In this episode of Relationships at Work, communications and leadership nerd (and host) Russel Lolacher highlights the hypocrisy of organizations not asking applicants for feedback and why they should.
Leadership often talks about the importance of feedback, including for applicants (successful or not) to ask for debriefs after their hiring experience. So why don't organizations take their own advice? There are so many benefits to listening to applicants to improve the hiring process.
Russel provides real-world examples of what we can applicants are asking for and experiencing and spotlights the benefits of taking a development approach to hiring. Join us as we discuss.
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The first impression employees have with our organizations isn't their first day on the job. It’s not onboarding. It’s not that first handshake or eye contact with colleagues.
It's the process they went through to get the job.
But it's also the place where unsuccessful applicants get their first sense of who our company is, how it shows up and how it treats people.
Now as applicants, the common bit of advice is to ask for feedback when we don't win a competition. It's to help us put a better foot forward when applying again – either this place or another. It’s a great idea. Constructive feedback is a gift. We all want to do better and be successful. But here’s something that’s always stuck with me…
Why don't organizations embrace that tactic for themselves? Why aren't we as leaders and organizations asking successful and unsuccessful applicants about their experience in the process and what our organization can do better?
It NEVER happens. Never. Which is "funny" as businesses are so comfortable talking about "hiring the best" but then don't make the effort to create or improve hiring environments that could entice the best to apply.
We all have terrible tales. I know personally I’ve suffered through ghosting, bad communication and loooooong, loooooooong gaps between when I applied vs when I heard from the organization. To the point I’d almost forgotten I’d applied. But what could we do better?
I asked our community and heard some great ideas:
- Go back to human filtering of applicants. So many good and great candidates are eliminated through algorithms and AI.
- Fewer steps. A questionaire plus resume *or* cover letter plus resume. Not all three. Clear timeline on the process. No waiting and waiting and waiting.
- Well thought out debriefs. I make a point to provide fulsome feedback to any and all unsuccessful candidates., I have had many thank me as they have gone on to have success.
- Loosen up automated screening processes and requirements. People with applicable skills can be a great fit even if their training or experience isn't a perfect match.
Listening to our unsuccessful applicants has so many benefits, including (obvious first):
· Improving the Hiring Process: It can highlight areas where the hiring process may be lacking or inefficient, including application screening, interviewing, and communication. Oh communication. Understanding their experiences can help the processes, making them more effective and candidate-friendly.
· Enhancing Employer Brand: A company’s reputation as an employer is significantly influenced by how it treats candidates, including those it doesn’t hire. Asking for feedback shows we value and respect all candidates' experiences, enhancing our employer brand and making it more attractive to future applicants.
· Identifying Unconscious Biases: Feedback can expose potential biases in the hiring process that might not be apparent to us. This could relate to gender, race, age, or other factors. We can't champion DEIB without including this.
· Improving Candidate Experience: As I mentioned, the hiring process is often a candidate's first real interaction with our organization. Positive experiences, even in rejection, can lead to them reapplying in the future or recommending the company to others.
It's hypocritical to promote the importance of feedback and continual improvement when we don't actively ask for it ourselves. Incorporating candidate feedback as part of the hiring process, can only help us improve and our impact on their employee journey, now and for the future.
