Honesty in the Hiring Process Goes a Long Way
My husband told me over the weekend that his employer received an application from a Spring internship candidate who previously worked in another division of the organization. Apparently, the candidate is known for not showing up to work. But, instead of conveying this to him as the reason for not hiring him, my husband’s boss told the candidate there wasn’t enough funds to take him on next semester.
What my husband’s boss did was wrong–for several reasons. First, perhaps the candidate doesn’t realize there was an issue during his previous internship. While it might seem like common sense and professional to actually show up when you’re supposed to work, if the problem wasn’t communicated to him, then part of the blame should fall on his supervisor(s).
Similarly, my husband’s boss had another opportunity to properly communicate the issue to the candidate and didn’t. This isn’t doing the candidate–or future employers–any favors. After all, if you don’t know something is broken, how are you supposed to fix it?
I’ve never understood why there isn’t more honesty and transparency in the hiring process. Particularly as Gen Y–a generation known for valuing feedback–continues to trickle into the workforce, employers must rethink not only their recruiting practices but also their feedback process. Don’t get me wrong–I think candidates should also be stepping up to the plate and requesting why they didn’t land an internship or entry-level job. However, in the case of this candidate, he was given a reason–the wrong one.
What are your suggestions for improving honesty and transparency in the hiring process, on both the part of the candidate and employer?
