Let's Rant!

Saw a post on pay transparency and it got me thinking about words that mean one thing but when applied to corporate America, the meaning changes.

I think there's a chance we need to revisit some of these words because their meanings have become marred or convoluted to the point that using them correctly is no longer accurate.

Now if you'll forgive some classic #soapbox #ranting...

I give to thee, fair denizens of LinkedIn, some words I think all of us need to revisit and relearn.

Transparent

It means "easy to perceive and detect". This is most often used to describe #paytransparency, but we aren't using the word correctly. Transparent pay would be something like this: 125k base w/ 15% annual bonus (personal and company), and 3k in RSUs on a 4-year vest. Or if you are a non-public company try something like this: 125k base w/ bonus, 2k options of series B equity.

If someone is going to bail on working for your company because of comp, they will ALWAYS bail because of comp. Getting them through the door with vague ranges in the hopes that the tech/opportunity/culture brings them in MAY work, but most of the time you're just wasting time and resources. Don't try to sell the comp plan unless you're one of the companies that buy talent instead of hiring them.

Remote

This one really cracks my coconut. This one means (wait for it...) "situated far from the main centers of population; distant". So if your role is a #remoteopportunity, but it's only remote from Seattle where your office is? That's not remote. If a role is #hybrid remote, but your company requires the candidate to live within a certain distance of a specific location, then it's not hybrid remote. Remote means it DOESN'T MATTER where you are, just that you can be in the office when needed. If the need is weekly, then the role isn't remote.

Now I understand why these words are used the way they are, truly I do. If 10 years in recruiting has taught me anything, it's that if you tell a candidate 4 good things and 1 bad thing, then only thing they'll ask about is the bad thing. This is simple human nature, we seek out the negative more than the positive.

What I'm suggesting is being honest and direct in your job postings. You'll get fewer people that apply, this is true, but the ones that do will be more on target. Do you know how many recruiters I've talked to that dread the thought of sorting through 1.5k candidates for 2 roles?

Recruiting isn't about getting the most candidates to interview, it's about getting the right candidates to interview early.

More open and honest job descriptions and interviews yield better-aligned and fitting candidates - prove me wrong.

#talentacquisition #recruitingrant #recruiting