Employers ignore good hiring practices

Employers are cutting corners to reduce recruiting costs but are compromising good hiring practices, an expert has said.

Robert Half New Zealand General Manager (Finance and Accounting) Megan Alexander said pressures of recession should not influence the quality of recruitment.

“Some employers are treating candidates with less respect because they are under pressure. They may get away with such an attitude in the short term but would pay for it when the economy improves in due course,” she said.

She said one of her clients had recently selected a candidate for a job based on the CV sent but warned the client of the perils of adopting this procedure.

“Some employers are asking consultants to send them three or four CVs and then hiring a person based on what they read, rather than listening to our opinions about who will be the best suitable candidate for their organisation and their projects.

“This suggests that, under pressure, they are ignoring what they already know - that CVs are just one part of the picture and don’t tell the whole story,” she said.

According to Ms Alexander, CVs would not reveal the soft skills and the ability of the candidate to relate to the team with which he or she may be involved.

She cited the example of a company, which was recently interviewing candidates for a specialist role.

“The interviews revealed that although some candidates had strong technical skills, in reality they did not measure up and were missing the strong interpersonal skills required for the job.

“As a result, we proposed a candidate whose CV did not show the technical skills but had the right experience and very strong interpersonal skills.

“That candidate got the job,” Ms Alexander said.

A 2007 Robert Half Workplace Survey found a majority of employers (74%) saying that they were cautious of evaluating the suitability of candidates based on their CVs.

“Many candidates exaggerate the real content of their former jobs. About 56% of the survey respondents said some job seekers had overstated their technical and managerial skills during interviews.

“Many people embellish their CVs, while many good contract workers have difficulty explaining the full extent of their experience in their CVs.

“Therefore, employers who judge candidates purely on the basis of their CVs are likely to miss the best person for the job,” Ms Alexander said.

She said inordinate delays in selecting the right candidate was another worrying trend.

“Some employers think the market is awash with good candidates and hence can take their time to select the right candidate.

“Even in a slow employment market, good candidates often have choices,” she said.