Job seeker’s name changed for privacy to Paul. Interview by Chilli Factor.

Chilli Factor: Tell me Paul why are you currently looking for a job?
Paul: I was recently made redundant.

Chilli Factor: What was your role?
Paul: National Sales Manager

Chilli Factor: How long have you been looking for a job?
Paul: 2.5 months

Chilli Factor: What type of job are you looking for?
Paul: In the same field, sales management and business development.

Chilli Factor: What salary range are you looking for?
Paul: $70k to $80K + car and bonus.

Chilli Factor: How many years experience do you have in sales?
Paul: 12+ years.

Chilli Factor: So tell me Paul, how many jobs have you applied for in the past 2.5 months?
Paul: 120 jobs.

Chilli Factor: Where did you spot these advertised jobs?
Paul: Online job boards, predominately Seek.

Chilli Factor: What about the newspaper?
Paul: Very occasionally.

Chilli Factor: Why?
Paul: Because I noticed a lot that is in the paper is advertised online, and there have been fewer roles in the paper.

Chilli Factor: Of the 120 jobs you have applied for, how many application responses have you received?
Paul: I have received a generic automated response to each online application. 70% of the time I’ve only had a “Thank you for your application, we’ll be in touch shortly”. Outside of that I have been personally contacted by only 30% approx of job advertisers. Be it to formally decline my application or to arrange an interview.

Chilli Factor: So you’ve applied for 120+ roles and only 30 – 40 approx companies have personally contacted you?
Paul: Yes.

Chilli Factor: How does that make you feel?
Paul: Frustrated. Anxious. When you don’t hear anything you don’t feel like your being taken seriously. And you start to question your own ability, and whether you have the right skills and experience.

Chilli Factor: It’s very competitive market at the moment. You will be competing with a number of candidates with similar skills. Would you agree with that?
Paul: Absolutely. Plus you are also competing against people with far more experience, whom because of the market are applying for jobs they wouldn’t normally apply for. I’ve been doing the same and recognise it is an employers’ market.

However, only receiving a generic response to a job application which often has involved completing lengthy online application forms, I think presents a poor reflection on the employer or the agency.

Chilli Factor: In what form have you typically received decline responses?
Paul: I’ve received a couple of letters but mainly by email.

Chilli Factor: It’s never nice to be declined for a job but what format do you think is most professional – email or letter?
Paul: My impression has been a letter seems really professional. I felt like the company had taken the time to recognise my time in applying for the role. It left me with the perception they are a professional organisation.

Chilli Factor. Would you apply for a job with a company that sends you a decline letter – again?
Paul: Yes

Chilli Factor: Would you apply for a job with a company who emails you a decline letter – again?
Paul: Yes

Chilli Factor: Would you apply for a job with a company who does not respond to you – again?
Paul: No

Chilli Factor: How many interviews have you attended?
Paul: Approximately a dozen.

Chilli Factor: Typically what type of roles have you applied for?
Paul: Senior sales positions, plus I have found myself applying for roles well below my level.

Chilli Factor: What has been the average package offered?
Paul: For jobs that match my level of skill and experience, a good proportion were offering $20 – $30k below what market rates were 12 months. Some companies were only offering commission.

Chilli Factor: How does that make you feel?
Paul: I was frustrated with some offers because a couple of roles I turned down had real potential but I felt like I was being taken advantage of.

I think this is a poor reflection on the employer and believe they will find themselves in a situation when the economy picks up again where their new employees may look to move on to greener pastures.

Chilli Factor: Can you give me example of an unattractive offer?
Paul: One recent role, I was offered a base salary of $40k plus commission for a Sales Director role!

Chilli Factor: How many jobs have been advertised directly with employers compared to agencies?|
Paul: 80 – 90% of jobs I have applied for have been with agencies. However, I’ve noticed employers advertised a lot of the same roles directly too.

