6th November 2020 Church News.
It’s an odd time to be working in the recruitment industry. Of course, it’s an odd time for us all. Many of the things we took for granted are no longer guaranteed. This applies not just to our jobs, but also the general stability of our lives. With many businesses regrettably having to make redundancies, there are arguably more people actively looking for work and attending job interviews now than at any point in recent times.
For some the thought of a job interview is enough to induce mild-panic and sweaty palms. For the extroverts among you it’s a welcome opportunity to spend an hour or so reveling in the opportunity to tell a captive audience how wonderful you are. From a detailed study of my LinkedIn newsfeed the new–job market landscape appears to have one common and damaging theme for the majority of job seekers during the pandemic: many people are struggling to obtain that most basic of post-interview rite of passage – feedback. Although the issue with lack of feedback from both hiring organisations and recruiters is not a new one, the problem has without doubt escalated. This is a troubling new development at a time when the opposite should be true. As recruiters, both agency and direct employers, the important role we play in society has rarely been greater than it is now. With the fragile state of the nation’s mental health becoming an increasing concern we, possibly more than others, can play a key part on alleviating some of the unnecessary stresses by providing a better level of service than ever before – this starts and ends with making sure that every applicant gets a response and every interviewee is informed of the outcome as well as fair and honest feedback that helps them to improve their chances of success next time.
In any situation, there will always be a winner and a loser. It could be argued that recruiters or hiring managers are now perfectly placed to capitalise on the misfortune of others, potentially receiving scores of highly qualified applicants for vacant positions which might otherwise have previously attracted merely a handful. Suddenly those responsible for reviewing an unexpectedly high number of CV’s now find themselves with a small goldmine of potential new recruits – life is good. For them, anyway.
But it’s easy to forget what that large pile of CVs or bulging inbox of applications represent – the hopes, dreams and fears of a diverse range of individuals. Some may be new to the market, eagerly taking their first steps into the process of finding their first post-education role or reluctantly be forced into the job market after unexpectedly finding themselves out of work. Many will be rapidly losing hope after a series of rejections or feeling despondent because applications sent or, worse, interviews attended without receiving an outcome or feedback. This is a terrible policy, whether it is intentional or not. As a recruiter the reputational damage could be considerable, even if the effects aren’t felt immediately. Candidates will recall how they were treated when you didn’t need them, so don’t expect them to beat a path to your door when you do need them. As an applicant the cumulative effect of applying or interviewing for many jobs and receiving no outcome can be equally damaging. It erodes confidence, steals hope and in these extremely challenging times can adversely affect mental health.
At a time when we are all encouraging each other to be kind let’s not forget the incredibly important part that recruiters and employers play in this regard. With many companies reporting record numbers of applications, it may be tempting to think that we’ve never had it so good. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that this good fortunate has come at the expense of others misfortune. We will collectively be judged on how we treat people during these difficult times. There is an imperative for all of us who operate in the recruitment market, whether as an agency or end employer, to play our part as a nation, to pull each other up and look out for each other.
For 30+over years Church International Ltd has conducted its business based on 3 core values:
Commitment: dedication to delivering an exceptional service.
Integrity: being honest to ourselves and others.
Teamwork: working together to accomplish a common goal.
These principles have stood us in good stead and gained us a reputation for being fair, open and putting the best interests of our clients and candidate first – always. If we can help with your job search in any way, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our clients are seeking experienced IT professionals of all specialisms, both in the UK and Europe for immediately available opportunities.
To discuss further, or ask any questions please contact Simon on – simon.flynn@church-int.com
