Welcome to our newest blog! We like to call this an ALL SIDES. That means we asked the same question to three different people to see how their responses compare and contrast. The question — what is the most stressful part of the job search. Our participants represent a hiring manager, a candidate and a smartdept. inc. staff member. Enjoy!
Hiring Manager
“From my perspective, as one of the hiring managers, the most stressful part of the job search is reviewing the resumes and seeing that the skill sets do not match the job requirements. Filling a creative position is difficult and especially challenging when the portfolio isn’t specific to our industry. Although, since we have been using smartdept. inc. as our hiring resource, the resume searching is no longer an issue. Your team is able to filter and screen the top-notch candidates and send them our way!”
smartdept. inc. Staff Member
“As a Creative Account Manager with smartdept. inc., my favorite part of this job is collaborating with clients to identify top talent for their team. In a candidate driven market, it’s critical to have a detailed job description to help successfully fill a position. In order for me to successfully identify top talent it would be ideal to know the skill sets needed, what the top responsibilities of the position will be, the ideal years of experience, budget for the role, a good understanding of the culture/environment and (last but not least) the preferred interview process and start date. When presenting candidates, time is of the essence and feedback is necessary. An open line of communication with my client is essential to customizing a strategic sourcing plan, especially if my candidates are not hitting the mark.”
smartdept. inc. Candidate
“As someone who has been in the working world for many years, I have seen a real difference in the process of looking for a job. When I started my professional journey, it was all about who you knew and how to get your resume in the hands of decision makers. Today, the opportunities come straight to you via online recruitment tools, virtual networking and the internet. But with these new tools come new challenges: the sheer volume of information and opportunities available via digital mediums is overwhelming and misleading. Every day I receive dozens of emails from online recruitment companies listing thousands of ‘real’ job opportunities seemingly curated just for me. While I appreciate access to these leads and the implied ‘foot in the door,’ the reality is that I am one of millions who receive these emails for these same positions. My resume gets placed on top of a big pile along with the other numerous, qualified applicants. In the end, it still comes down to who you know and how to get your resume in the hands of decision makers.”
Conclusion
Building relationships is key in making a successful placement. One of the most effective ways to work through the challenges of the hiring process is through communication. In order to make the best match, it is crucial that the person you are partnering with during this process has all the information. While technology is offering many innovative solutions to finding top talent and new opportunities, the most effective solution might still be to reach out to an expert in your field, take the time to give them the details and trust that they have done the same with people they are considering for your open position.