I have, and that’s going to change

A small acknowledgement goes a long way, even a simple “Thanks but no Thanks”

One question that is always addressed to me during an interview ….

…….. “what is the most challenging part of your job?”

The simple answer is “staffing, finding good people” …… so why do we not work harder at fining those good people? If you do not speak to a candidate, interview the human behind that resume, finding good people is so much more difficult.

CONCLUSION

So, with that said, lets close this out by looking at some of the changes in my processes I’m going to concentrate on as a human when I’m the recruiting manager.

First it starts with respecting the other side of recruitment, there is a human being attached to an application and resume.

• · I’m going to reply to each and every resume / application I receive with an honest respectful email, in the past I have only contacted the ones that I would be interested in.

• · To be up front and honest, I’m going to include the basic salary range to match the posted requirements within the job description to eliminate unnecessary applications.

• · Follow-up and continued communication on how resumes and the Human are progressing through the application process,….. are they still under consideration, is it a TBNT, has the position been filled already.

• · When it comes down to the final round of interviews, after the position is successfully filled, speak directly with the unsuccessful candidates, explain the reasoning, and thank them very much for their time and efforts.

• · It’s a small world these days, what goes around comes around, you never know when your paths will cross again.

RESPECT,…… goes a long way, we are all human, it doesn’t need to be a long winded reply, I’ve learned that people do not want to read long paragraphs, just a couple of lines stating your acknowledgement, your appreciated,….. your comment, either way.