TalentAttraction #Tuesday WHY DO COMPANIES REQUIRE CANDIDATES TO REVEAL THEIR SALARY EXPECTATIONS?

By RecruiterGuy | February 1, 2022

The answer to this question is more complicated than you may expect. Consider that when you examine the Talent Attraction Process (aka, Recruiting, Talent Acquisition) it mirrors the SALES Process perfectly.

What is the Basic Premise?

The Human Resource Talent Acquisition process is designed to screen candidates OUT. Examine the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) designs. What organization gives the software companies the requirements for the various candidate tracking systems? Human Resources.

What are the majority of Human Resource functions? Would you agree that Benefits, Employee Relations, Compensation, Training and Development, etc. are either Compliance or Administrative functions? What function is Very Different than the balance of Human Resource functions? Talent Attraction.

When you attend professional conferences, where do you learn what is really going on inside the walls of the companies that send attendees? The Hallways.

How many times have I heard the following sentiments? “If Candidates will not follow our process, we are not interested in them!” I guess they do not appreciate candidates going around their processes to find a job. They sound like Compliance Officers, not Sales Professionals.

These processes are embedded into Human Resources by over 50 years of HR practices. Each generation trains the next generation of Human Resources professionals to follow their practices. What has changed their practices? Computer software. The unfortunate result of automated sales systems that are designed by the Compliance Organization is they are no longer SALES Systems.

Why Do Companies Have To Screen Large Numbers Of Candidates Out?

When a client tells me they are receiving hundreds of replies to a job posting, I ask to see their job description. Typically, I discover the job description is so vague that Santa Claus could apply – and hope to be hired. Vague job descriptions are written by people who are either lazy or do not understand the requirements to be successful during the first year of employment. How would a Hiring Manager determine if the employee was successful or a failure with a vague job description?

I recommend that Managers write the Job Descriptions – and the Job Descriptions need to be updated every time an employee is promoted out of the position. Why? The expectations for that position have changed because of the contributions made by the employee who was promoted.

My suggestion is to dial in the responsibilities of a position by creating the 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 12 month goals for the first year. At the end of the year, the employee’s results are clear. Did they exceed, meet, or fail to meet the requirements of the position?

Since the requirements are clear, fewer candidates will apply. This result is fewer candidates to vet and Better Qualified Candidates.

What Does This Have To Do With Salary Requirements?

Consider this proposition – if neither the Manager nor the Recruiter has a clear view of the requirements for the first year, the only clear requirement is the Candidate’s Salary Requirement. If their stated salary requirement is too high, they are screened out. If their stated salary requirement is too low, they are screened out. The Compliance Professionals are screening out candidates by what compensation they are requesting, not by their qualifications. As an Executive, do you want to screen out highly qualified candidates because they are not practiced salary negotiators? If they have the proper skills and experience, would it not be better to interview them and conduct reference checks with previous managers? If their desired compensation was higher than the published range, are you certain that your salary ranges are in touch with industry standards?

Finally, forcing candidates to list the current/past salaries and salary requirements perpetuates the Gender Wage Gap. Research demonstrates that women are often paid less than their male counterparts. A male will require a higher level of compensation than a female because their compensation is higher.

What Is Your Suggestion?

My feeling is to ask for their salary requirement during the phone screen – just to see their expectation. Then effectively interview to determine if the candidate’s skills and experience are deserving of that income. If they are deserving of that income when compared to your other employees in that organization, will you turn them away – and then complain that you cannot find qualified candidates? May I suggest that your company refrains from sending Babe Ruth (or Today, Tom Brady) down the road to your competitor?

Recruiting is Not Magic. It is Focused, Hard Work.

Talent Attraction is Better than Talent Acquisition!

If you would like a conversation on how to ATTRACT talent instead of using an Applicant Tracking System or HRIS to screen them out, we should chat. Call me directly at 435-714-4425 (mountain).

My Talent Attraction speeches benefit your Association Membership and your Organizations. Please consider – If my Speech saves your members only ONE Recruitment fee, it has paid for itself.

I am available to consult with your company to improve your Top Talent Attraction strategy. Attracting and integrating Top Talent gives your company an industry edge. The process is worth the effort by improving productivity, innovation, and profitability – Look at Google, Tesla, SpaceX, and Apple. Retaining Top Talent keeps your industry knowledge inside your company – instead of with the competition.

The RecruiterGuy.com Top Talent Attraction business model is my differentiator. I focus on one client at a time and charge a flat monthly fee. This model enables me to attract new talent to your organization while identifying and suggesting improvements to your company’s Talent Attraction process, including Manager Interview Training. https://recruiterguy.com/

Why am I known as The Candidate Whisperer? See below –

Learn how I coach my Career Transition Clients in my second book – Employee 5.0: Secrets Of A Successful Job Search In The New World Order http://amzn.to/2D9w39f My book includes an appendix with action verbs and sample interview questions.

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With over 40 years of Talent Attraction experience, I help organizations Recruit, Onboard, Actuate, and Retain Top Talent.

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