As you may know in around 10 days time I’ll be co-track-leading at Bill Boorman and Geoff Webb’s Recruitment Unconference. One of the tracks I”m leading is titled “Who Cares What the Candidate Thinks?” a subject close to my heart as I’ve spent many years working with and advising businesses on the Candidate Experience. However, as the MD of my own business, it’s been a long time since I’ve experienced being a candidate myself.
So it’s with this in mind that I’m writing.
Around Christmas time I got my CV up to date (slapped wrists as it had been a little longer than I advise others…) and started to research and apply for one or two roles that matched my skill set and expertise. These varied from in-house roles to Consultant projects across the UK. I wanted to see what the experience of being a candidate was actually like.
And do you know what…
…It was TERRIBLE!!!!!!!
It really does seems that noone cares what the candidate thinks! From HR departments to Recruitment Agencies, I was staggered by the response that I got to my application for jobs! Here’s a few titbits of what happened:
- I was invited to attend an interview for a job I didn’t apply for by a well known US company – Data Protection???
- One job application form, to be completed prior to any contact with the business, was so longwinded I gave up after 20 minutes trying to complete it
- I was promised a call back from one very well known recruitment agency which failed to happen … ever
- When scheduling an interview for another company, the lady took my availability and then didn’t get back in contact for 10 days – even then this was by email with one slot that was the following day.
- Spot the reason why this email I received was below par from another recruitment consultant:
“Hi Michelle
Could you send through your interview availability for this week”Erm… Have I gone bananas? Where’s the “How are you…” ”Please could you…”
So, in a nutshell my experience was rather different to what I was expecting! Goodness knows how those out of work feel when subjected to such bad practise if this is a reflection of the way things work in this job-poor climate.
If you’re a job seeker reading this and you have any feedback for me on your job hunting experience then please post your comments here. Recruiters I’d like to hear examples from you too of what you’re doing when it comes to managing the Candidate Experience.
Let’s kick the candidate experience back into touch!
