Factoring in the Human Ego to the Hiring Process

Robynn Storey: "The job market is strong...hiring and interviewing is weak. ... Some of these interviews are 10 and 12 interviews deep. Too much, too stressful when there are so many jobs to fill." Her posts are all about using common sense and transparency rather than putting candidates through the ringer.

So we have a situation where there are tons of jobs to be filled but the hiring process has become a nightmare for everyone involved - the candidates, the recruiters, and their managers. How are companies dealing with it? Adding more interviews, tests and home assignments throughout the process, and making the whole ordeal much longer, more competitive and nerve wracking for everyone involved. All parties are heavily invested in the process for weeks and months, knowing that things won't necessarily work out the way they want.

In order to solve the hiring issues, we need to start factoring in the human ego to all these processes. Without that we're operating in the dark.

Let's Understand What We're Dealing With

In order to solve the hiring issues, we need to start factoring in the human ego to all these processes. Without that we're operating in the dark. By taking the human ego into account there will be a lot more clarity and transparency, and recruiters will discover that they can let go of big chunks of their process and get better results.

So what's happening with the human ego? What's changed? Over the last few years the ego started growing. A good example is how we all got a huge boost of emotional intelligence right at the beginning of the pandemic. Yet since we're not aware of this new element interfering with our human interactions, we're not using the extra boost of EQ properly. The external shifts in our world have changed us profoundly on the inside. We're all feeling new things, and going through new things. In case you're wondering why, it's the evolution of the ego that's peaking in our time. Some people feel it more and some less, but we're all feeling it to some degree.

Since we're not aware of this new element interfering with our human interactions, we're not using the extra boost of EQ properly.

Anxiety and stress levels are on the rise, yet no one is asking, why? Why now? The atmosphere around us is charged with all this toxic energy because these bad vibes are stuck in our individual egos. We're all pretty much dealing with these new issues on an individual level and the results are all around us. A growing sense of uncertainty, lack of trust, misconceptions about others, and the list goes on and on. Where is all this felt the most? Right at the point where strangers need to come together - the hiring process.

Imagine what would happen if we took down all these barriers blocking the good energy from flowing between us. Imagine how much faster, more pleasant and efficient all these processes would be for everyone involved. With all due respect to people's skills, personality and experience, imagine what would happen if we put far more emphasis on our human abilities, and especially how we get along with others. I know we've been using buzzwords like teamwork and collaboration a lot lately, but the reality is that there is a growing lack of trust in the workplace - managers want employees back in the office where they can see them, remote workers are being monitored, so much information is being shared on social media and work related platforms like Glassdoor. I'm not saying that employees should be left to their own devices, but there has to be a better way forward.

When you start thinking about focusing more on our human value, you realize there are so many areas we could be doing things differently: what we highlight in our resume and profile, and the ad for the job for starters.

But the crux of the matter is when people actually come together. How much trust is there between the recruiter and the candidate? And also how much trust is placed in the recruiter - maybe they're being micro-managed by their bosses, and they come to the interview with a bad feeling.

So what we'll all have to learn in the coming months is how to get trust levels to a good place in a brief meeting, rather than spending weeks developing a relationship with a candidate who may not end up getting hired, or who may end up ghosting the recruiter when they receive a better offer.

The bottom line is that the ego is blocking the truth that we're all seeking. We want to see the real person behind the resume, or the real company behind the recruiter and all that is being blocked by this toxic energy between us. There is nothing wrong with any of us. The problem is the bad vibes between us. Let's focus on clearing the air between us to make all these processes better for everyone. And most importantly, so that people who really need jobs right now will get hired quickly and efficiently.