How does recruitment work from the employers side?

[Netcurtainnelly]

A question for employers.
how does recruitment works from the employers side and what challenges do employers face.
We know alot about the jobseekwrs side?

aparently the salary thing is ment to be a requirement soon to prevent companies competing

the other thing with various roles is the amout of duties they want yet only pay nmw or slightly above it, what happened to running businesses with proper wage gaps depending on your level or hierarchy etc

What annoys me the most is getting it down to a short list and excluding people who might have been suitable because others tick more of the boxes that we wanted - then when we get to the next stage, we find out those people have lied or been economical with the truth. Waste of my time and waste of yours!

Why do I need to "tailor" anything? What do you do that is particularly special?

My job history won't have changed.

I'm sure people would be more fulfilled if changing jobs was a bit simpler, so they could move around a little bit quicker and find a better home - rather than staying in jobs they dislike a bit because they can't face the hassle of trying to change.

It's a shame online tools haven't got rid of all this friction.

Tailoring makes it feel like you've actually read the advert and you might vaguely have thought about the industry rather than firing off 200 CVs to anyone who might have crossed your path on Indeed or Reed.

I also don't want a gushing cover letter which gushes about how much you've always wanted to work for X since being 12 years old.

Tell me what you've done, how you did it and why it was a good thing.

Because you’re competing against people who have tailored their CV. ie they’ve read the job description and pulled out those sections of their skills, experience and qualifications to make it really clear why they should be considered for the job.

It’s far better to spend the time doing a well-thought out CV and covering letter response for one application than put in ten generic applications.

Because I’m recruiting in primary care. Quite a specific role that requires experience and qualifications.

An application that says “I’ve always been keen to pursue a career in retail and am passionate about fashion design” is no use to me at all. Someone who’s scattergunned their CV to any and every job advertised is probably desperate, to which I sympathise, but to actually get employed you need to pay attention to detail.

Many thanks for replies to my comment might just have brought too much personal bitter experience

Well if you want the job, at least pretend to want that job, not just any old job.

Because if you said "I want a job and I'm good at working in a team." and the job was for pressing red buttons as part of the button pressing team... I would interview the candidate who says " I want a job pressing buttons and I'm good at working in a team."

Popular thread then. 😍

Why is there so much cv word salad so to speak and has anyone used a swot matrix as part of their cv

how long in length should cover letters be ?

Well, you don't need to tailor anything if you can't be arsed. You just need to realise that you'll be up against people who do really want the job and are prepared to make an effort.

As an employer, I'm not really interested in hiring staff who just want an easy ride. If they think it's too much hassle to make an effort on their application, then they haven't got the kind of drive and motivation that I'm looking for, and they would be better off looking for a job elsewhere.

I’m not hiring “poxy” admin roles, I’m hiring senior professionals with significant salaries. I expect an applicant to tailor their application demonstrating willingness and aptitude to do the job.

I agree on the salary point, looks like some progress may be being made on that if the headlines are to be believed.

it seems salary wise many companies cannot make profits if true value of salarys are paid to the workers,

Sadly, no. We were recently recruiting for a digital person and got an application from someone who was a caterer. ‘Fancy a career change’ he said in the application firm. Said he would be willing to go on any training courses and he was sure that ‘in time’ he would learn.

That one is bad, he would have been better with some skills already suited to the role or done some training courses already to hit the ground running

Huh? When you have 200 applications for a "poxy" admin role, they can be fussy about people who haven't actually shown any interest in the job.

I’ve recently had a couple of candidates turn up for interviews, only to turn the job down - turns out they’d already accepted a role elsewhere but just wanted to come and see if we’d make them a better offer. That feels like a big waste of my time.

Recruiters expect candidates to spend a lot of time completing applications and attending interviews (which often requires them to take time off work), even though the odds of getting any particular job are stacked against them. As employers shop around for the best candidate, I think it's fair enough for candidates to shop around for the best offer.

Absolutely not to a SWOT matrix. And word salad will see your application binned as well.

A covering letter should be an appropriate length. Some adverts will ask you to describe why you think you have the skills and experience for the role, in which case it could be 2-3 pages (depending on the job description). If it is literally just accompanying your CV, then 0.5-1 page is plenty.

Just read this whole thread and it’s been really useful for me. I’m trying to re-enter the job market after 18 years out. I stopped work to have a family and then one of my children had serious health issues which stopped me working outside of home. Then my dad had dementia and I helped care for him. During that time Ive been self employed in two quite different roles which enabled me to work/earn remotely and with flexi hours. My situation is easier now, and I would love to rejoin labour market for last 6 years of my working life. I have many transferable skills and am hard working, conscientious and love working in a team.

As I read, my heart sagged a bit as I’ve been using AI to help me with my applications - which I spend days on. Plus I’ve been stressing transferable skills and old experience. But as I read on, I understand more about the risks from an employers perspective. I am going to give it all some more thought, but wonder if I should invest in some training or find a returners course. Or whether I should look to retail or volunteering to just get me back out there. Any thoughts on this would be welcome!

@GrumpyMuleFan there isn't anything wrong with using AI to support your application.
But

1. proof read it
2. rewrite it in your own style
3. don't let it take your accomplishments and make them into something you're not. You will get found out when the interviewer probes you. (A graph on excel does not make you an advanced Excel user!)

If you've been self-employed, you have been working.

Take the crazies on LinkedIn with a pinch of salt...they're generally American and a bit mad!

the biggest challenge in this market is the
volume of applications. I will spend approximately few seconds deciding if someone is long listed or rejected

a huge number are completely wrong. Not worked for years and years? No

far far far too senior

no experience at all

totally irrelevant experience. Such as director of accounts applying to be a PA because they are well organised

after the Initial sift, ill return to the long list and scrutinise more closely

Some candidates really don’t give a crap and interview whilst in bed; in their garden, in a cab etc

@topcat2014

it only takes a minute. Just amend the profile

the amount of people who write, i have “25 years experience as a corporate lawyer” in their profile and applying for something entirely different

just change it to something more generic would help

AI CV's that don't meet the essential criteria. Then the person expecting me to take time out of my day to give them feedback.

Massive personal statements telling me about their pets and kids. I don't have time to read it.

People applying for non entry level roles with zero work experience to keep DWP happy. Time wasters.

Demanding specific working hours, days and WFH when job description specifically mentions a degree of flexibility and office based attendance is essential. Just no, the job isn't suitable for that person.

And, people not turning up to the interview without letting us know. They are blacklisted forever more!

Oh, my personal favourite, knowing full well we need a clean DBS check (police check) and finding out they had a 'colourful youth' back in day! Sorry, I know you don't burgle houses anymore but I can't send you into clients houses with that history!

I would suggest a computer course to get you up to speed with Microsoft in the corporate world.

Definitely use AI but draft your CV yourself then ask AI to review it with only a light touch so it still looks created by you.

Good luck 😀