THE PROBLEM WITH OVER PROMISING & UNDER DELIVERING
Why?
Because this team promised so much, the hype was huge & our expectations were so high, so the reality is anything other than ‘bringing it home’ was going to feel a bit disappointing.
The exact same thing can happen if a business ‘oversells’ their opportunity when trying to recruit. Of course you need to talk about the good things; really try to stand out to get people through the door. But when you start blurring the lines between what you can actually offer, versus telling people what you think they want to hear to get them through the door that’s where the problems start.
So in this months blog we have highlighted some of the most common ‘fouls’ we are seeing in job adverts & during interviews – our advice is don’t fall into this trap, all you will be doing is scoring an own goal!!!!
Modern Offices
“You will be working in brand new modern offices…”
It’s a bit of a ‘buzz phrase’ at the moment; & we’re not quite sure where the idea that everyone wants to work in a super trendy office with super skinny mocha lattes on tap & a gaming area for ‘time out’ has come from.
But the reality is there are just as many people that would hate this set up; so if your version of brand new offices is a recent lick of paint to freshen up the walls, guess what you are selling yourself in the wrong way.
Flexible Working
“We offer a really flexible working pattern to all our employees …”
No doubt ‘flexibility’ in the workplace is high on peoples want list – we’ve even talked about it in previous blogs. So if you are selling this as a perk of the job – guess what you will be attracting people that have this high on their wish list.
But if you then declare during interview your company policy on ‘flexibility’ extends to being able to finish early only if you have a doctor’s appointment you will have people walking back out the door.
Be honest & transparent on what you can & can’t offer from the start – it will save you a LOT of wasted time interviewing people that are never going to be right.
Social Events
“The company holds regular social events where the team get together & go.”
For some people the ‘social’ side of the workplace is just as important as the job itself. Maybe they are re-locating to the area & see this as their opportunity to build up a network of friends, or maybe they want to be a part of a business where the owners like to reward their staff by putting on various events throughout the year.
Remember not everyone wants these things but if in reality your events extend to the Christmas party once a year (which the staff have to pay for), talking about a full social events calendar is going to probably attract the completely wrong profile of person for you anyway.
Career Progression
“We have plenty of opportunities for you to progress within the firm.”
Career progression isn’t for everyone; contrary to popular belief not everyone is wanting to climb the corporate ladder. But if you are selling your business as somewhere that you can progress, move towards management or simply develop skills it’s something you need to be able to offer.
People will be interested in you because they can’t get those things where they are; so if in reality they aren’t available (no matter how much you want them to be because you know it’s what candidates want to hear), guess what people will leave as soon as they realise.
In Summary
When you are writing adverts & interviewing candidates don’t promise something you can’t offer.
It’s a mega fail because guess what even if they do believe what you are telling them, within a few months you will be found out & be back to square one with recruitment minus a load of time wasted on your most recent hire!
So if you’re not sure how to kick start your recruitment campaign please get in touch.
You might not be able to guarantee England will bring it home but when it comes to recruitment we definitely can.
☎️ 0161 237 1828
