LinkedIn had a great post about over-interviewing not long ago. Jobseekers complained that they became stuck in an endless interview loop without any decisions or feedback. As one woman put it, “If we are at the point where we are talking about my ex-husband and whether I am dieting, I should already have a job offer in hand!”
Ugh, sometimes employers will post a job that’s not fully funded, just to attract a pipeline of candidates or give the impression of growth. Ghost jobs they’re called. “If we meet someone great, we’ll come up with the justification to hire,” is the thinking. This is an unorganized and inauthentic way to conduct a search, because there’s not really a well-defined job spec and consequently no clear decisionmakers.
What happens when there are no decisionmakers? Everyone gets invited to the party. It’s a bit like releasing all your chefs to taste samples and handle produce at the farmers market, then return to tell you what they want to make. Do this a couple times, without buying, and you’ve pissed off the entire ecosystem.
This is the origin of our over-interviewing trend. There’s a sense, maybe a reality, that competition for talent has cooled. And it’s created a meandering wanderlust for the next great hire. The cash positive investment property. Which is an oxymoron by definition.
So you must call BS. Think of the candidate experience. Would you invite your in-laws, toddlers or teenagers to a romantic anniversary dinner? No, no and no! When you include people in your interview process without defining their purpose, you create havoc. No one will get everything they want and no one will have a good time.
Instead, do this:
- Require a job description. (What are we making?)
- Meet with the interview team to agree on priority skills. (What are the ingredients?)
- Verify this talent exists. (Are kumquats even in season?)
- Limit your interview plan to key stakeholders. (Who should do the shopping?)
- Set a budget and timeline. (What will we put on the menu tonight?)
Write this all up and then hold the line. Keep holding it.
The cost of not doing this is great, because your team is trusting YOU to lead a successful hiring process and it will be you on the frontline with candidates. We’ve got your back. Picture us as the farmers in this equation. So long as you know what you’re looking for, we can deliver the best ingredients.
To talk to Nadexa Group about your next great hire, reach us at 201.665.0988 or jen@nadexagroup.com.
