Corporate Adulting
Recruiting & Job Searching is Broken
It’s Not Working Really Great for Any of Us
I am having one of those days. A day when I’m feeling frustrated and maybe a little sorry for myself. A day where I got an automated rejection note from an ATS for a job I applied for — without even getting a call to speak to the recruiter. A day where I did speak to a recruiter, but it was for a job that I feel I am overqualified for and doesn’t ignite any passion in me. A day where I want to just have a little pity party.
I know I am not alone. Job searching is not fun. It might have been fun initially (the excitement of thinking about doing something new, the adventure that awaited!) But several months in…it is not fun. It is work, but the kind of work where you spend a lot of time and effort and then it does not get noticed or is summarily dismissed. It is taking shots in the dark and trying to guess what someone is really looking for in a role. It is calling in favors and playing “7 degrees of separation” within your personal network because without doing that…you generally will not even get a call about that job.
So, I am having a pity party in the moment. Because I can. Right now, I can afford to look for a job for an extended period and it will be ok. There will come a time that it will not be ok, but I have a longer runway on this than most. It makes me sad for the heartbreak and desperation that I know many people are feeling right now who are the sole breadwinners for their families or who have run out of their emergency funds or will soon. Or who have enough funds to weather a storm, but just really need health insurance for their families right now.
When I face problems, it generally stirs up my creativity. I am a problem solver at heart and during my pity party, the following struck me…It seems like recruiting and job searching is broken.
For instance (and I do not mean to sound arrogant when I say this, although I know I will), I am a great employee! I am really good at what I do. And I’m great at figuring out what I don’t know how to do and getting great at it too. I work hard. I have passion. I am a catalyst for change and a strong leader. But that is not what the job search process looks for. It looks for key words and reduces people to two sheets of paper. It is flat and one dimensional.
I have contemplated that it is possible I am not doing it right. But I think I’m doing all the right things. I have joined an executive job search site. I have had several resume reviews and been coached on interviews. I have read countless articles. I have attended webinars. I have networked (which is not as much fun for introverts). I have researched the company before submitting a resume and I try to identify who I may know that I can call or who can put in a good word. But maybe I am still missing something? Or am I?
It made me think…
Perhaps job searching should be more like online dating? Here is how it could work. A global job marketplace is created. As a professional, you fill out a profile that allows you to indicate your interest level in finding a new job. Statuses could range from “not at all interested” to “mildly intrigued by the possibility” and “absolutely desperate to be hired”. You have the option to change this at any time based on your current situation.
Using your profile and preferences, you would get “matched” with jobs loaded by employers. You both can “swipe right” on each other. As part of making yourself attractive to prospective employers, you can submit a short video telling about yourself and showing your personality. Even better, you can have others submit a short video about you, telling why you are a great co-worker, boss, employee, etc. The more you engage, the more points and credibility you gain in this employment “dating” system.
There would also be loads of AI in this process, of course. Artificial intelligence would be used to calculate the match of your profile to the job. Your preferences should also alert you to dream jobs that you might aspire to but provide feedback that you are not yet qualified — and in what ways. AI could “learn” the jobs that you like most often and give you more of these. AI could give you a “likelihood” of getting noticed score because the AI would also be working on the hiring manager and recruiting side. It could show what companies are REALLY looking for in various jobs by comparing the profiles and qualifications of those who were successful candidates to those who were not. It could help recruiters by weeding out candidates who are not even remotely qualified for a role.
I would envision this platform to be fully mobile enabled. It would do away with all the nonsense recruiters and hiring managers must do via email to get resumes shared. It would streamline recruiting and take all the broken pieces that exist in several different places and put them all together. It would send you notifications in real time about what is happening with your profile and applications — and to recruiters to let them know that an unacceptable amount of time had occurred since you’d been contacted. It would allow you to keep updating your profile with new achievements and additional information, keeping it fresh and helping you understand what you really might need to do in order to get hired into your dream job or dream company.
In my last role, I managed talent acquisition. I got calls, messages and yes, even desperate pleas from people who just wanted to be noticed. I am sorry to say now that many times I did not respond. I was overwhelmed by the broken technology stream I had to deal with daily, and I know my recruiting team was as well. We used all the major job boards, an ATS, a number of recruiting tools and various social media platforms. We had many great tools, but they did not talk to each other. We had to connect all the dots manually.
I know that all this technology exists today — in pieces. It is not connected. It needs an overhaul and an extreme makeover to make something seamless and integrated and great and user friendly. And to change the experience of everyone involved.
In closing, if you had any inclination to do so, please don’t feel sorry for me. My job search pity party will not last too long. I’m generally an upbeat person and I’ll shake it off soon. In fact, I already feel better since I have taken time to identify the problem and possible solutions. I recognize that it is a valuable lesson for me and part of my growth — learning what it feels like to be in the job market.
I will not forget this experience. And I’d still maintain that it needs to change. It is broken and in the meantime we are all doing the best that we can.
Thanks for reading! Read more of my Corporate Adulting Blog series at https://monicaojendyk.medium.com/.
