What is it about recruitment that appears to make companies lose all sense of propriety, righteousness and clear thinking? Two separate strands here, both linked:
1. The interminable delay in moving through the recruitment process, with the gap between the advert being placed and someone being appoointed often dragging into months. If the role is critical to your business, get it filled, ASAP! Every day that the role is being "covered by the team", or being "seconded to someone for development" (but not anyone who is good enough to be given the job!), is a day that the maximum value is not being generated from the role. Delaying filling it does NOT save you money - it may save you wages, but it will absolutely lose you contribution / margin / influence / team motivation / profit.
If the role is not crucial (hence your foot dragging in filling the vacancy), bite the bullet, and cancel the recruitment. Restructure and make do with what you have...
2. Outward communication. As a job hunter, I have a desire (occasionally verging on desperation) to be successful and be offered the job, but that does not give companies the right to over promise and underdeliver. The favourites:
- "We will absolutely get back to you by X" (followed by days of silence)
- "This is the end of the selection process, and we will now make our decision" (followed by an invite to meet yet another decision maker / undertake another test)
- "We will give you feedback" (followed by the blandest of comments such as "the other candidate had a better fit". I don't care about the other candidate, I want to know what I can do to improve!!!)
The problem is that I know none of this is deliberate; it is life getting in the way, with the recruiters being tied up by their own internal bureaucracy, with managers being "distracted" by the day job, by them being focussed on THEIR needs of filling a vacancy,and not really thinking about the applicants in any great detail at all (and I say this having been in this recruiter position myself many times, and with retrospect, wishing that I could have taken more time to ensure that all applicants, including the unsuccessful ones, were appropriately treated).
Remember: Treat others as you wish to be treated
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