The Elephant in the Office – Time to Tackle it Head On

Large organisations have a great advantage – they are faceless. From a managers’ perspective, however good an employer is, no single employee is indispensable. They could disappear tomorrow, be forgotten within in a week and a replacement appointed by the end of the month. From an employee point of view, what they really think of the workplace isn’t something to talk about until they complete an anonymous ‘People Survey’ once a year, which gives an opportunity to give it from both barrels at a safe distance. It also gives the employer an opportunity to interpret the data as they wish, but that’s another article. Any conflict between employees can be resolved through a convenient transfer to a different department, closer supervision from above, or in-house HR getting procedural.  

Smaller organisations don’t have this luxury. A staff member leaves, is disgruntled, or badly performing and it visibly hits the bottom line – fast.

Yet I’m constantly told by small business owners and directors, that they spend more time dealing with staff issues than any other aspect of running their company. Why? Generally speaking, it’s because we don’t like confrontation, unwittingly letting things fester until we have real issues on our hands, which we deal with one by one, as opposed to examining root causes.  

Are you a disgruntled employee in a small business? You’ll probably mutter under your breath, moan to your colleagues and get away with as little as possible while looking for another job, generally with minimal discretion, making the atmosphere even worse. You’ll likely see things from your own point of view, not appreciating any pressures management is under and the expectations the company has of you. This is your job, you can probably find another one, but if your boss owns the business, don’t forget it’s their livelihood and probably their life savings at stake.

Or perhaps you’re a manager who’s unhappy with a member of staff? You’ll probably not assign them any work that you need done by someone you trust, generally be a bit standoffish, expect nothing, glower at them occasionally and hope they leave. You’ve assumed that because you work hard and know what needs to be done in your business, your employee knows the same and has enough stake in the organisation to give a damn. But have you really set your expectations explicitly?  

Human beings are lazy when it comes to communication, generally assuming, rather than checking, they’ve been understood, and as a result getting frustrated when things go wrong, mistaking misunderstandings for laziness, obstinacy or sheer stupidity. Individual incidents will often be addressed, but not what lies behind them.

So how to resolve this?  It’s simply about discussing what is actually happening in practice. Until everyone steps back and understands each other’s perceptions, it’s impossible to move forward and see the reality. For example, while a manager thinks he or she has given clear and explicit instructions, their staff member may have an entirely different understanding of what needs to be done, which is a clear recipe for disaster.  From the other perspective, an employee may be slow to complete their work as they believe they are diligently checking all the details, but for their organisation, speed of completion may be far more important than absolute accuracy. Neither employer nor employee are doing anything wrong, they are just coming from opposite perspectives.  

Discussions to resolve these issues don’t usually happen by themselves. When it’s your business or you job, you do become emotionally attached and it’s sometimes hard to take a step back. This is where independent experts come into play.  A short time with an external pair of eyes observing working practices and having candid conversations with employers and employees, can bring to the surface all the small frustrations and difficulties, as well as ways to resolve and prevent them spiralling into something more serious. Remember, regardless of whether you love people, or are the biggest misanthropist on the planet, it’s going to save you a heap of time and a lot of cash.

The A-Z of Common Sense Recruitment

In 2013 I began the hunt for a new HR job. It was a buyers’ market, and I knew that it wouldn’t be an easy ride, but my experiences of recruitment processes over the next few months changed my entire perception of what it meant to be a candidate and employee. The consistently poor treatment I received from ostensibly best in class FTSE 100 employers led me to one conclusion; I decided that if these companies could treat candidates so badly, I didn’t want to subject myself to a contractual relationship with them and so I set up my own business.

I was shocked by my experiences, which, as many fellow HR professionals in the same position confirmed, were unfortunately not unique.

As the economy recovers and companies, rather than candidates, start to compete for the best hiring opportunities, reputation is everything. A candidate’s experience of dealing with an organisation, regardless of whether they get the job, can have a huge impact and a bad experience has the potential to send negative ripples across social media within hours.

HR departments in particular have to up their game; if they are getting it wrong, what does it say about the rest of the organisation? Glossy marketing materials and beautiful websites are great, but unless the candidate experience matches the hype, all the expense and effort is worth nothing.

This A-Z guide, all based on real experiences, should ensure you avoid some simple pitfalls and provide your candidates with a positive recruitment experience. 

Agencies: If you’re using an agency, always make sure they know your recruitment process and the correct details of the job. Their job is to sell, so make sure they are selling the right opportunities to the right people. If you have an in-house recruitment team, ensure all of those involved are also kept on the same page. A candidate isn’t going to stick around long if they’re getting inconsistent messages.

Bull***t: We know all candidates do it at interview (anyone who says they’ve never done it is lying), but it doesn’t mean interviewers should. Speak the truth and if the candidate doesn’t like it, they’re not right for the job.

Courtesy & Communication: This is the most important area to get right, and the easiest to get wrong. It’s essential to stop and consider what you’d want to know if you were the candidate. The three main rules are:

• Acknowledge receipt of applications and explain next steps. You’re going to get calls chasing, so why not avoid the hassle?
• Send formal rejections. After someone has made the effort to apply, not hearing anything leaves a very bad taste. If they’ve reached the final interview stages before being rejected, consider giving some feedback.
• Tell candidates you’ll let them know the outcome of interviews by a certain date and keep your word. If there’s been a delay, get in touch anyway.

Dress code: Most candidates who want to make a good impression will turn up in a suit, but is it right for them to do that if the interviewers are wearing jeans?

