One week ago, a New York City-based copywriter named Lauren Baer posted on LinkedIn saying that she had recently withdrawn her candidacy from a job. She loved the company. She was a strong candidate. So what went wrong?
In the post, Baer explained precisely why she said enough is enough — and her reasons are a great lesson for every business owner and hiring manager out there.
Let’s break it down:
Don’t rely on your company or product reputation
Baer started off by saying:
“I withdrew my candidacy recently from a company I REALLY liked.”
Being a cool company or having a cool product isn’t enough to attract top talent. If your hiring processes are clunky or individual bosses aren’t trained properly on how to hire, people may move on. Your hiring team really matters.
Be mindful of how you communicate with candidates
To keep reading, click here: This Woman Withdrew From the Interview Process After Being Told She Was ‘The Strongest Candidate.’ The Reasons Why Are Instructive for Any Hiring Manager
Here’s the LinkedIn post in case you’re interested: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/laurenrosebaer_i-withdrew-my-candidacy-recently-from-a-company-activity-7156635642477576192-hKWT/
She thought the interview process was indicative of larger issues, and I can’t say I blame her.
I’ve done that, even when I was told I was the final candidate. My final interview was supposed to be Friday. The Wednesday before… the recruiter told me they wanted a presentation on [technical concept] at the final interview.
I mulled it overnight, then withdrew my candidacy on Thursday. Told the recruiter I don’t do “dog and pony” shows without sufficient leadtime for thorough preparation.
And I ignored every call from him afterwards.
It’s also important to remember here that unemployment is under 4 percent and we are facing an aging population. Workers are, and will be, scarce for some time. In this environment, you have to make sure that, besides your salary, benefits, and culture, your recruitment process is competitive too. You are competing for talent more than talent is competing for you.
Candidates are comparing processes and effort required from one employer to another. If the employer next door is offering the same thing you are, why should a candidate accept to invest more in your recruitment process? Jobs, and managers, remain largely disposable and this may continue to be the case for some time. We have to adjust our hiring processes accordingly.