The Shift
The traditional hiring process has shifted focus onto candidates having a choice of incentives to join a company aside from just monetary.
Candidates want to ensure a companies working environment is healthy and supportive and also join a company that promotes diversity, career progression, a healthy work-life balance within their workforce.
Many hiring managers and candidates can often disregard that the hiring process is a two-way street and assume the employer is in full control. In this day and age candidates have more leverage than before in which entrepreneurship has become an alternative for job seekers to pursue with the UK government supporting this enterprise.
During the hiring process, both job seekers and employers tend to present their positive aspects such as employee benefits and personal strengths as both are trying to convince one another that they are worthy and should be trusted. Well-being and mental health support for job seekers have become more of an expectation for jobseekers for employers to offer.
A critical thought for employers will be “What are we uniquely offering candidates?”
Research
Candidates are expected to ensure they do their due diligence to prepare for their interviews in which company information can be found which can help prepare for questions, interview type, and expectations whilst this expectation can differ for employers.
Are questions tailored to candidates or the job role? they usually can be more to the job role in which can lead to limitations on answers from candidates.
If there is no research done on a candidate this can affect their enthusiasm whilst interviewing as this reflects poorly as a potential employer.
The First Impression
The interview process gives an opportunity for both job seekers and employers to see if a working relationship will be mutually beneficial. The candidate experience gives an insight into how working an organisation could be for candidates depending on the interactions. The first impression whether remote or in-person is important to be respectful.
The hiring manager and interviewers may need to show they can work with the candidate which means personalities will be analysed by candidates whilst interviewing. Candidates also have to be mindful of their perception with the other pool of candidates in mind, therefore, have to present traits that and an employer can see as an asset to the company.
Good interviewing practice should ensure candidates are comfortable and the discussion is a discussion and not an interrogation.
Candidates build trust during the hiring process and employers build this trust through transparency.