Enthusiasm: If you have a candidate who is genuinely enthusiastic about your industry and company, nurture this, even if you’re not going to employ them. Setting realistic expectations about the challenges they may face in the role is one thing, but telling them the company is a terrible place to work and that the people are horrible isn’t something to be proud of. It’s also likely to attract sociopaths.

Flexibility: Appreciate the honest candidate who asks the questions on work-life balance. In HR we constantly advocate flexible, diverse workplaces and have produced countless studies on the changing attitudes to how people work. Yet in interviews it seems that we all must pretend it’s no problem working 14 hour days from an office 40 miles from home. A candidate who asks about remote working or flexible hours has been upfront and isn’t likely to spring a nasty surprise on you as soon as they’ve signed their contract.

Goalposts: During the application process don’t move your deadlines or change your plan. For example, if you’ve told the candidate there will be two stages of interview, keep it to two stages. If you do have to adjust things, for example, due to business changes or the capabilities of the candidates you’ve met, explain why and be clear on the new timescales. Otherwise you look disorganised.

Hospitality: No candidate should expect a gourmet four course meal, but if you’re running an assessment centre from 11am-3pm, it’s likely they’re going to get hungry. Providing a sandwich and a drink doesn’t break the bank and shows that you employ human beings. If you’re not looking for human beings, make it clear in the job description.

Implications: Never imply that a candidate is a shoe in for the job unless you’re going to make an offer on the spot. If you have given positive indications and then send a rejection a couple of days later once you’ve interviewed someone better, you’ve made yourself look stupid and insincere. Best keep schtum on the day and tell them to wait to hear.

Job or career?: Before you advertise, consider whether you’re recruiting someone to just do a job or someone who will develop a career with the business. If you don’t, you could end up with a rather disgruntled employee.

Keeping in touch: If the hiring manager or recruiter leaves the organisation, it’s generally a good idea to give candidates an alternative contact. I once had to email the HR Director of a multi-national after my contact simply vanished without a trace, which I believe led to a ‘restructuring’ of the HR team.

Location: Be clear on the location of the job. There’s nothing more embarrassing than starting an interview and realising the candidate thinks the job is in Cornwall when you’re looking for them to be based in Glasgow. If you’re looking for someone who will need to live out of a suitcase, include it in the job description.

Mobile phones: We’d always expect a candidate to switch theirs off during an interview. Interviewers should do the same. No excuses. Even if you have the courtesy of a cyber-man, isn’t filling a position a massive commercial investment which deserves your full attention?

Number of interviewers: Interviews can be scary, but unless you’re Simon Cowell, you’re not trying to reduce the person to a gibbering wreck. It’s unlikely to bring out the best in someone if they’re confronted with five pairs of eyes, particularly if they expected a friendly chat over a cup of coffee.

Onboarding: Once you’ve offered a candidate a job, ensure the start date is confirmed before asking them to resign from their current job. Otherwise, they risk losing earnings by giving notice too early, which is likely to go down rather badly.

Punctuality: We all expect candidates to be punctual, but it’s just as important for interviewers, particularly on the phone. Sitting waiting for a call that should have come ten minutes ago is utterly nerve wracking. Delays can be unavoidable, but it’s hardly difficult to send a quick message explaining the situation.

Questions: Sometimes a candidate may need a bit of prompting, but firing follow up questions like bullets before they’ve had a chance to answer won’t get you the information you need. It’s an interview, not an interrogation.

Relevant experience: Think about what this actually means. In HR for example, do you genuinely need someone who has worked in your industry before? Or do you want someone who’s a functional expert but can bring in fresh experience from other sectors? Don’t be afraid to talk to the candidate who doesn’t fit the standard profile; you may be pleasantly surprised and even learn something.

Salary: Without giving some sort of ballpark salary range in the job advert, how is a candidate supposed to know whether it’s worth them applying? Do you really want to waste time interviewing a candidate for a £35k job when they are looking at £70k? Let’s face it, titles mean absolutely nothing and while job descriptions are often an indicator, why make life difficult for yourself?

Tests: If you use written tests, make sure the candidate knows to expect them. Expecting an interview only to be faced with an exam paper is rather disconcerting. If you send out sample questions, make sure they resemble the actual tests you’ll be using. One major consultancy firm sent out ‘business acumen’ sample questions, mainly focussing on different commercial scenarios, then gave candidates a mental arithmetic and algebra test on the day. Not so helpful.

Understanding: When interviewing, be sure to explain any internal jargon clearly and if possible, avoid it altogether. You’ll just confuse the candidate and probably yourself as well.

Value proposition: You’re supposed to be selling your company to candidates, so know what you’re offering them. It’s perfectly reasonable for them to ask about your benefits, bonuses, career development opportunities, holidays and pension scheme. Taking a job is a major lifestyle decision – if a candidate jumps in head first without thinking, what does this say about how they approach their job?

Writing: If you’re going to write notes throughout an interview, it's fine, but remember to make eye contact and keep things interactive – if not, candidates may think you are not listening and/or mistake you for a psychotherapist.

eXpecting the impossible: Don’t be unrealistic about candidate availability. Just because they cannot travel half way across the country to meet you at a day’s notice doesn’t mean they’re not committed enough. And if you are asking them to travel any kind of distance, be clear on whether they’ll be able to claim any expenses.

Yawning during interviews – don’t do it!

Zzzzz: on a similar note, it’s not recommended practice to fall asleep.