How many companies show respect for candidates’ time and effort in selection processes?
Some companies seem to be playing Squid Game (the show).
GAME #1
You’re looking for a job and start searching on LinkedIn. At first, you see an interesting job posting. There’s no “easy apply” option. You feel like you’re going to lose it. You sigh and gather your courage and patience. You resign yourself to filling out the form on their website, which they think takes 10 minutes but in reality takes 1 hour. That is, of course, if the page doesn’t crash.
· Fill out form ………………… 1 hour
· Applicants ………………………… More than 2,000
GAME #2
You don’t expect them to acknowledge receipt of your application. If, by any chance, they do, it’s a miracle. Either way, you remain interested and keep playing. Your motivation is bulletproof.
GAME #3
Two months later (or 3 or 4), you receive an email saying they’re interested in your application, and you need to complete a first test. It could involve answering questions from a recording in English with calculations, riddles, and timed tasks, or recording an interview where you must answer 10 questions in English, but the seventh one, surprisingly, is in French (and the job posting didn’t mention that requirement), or preparing a product presentation for potential clients (between 10 and 20 slides) that you must send them within 48 hours… or any other creative challenge.
· Creative challenge… Between 1 and 8 hours
· Applicants …… More than 500
GAME #4
One month later (or 2), you receive an email saying you’ve moved on to the next round, which consists of a virtual interview with the person from the “Candidate Experience” department. During this stage, they ask why you’re unemployed or why you want to change jobs, how much you were earning or are expecting to earn, and why you think you’re a better candidate than the others for the position. All “super friendly,” even though the questions feel like they’re designed to screen out criminals.
· Interview ….. 1 hour
· Applicants …. 25
GAME #5
“Tell us etween 2 and 4 weeks later, you receive an email saying you’ve moved on to the next round: a virtual interview with 4 people, one of whom is the person you would report to… if you get the job. Two of the interviewers don’t turn on their cameras or explain why. The questions follow a “semi-rigid” structure (to avoid saying “completely rigid”) where listening and engaging with the candidate is not key. For example, questions like: “Tell us about a situation where you demonstrated leadership,” or “Tell us about a situation where…” etc.
Then you tell stories like a “hero’s journey” because Americans (and some others who are not) love that. But it doesn’t matter, they’re not really listening anyway, and they move on to the next question: “Tell us about a situation where…”
· Interview … 1 hour
· Applicants… 4
GAME #6
Two weeks later (or 3 or 4), you wonder what happened. Eventually, you call or write, and the response is:
- Oh, didn’t you get our email? We’ve already filled the position with someone else.
COMPANIES OF THE WORLD
Where is the RESPECT for the candidates’ time and effort? Moreover, how do some companies show their respect in the selection processes?
Do you really think those who made it almost to the end will want to play with you again when you launch another round?
Furthermore, if the beginning of the relationship between the company and the selected candidate had this tone, how long do you think it will take before the phase of disengagement I mentioned in my article on internal resignation sets in?
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