Alexander Kliotzkin’s Post

Assuming positive intent. Why is it so hard to do sometimes 🙃 I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and saw a post that said, “If you’re stuck behind someone driving slow, assume they have a cake in their backseat they’re trying to keep safe.” Meaning: assume the best in someone. It got me thinking about how human nature usually pushes us to assume the worst. Whether it’s in traffic or in life, we almost have to train our brains to think differently. This also reminds me of the recruiting and job-seeking world. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. ➞ Worst case: They don’t care about my application. ➞ Best case: They’re waiting for feedback from the hiring manager before providing an update. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. ➞ Worst case: I must not be qualified. ➞ Best case: The role’s requirements may have changed, and they’ll keep me in mind for future opportunities. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰. ➞ Worst case: They’re not serious about filling this role. ➞ Best case: They’re dealing with a busy schedule and want to give me their full attention when we meet. Sometimes a shift in perspective can change everything. I'm posting this mostly because I need this reminder too.

We've all been there, sitting in a room in your best business outfit, waiting for a hiring manager to walk into the room. Your nerves are going, your palms are sweaty, your mind is racing, you're starting to think "how the heck am I going to get a coherent thought out?" and then they walk in. They walk in and your mind is racing, then in an instant you're put at ease by the human on the other side of the table. As someone who's been the sweaty palmed interviewee many times throughout my career, I know first hand how much your own anxiety can throw you for a loop even when you're well qualified for a prospective role. It's not easy and no matter how you swing it there's pressure to do well. What I've learned through experience and from being an interviewer for the past 14 years, speaking to thousands of candidates, is that putting an interviewee at ease gets you the best results the majority of the time. As an interviewer, you have to: Be a human. Be relatable. Be curious. Be an active listener. Be a mirror. Be calm. Be able to have candidates open up. Be the guide of a productive conversation. Be able to keep the conversation on track. Be the example of what you and your company embody. As an interviewee, you have to: Be prepared. Be relatable. Be curious. Be an active listener. Be a mirror. Be calm. Be able to build trust with your interviewer. Be part of a productive conversation. Be able to answer questions thoroughly. Be the example of who you truly are. There's tons of overlap in what you're expecting from each other and that's honestly the beauty of the whole process. You're just a couple of humans having a conversation, treat it as such and you'll both excel. Value your time. Value the time of others. Let's make those hires. Let's get those new exciting roles. Let's build together. #recruiting #staffing #interviewing

I know many people who have been searching for a job this year, so the results didn't surprise me, but they are shocking when you consider how many people talk about candidate experience and culture. Several years ago, I got to the final interview with a large technology company we all know. The final interview was with the UK MD, and he asked me what had happened in the process and what my thoughts on it were. He seemed genuinely interested. At the end of the interview, he commented that I would definitely get feedback regardless. This was four interviews in. Weeks went by, and I never heard. I knew what that meant. Months passed, and I met the MD at a networking event again. I asked him for feedback, and he looked surprised, saying he had passed it on to their talent acquisition team. I imagine their internal recruiter was just too busy in this case. Due to the company's size, I had no idea who I was meant to get feedback from. I don't think this would have happened if I'd been working with an agent, but I had applied directly. Candidates are giving their time for free, and this should be respected. If you can't give someone a job, take two minutes to give them the next best thing. Nobody expects to get every job, and many people are keen to get feedback. It can be uncomfortable to tell someone you don't want them, but this is business, and people just need to know sometimes. If you find this uncomfortable, try reframing it as being kind and telling someone something they need to know that could make a big difference in their career.

I’ve gotten used to ghosting, even though I don’t think it’s justifiable. However, there was one time that affected me deeply, not just because I felt like he ghosted me, but because I felt a lack of respect and appreciation. So, long story short: I had a job interview with someone, and we agreed that I’d study a particular topic for a month, and then we’d have a second interview. We both agreed, and I sent him the materials I found, and everything was set. I literally started studying everywhere because there was a lot of content, and the topics were new to me. While the timeline was reasonable, it wasn’t the best for me personally due to other circumstances, so I made a huge effort to balance my priorities and meet the deadline as agreed. A month passed, and no one contacted me. So, I messaged him saying the practical part was fine, but the theoretical part had more details, and if the position had already been filled, I’d appreciate him letting me know. I waited for a response, but no one replied. That’s when I realized it was over, and I felt insulted and unappreciated. On top of that, his actions cost me another opportunity because, during that preparation period, I received another offer —Maybe that was my mistake—but I turned it down because I had given someone else my word, and I’m someone who keeps her word. To me, I was committed to working on something for them. Also, I wasn’t in a stable enough mental state at the time to handle multiple things, so I simply declined. But looking at the bright side, I learned something new, and I would never want to be in a place that doesn’t respect people or their time, or doesn’t keep its word. I feel like interviewers forget that just as they analyze the candidate during the interview, the candidate is analyzing them and the company too. You need the applicant as much as he needs you. We should not forget that.

Ghosting candidates can leave the impression that you're posting jobs merely to project growth as a company. If you don't want your time wasted, it's essential not to waste the time of candidates as well. Providing actual feedback on why someone didn't qualify can also help candidates identify areas for improvement, which benefits both the applicant and the industry overall.

the least that can be done

Couldn’t agree more! Employers should remember that the same effort and respect they expect from candidates during the application process should be reciprocated. The job market is already tough enough - ghosting only adds to the frustration. Employers need to do better. Let’s foster a more respectful and transparent hiring culture! #JobSeekers #RespectfulRecruitment

Happy #tacotuesday what a great share!! Big #advocate against #ghosting. Even personally I hate the lack of response. I know sometimes its' hard to hear that you didn't get the job, but is some response better than no response? Thoughts? Comment below ⬇️