However you want to describe it, the job market is a lot right now! Everywhere you look, talent professionals and hiring managers are talking about how hard it is to find good talent. And while the media is making claims of a candidate’s market, candidates themselves are communicating the challenges of finding, getting in the door to, and landing their next great role.
Why the disconnect? And what can we do to bridge the gap and help great people and great roles find each other more easily?
The Culture First community is committed to building a bridge over this gap, and recently hosted a virtual session where attendees could ask questions and hear different perspectives. Our speakers and breakout session hosts included Kyle Elliott, Moe Carrick, Tenesha Craig, and Culture First community member Virgginnia Buccioni-Hillmann.
As Moe Carrick shared with the group, hiring is like Match.com. The employer and the candidate are each looking for a partner, and in order for the relationship to work long-term, it has to be the right match for both of them
Where is everyone at in this mess?
In a poll across attendees at the session, the word “overwhelmed” took the cake for the way candidates are feeling about being a job seeker right now. It makes sense. Job seekers need to determine what they are going after - purpose, role, location, culture, company. With seemingly endless options in each of these areas, it’s difficult to navigate next steps.
(What’s one word to describe when you think of how it feels to be a job seeker today?)
Kyle Elliott suggests that to solve for this, candidates would benefit from owning their “fabulousness.” He shared that identifying the overlap of what excited someone as a child and what lights them up as an adult can help create clarity on what makes them fabulous. And if fabulous isn’t a word you connect with, think: unique, special, or different than others. Once identified, finding roles, companies and cultures that want that fabulousness becomes easier. While it can feel risky to become so narrowly focused, Kyle promises there can be “so much good on the other side of the scary.”
Virgginnia and Kyle agreed on the need to be resilient and that having a support system is critical to the job-seeking process. Mentors, life coaches, and career experts can help candidates navigate the mental and emotional aspects of the journey for endurance and resilience.
On the other side of the ravine, Tenesha Craig expressed that Talent Acquisition teams (like most departments these days) are understaffed and overwhelmed, too. With so many to look through, applicants’ resumes are getting only a few seconds of their attention. While that’s the case, she also shared that when she feels she’s found a strong candidate, she’ll be their best advocate throughout the process.
In order to get Talent Acquisition professionals to notice a candidate, Tenesha suggests including a great Cover Letter (especially if it’s not asked for), and reaching out to the hiring manager directly to make a personal connection. Once a job-seeker has landed an initial call with the recruiter, connecting the dots quickly is key. What is your “why?” What are your transferable skills? If you sell your story confidently, it will be sold to the next person in the hiring process to get you moving along in the process.
Virgginnia emphasized the power of having an internal champion at the organization as well. That individual can provide insight for candidates on who they’re meeting with and how best to show up for that interview. And while showing up for what the business needs is critical, a theme of the entire session was Virgginnia’s coined phrase “don’t pretzel yourself.” It’s important to be authentic about who you are so that the match process doesn’t end up with both parties trying to change the other one in major areas. As Moe emphasized, the right match is all about finding the right fit versus just fitting in.
In Moe’s experience with corporate clients she is hearing stories of candidates no-call-no-showing for interviews or even for their first day after accepting an offer. This is creating skepticism among employers about candidate reliability, creating increased employer frustration and essentially widening the gap between the two parties. Tenesha’s suggestion? Communication is key.
What can employers do?
Moe identified several ways that employers can help build the bridge, starting with understanding what candidates want - “good bosses, fair pay, flexibility, and a culture that sees people and helps them grow.”
It’s no surprise - remote work and flexibility continue to be a major factor in attracting strong candidates. The world has changed significantly and businesses that aren’t willing to innovate here may miss out on great talent. In addition, Moe advises that a clear growth track for employees that don’t want to be people leaders is a key factor in candidate decision-making, particularly in technical roles.
She also expressed that employers would benefit from telling better, more authentic, believable stories. For example, a candidate could really see a company’s true colors if the interviewer shared not only what the company is doing well, but also what they’re working on. Many candidates are terrified to arrive at an organization and learn they were sold a bill of goods, so Moe believes that transparency in the process can build trust and confidence that the company is who they say they are.
So now what?
The Culture First community is not done exploring this topic. The commitment to building this bridge continues, and there are some great resources for candidates and Talent Acquisition teams to explore.
Culture First has a Works chapter, specifically dedicated to the job-seeker community.
Next on the agenda is our “TA Tells All” event on March 22nd. Register here to hear from internal and external recruiters on their process and how best to stand out.
While you’re there, check out the community check-ins and upcoming workshops to support candidates in finding their next great purpose-driven role!
Connect with the speakers from our recent event! Follow them on LinkedIn for all the good tips they share and incredible insight on the job market as they experience it.