Chilli Factor: On a scale of `1 poor to 5 excellent’ how would you overall describe the `candidate care’ you have received?
Paul: 2. Why? Lack of response, lack of feedback, lack of professionalism by recruiters (both employers and agencies).

Can you expand on this?
Of all the interviews I’ve been to, there have only been two recruiters that were professional. By professional I mean, someone who seemed to have a good understanding of the market, the job opportunity, asked me a lot of questions, and seemed to be as concerned for the client as they were for me. They came across as being genuine and not just trying to make a placement.

Chilli Factor: What has been your experience with regard to recruitment follow up response timeframes?
Paul: I’ve found follow up response quite random from employers and agencies. Outside of the automated “thank you for your application” email it takes between 4 – 6 weeks after applying for a job to get a further update, unless they wish to arrange an interview.

Chilli Factor: What has been your experience with regard to interview feedback timeframes?
Paul: Hasn’t been much better. On average 7 – 10 days to get interview feedback!

Chilli Factor: What has been your experience with regard to quality of interviews?
Paul: Overall poor. Only two interviews I’ve been to were professional. The rest – information was very light.

Chilli Factor: Overall…

a) Did you clearly understand why the job existed?
Paul: For the majority of the time NO.

At the interviews that you rated did you? Yes. Why? The Interviewers gave clear job descriptions and detailed info about why the jobs existed.

b) Did you understand the Employers goals?
Paul: No in general. Again only in two interviews. Why was that? They gave me indications of budgets, and how they related to expectations and bonus structure.

c) Did you understand what outcomes the company expected from the role?
Paul: No 80% of the time. Yes in the two interviews I’ve mentioned.

How did you understand? They gave me written indication of budgets, value of the product and how they expected budgets to be achieved.

d) Did you understand what training and support were provided for the role?
Paul: Yes for two. How? They explained the structure around the role – e.g. teams, technology and marketing.

Chilli Factor: You’ve mentioned some companies were offering commission only. Did you clearly understand how the commission worked?
Paul: A number of the roles I did not realise were commission only until I got to the interview. I found they couldn’t explain how the commission structure worked. When I asked about targets, a number of times I was told they couldn’t answer this, as the previous incumbent had not achieved these.

Chilli Factor: How did this make you feel?
Paul: It instantly raised alarm bells for me. I was given advice once – if an employer cannot clearly explain a commission structure, walk away! I think this is good advice.

Chilli Factor: Tell us about the recruitment experience that has made you feel the worst about yourself so far…
Paul: Probably the most recent role I turned down. Had they been more professional I probably would have accepted the role, and wouldn’t be doing this interview right now!

Chilli Factor: Why did you turn the job offer down?
Paul: Lack of detail, no contract presented. It all felt really loose, I felt extremely pressured to make a decision – at the interview on the spot and then when I asked for more information, I was then pressured to make a decision by close of day! This made me feel uncomfortable about the company’s’ working style – so I declined.

Chilli Factor: What type of information were you wanting to see?
Paul: Letter of offer or a draft contract, commission structure in writing, confirmation of tools I would have to do my job like a mobile phone and a laptop.

Chilli Factor: Tell us about the recruitment experience that has made you feel the best about yourself so far…
Paul: The role I am currently being considered for. The recruitment consultant was friendly, personable, asked a lot of questions, and could answer all my questions, presented me with written company information to take away and was communicative.

Thank you Paul for your time. I wish you every success with your job hunting!

End of interview.

The reason I share this interview is to highlight to employers professional recruitment processes are just as important in this ‘employers’ market’. There may be more candidates on the market, but skill shortages continue to exist. When the market turns and more talent is required to increase business performance, skill shortages will be a major constraint for many companies.

Professional candidate care generates positive company branding. Done poorly and you may find down the track talent you desire won’t be interested in opportunities with your organisation.

Chilli Factor’s online recruitment resource will help keep you on track. Featured in the toolkit is a comprehensive candidate care program which can be instantly implemented. View Chilli Factor’s online recruitment resource here.