Nearly every candidate I speak to asks what is the company culture like? What is the hiring manager like? Are they good to work for? Candidates are looking for a positive working relationship with their manager. The ability to engage with leaders within the business, without being made to feel subservient. And the opportunity to learn and grow!
In the technology sector, a hiring manager’s reputation can often be make or break for a candidates’ decision of if they’ll proceed to a recruitment process or not. It’s a relatively small market in this region and perhaps we could assume there is easily only 1 degree of separation between you and everyone else in our industry.
Just like a candidate wants to choose their hiring manager carefully, I am already choosing my clients with even more scrutiny. Is the leader creating a positive, empowered working environment? Does the organisation offer a fair and achievable path to success? Are the staff being well supported by an inclusive culture? My list goes on.
One of my take outs from the COVID debarkle we are all in, is that we have been reminded that at the end of the day, it’s all about the people. For the workplace, we want to work day to day with people we respect and like and those that offer us the same in return. Salaries and bonuses, while still important have become secondary in the decision-making process.
No doubt, this growing expectation from our candidate market is placing extra pressure on our industry leaders to continue to evolve and develop their own skills to ensure they are able to attract and retain the talent they seek. Rightly so, in my book. Let’s keep it up, and keep improving workplace culture so we can create positive outcomes for both hiring managers and candidates!