Why Seeking the Perfect Match Is Pointless - EmployeeConnect HRIS
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Why Seeking the Perfect Match Is Pointless

Why Seeking the Perfect Match Is Pointless

Finding the right candidate to fill an open job vacancy has become a hard task as the time to hire has dramatically increased. A Glassdoor Research study found that the average overall job interview process takes anywhere between 22 and 32 days depending on the country you’re in. In order to elucidate the phenomenon, a range of explanations have been found including:

  • More complex hiring policies,
  • Added job interview screening methods,
  • A fierce job market competition,
  • Globalisation,
  • An ageing population,
  • The growing number of retirees,
  • Qualified talent becoming a rarity,
  • The emergence of new specialised occupations.

 

However, we often dismiss a determining factor in relation to this issue – and this is the employer’s own responsibility.

Why Seeking the Perfect Match Is Pointless?

On one hand, you will find job seekers that feel like they need to impress and seduce employees. And on the other hand, there are organisations that are desperately struggling to find qualified professionals.

The combination of a strict hiring process, high employer expectations and the lengthening interview process have a heavy impact on recruitment success.

These factors can be explained by the complexity of today’s global economic situation, high levels of competition and the need for organisations to shine through their human capital. Unfortunately for all, this means running the risk of lengthening the recruitment process. On the other end of the scale, it makes the job search process even harder for candidates and instigate doubt within organisations and target applicants. Furthermore, this situation makes it even more likely for employers to miss on relevant and high potential candidates which could add value to their business.

Nowadays, in their search for talent, employers have high expectations and expect always more from newly hired employees. They must meet perfectly to the long list of criteria they have established in terms of training, competencies and experience. In other words, they must be the perfect match.

Stop Using Unreasonable Hiring Criteria

Employers have become more selective thanks to the use of more refined job descriptions. They expect a lot more from candidates especially when it comes to filling strategic job roles. Employers want the guarantee of a candidate’s quality and a demonstration of the value they can bring to their organisation before hiring them. However, the recruitment process is never completely unbiased. Recruiters generally involve their emotions, past experience, deceptions, successes and mistakes in the evaluation process – which simply means they cannot be objective. When it comes to evaluating people, we cannot negate this element.

Yet, in practise job descriptions are becoming unnecessarily long and list a large number of criteria and qualifications that are not vital. This can sometimes result in a number of humorous job listing asking for a young and dynamic individual but with over 25 years of experience… That would pretty much equal to recruiting a 10-year-old!

And when we take the overall economic situation into account, we can see that employers are actually seeking a perfect match at low cost, as they offer under market salaries.

6 Ways to Get Your Hiring Process Back on Track

  • Limit your hiring criteria to five essential points that include the knowledge, experience, competencies and personality traits required. You need to defined these clearly depending on the actual cultural environment of your organisation, the hiring context, the challenges of the role on the short & long run as well as the strategic stakes it possesses.
  • Focus your candidate search on a common match and not a perfect match. The perfect match doesn’t exist; however, the optimal candidate does exist! You need to take the time to evaluate an application and focus on its strengths, not its weaknesses. When you see your hiring process exceeding a few months, you must stop and review your hiring criteria.
  • Involve others in the recruiting process. Line managers and HR should be involved during the entire hiring cycle. They will bring a complete vision of what’s required which is essential to the success of the recruitment process.
  • Get off the bitten track. Stop looking for copy pasted versions of your previous hires. A candidate with an atypical resume and a set of transferable skills could be worth a shot.
  • Build a hiring committee and determine your hiring process ahead of time. A rigorous and organised approach will avoid decisions based on impulse and the loss of good candidates caused by a too quick judgement. This will help you select potential hires while eliminating rejected candidates. This is especially relevant for small to medium size organisations which tend to take decisions too rapidly.
  • Align your salary data taking into account your own expectations and the market price for a given job. You can be inventive in the salary & benefit mix you offer. This will help your employer brand stand out but don’t forget to adapt this strategy depending on your target candidate.

 

When you establish a realistic profile of your ideal job candidate, you simplify the recruiting process and increase your chances of success and efficiency. People aren’t perfect and it’s this particular trait that makes them interesting. Stop seeking the perfect match and rather look for the perfect imperfection for your organisation.

Oriane Perrin
oriane@employeeconnect.com

Customer Success & Growth Manager