It’s been over 10 years since Northern Rock and Lehman Brothers announced the financial crisis on the world stage in bright flashing lights.
During that time, an entire generation of hiring managers and their HR colleagues became used to there being numerous candidates for all but a few key jobs. Consequently, candidates applying for roles and who tick all the boxes would often find themselves bemused as to why they are not getting interviews.
Some Hiring Managers have also fallen out of the habit of making quick decisions, demanding consensus from numerous stakeholders over many interviews and a long period of time before finally coming up with an offer. All recruiters have experienced being thanked by a hiring manager for finding the perfect candidate and then asked if they can find 2 others to offer as a comparison!
Circumstances are changing though and the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Hiring Managers asking for just one more candidate before they make an offer may well discover their preferred candidate goes elsewhere and they have to start the process again. Likewise, Hiring Managers who demand their candidate is perfect in every way may have to start compromising a little.
My message to Candidates? Keep patient, things are looking up! If you don’t tick all the boxes for a role, keep on applying directly.
My message to Hiring Managers? Prepare to be flexible on your hiring process if you find a strong candidate. Move quickly, grow a broad pair of shoulders and make a decision. Or risk losing out.