Hiring is Broken!

Happy Friday Friends,

I want to take you back a little…
It’s October 2021. 
Middle-end of Covid hysteria 2.0. We’re all still wearing masks everywhere. Some of the world is still locked down and fighting over what’s the truth and what’s fake news.

I spent the last 6 months of Covid looking for a new career opportunity. The journey was like being on a rollercoaster ride with Pennywise as the controller.
This post isn’t about me fighting adversity to emerge stronger on the other end. It’s a commentary on the job application and hiring process.

Below are some of my interview stats from those 6 months in 2021. Yes, I did track it all in a Kanban board so I do have data on it. I’m a typical type A I know.

• 14 companies.

• 35+ interviews. 

• 15 Heads of People

• 10 C-suite executives

• 13 Co-founders

Yup, big volume, lots of talking and therefore lots of learning. 
I’ve recently re-read some of my journal entries from this time and there seem to be a few key themes that emerged.

• Lots of listening

• Too much ego

• Too little humility

• Lots of confusion

• Some disappointment

I’ve been on the hiring manager side for somewhere close to 60 employees. But, getting this experience as an applicant was eye-opening. So, I’ve outlined a few points for managers and executives to learn from.

Hiring is not easy, it’s never taught and most companies don’t do it well. My hope is you can learn from some of my experiences to improve your company’s hiring process.

Too Much Ego, Too Little Humility

I’ve worked for over 20 years across a variety of roles, businesses and continents. That means that I have put in a few hours and consider myself knowledgeable. But, I definitely don’t know everything. 

I met a handful of young founders with not that much work or life experience. It seemed that one way to cope with less life experience than someone you’re interviewing is to rely on your ego.

The smartest founders and CEOs I know understand their weaknesses and acknowledge their blind spots. Then they hire people smarter than them to plug those holes. Which in turn makes for a stronger foundation to build a successful business. 
Be humble when hiring, especially if the applicant is older than you.

Lots of Confusion

The hiring process is relatively simple. Yet for the candidate, it is often confusing. Every single company has a different process. Even those with hiring departments aren’t getting this right, not even close.

There should be a roadmap or hiring playbook for candidates. A simple timeline of what to expect and when.

Example Hiring Roadmap:
Step 1:  First interview (recruiter)
Step 2:  2nd interview (HR)
Step 3:  3rd interview (the hiring manager)
Step 4: Founder/CEO interview (if senior hire)
Step 4:  Negotiation
Step 5:  Offer letter/ decline letter

Then, put some rough timelines against the steps and ta-dah! You’ve got yourself a simple plan. The candidate can now manage their expectations and anxiety levels from day one.
More importantly, as a company, you show that you care about peoples' well-being even if they aren’t employed yet. 

Time & Emotional investment

I’d interview with a handful of execs and have interesting, inspiring conversations. 
Then, I meet with the founders or CEO. Again, have a good discussion and end the call excited about the opportunity - cool people solving cool problems. 
I am almost all in - I want to take big gulps of their cool aid.
But, then I get THE email. It’s never a call! 
It feels just like getting the “it’s not you, it’s me” text from someone you are dating.

You can’t help taking your time to hire, especially if it’s an executive. But, you can be aware and keep track of the time and energy a candidate has already invested in the process.
Using clear, open communication to manage expectations will go a long way.

Feedback is a Must!

After every interaction or group of interactions, I made sure to make notes in my journal. I made notes on how the meeting made me feel. I reviewed my responses to their comments. I questioned my knowledge on a few topics. I was as diligent about the retrospective review of each interview. 

The above is great but, it’s all one-sided. There weren’t many occasions where I received feedback from the company that rejected me. I realise it’s hard to give feedback to every candidate, especially as you scale. But, any senior candidate who is 3+ meetings deep with your company deserves some feedback for the time they’ve invested.

There is a nice, constructive way to provide feedback to applicants. Be honest and let them know why they weren’t a fit. It’s great for them and also good for you to make sure you know why you said no.

Recap

• Be humble when interviewing

• Set expectations with a hiring roadmap

• Appreciate the candidate's time investment

• Give honest, constructive feedback when you give a “no”

I have added the above notes to my management playbook. So, I can now pay forward these experiences to leadership teams and any people I’ll be hiring in the future.

Remember that you were a candidate somewhere in your past. Have empathy for what they’re going through. It’s a rough journey finding a new job. 

Peace, love and growth.
Jarren

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