Spotting the red flags: How HR Recruitment Mirrors Dating in 2024

If you take a moment to think about it, the recruitment process is a lot like online dating! Armed with your desired criteria you start looking for a match on the world wide web. Most candidates are often ‘dating’ multiple employers simultaneously and their CV’s are akin to their dating profiles. In both situations, making a strong first impression is essential to attract the ideal candidate.

According to recent findings, recruiters have become experts at spotting red flags in potential candidates – perhaps a little too good. HR professionals are now getting a reputation of being “serial dumpers” – breaking hearts across the globe with a single swipe or email (and not even a phone call). Current research from Randstad1 suggests that “78% of employers think they do a good job…communicating with candidates whereas only 47% of candidates agree” – Ouch!

Despite this, there is hope for improvement and times are changing! It’s 2024 and it’s out with the old take on recruitment and in with the new, embracing Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and modern technology to streamline HR processes.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day being around the corner, we’ve put together 5 ‘dating’ red flags to keep an ear out within your HR Team. These cautionary phrases could indicate underlying issues needing attention, yet they may also lead you to the perfect matches you seek!

Red Flag 1: “There’s just too many to choose from and time is running out!”

In the modern dating world there has been the rise of glorified dating apps, which has enabled more access to potential partners unlike ever before. But understandably the endless supply of options can be overwhelming – there’s only so many profiles you can read and ‘swipe right’ on! However, these inefficiencies caused by manually sorting through candidates is becoming alarming, leading to “employers continuing to have vacancies remain unfilled for long periods” according to Maje2, “It takes an average of 82 days to fill a vacant position.” That’s why in the age of digital revolution, speed and accuracy in responding to applicants is more crucial than ever. Especially so you don’t miss your chance and they go on a ‘date’ aka. interview with someone else! The solution to this problem? Automate your processes with a human resource system that streamlines essential tasks like responding to applicants in a timely manner and in a trigger sequence. However, won’t a HRIS system1 remove the human element from HR? Not at all, in fact PWC3 reports that AI has revolutionized the hiring game, with “40% of Australian HR professionals already using AI… in their recruitment processes,” and seeing “noticeable benefits”. Tasks that don’t require meaningful human contact, like creating contracts from scratch can be done automatically, freeing up precious time. You can even send bulk SMS and email communications with the touch of a button, increasing your chances of reaching the right candidate by tenfold.

Red Flag 2: “Hey, what happened to that candidate?” “Oh they weren’t a right fit, so I ghosted them”

We’ve all been on the receiving end of a break up text -isn’t it the worst? Actually, what is worse is receiving an automated message or hearing nothing back at all. There is a global epidemic at the moment going beyond the dating scene and the term is ‘ghosting.’ Ghosting is defined as ending communication with someone abruptly out of the blue with no explanation. The findings are in and recent Forbes4 research shows that an astounding “77% of job seekers say they’ve been ghosted by a prospective employer” You wouldn’t leave a date you organised without paying for the meal? So why do the equivalent to a potential employee? From a business point of view, you would have lost a potential future candidate or a valued customer. The good news? There is no longer an excuse to leave your candidates ‘on read’ or stress about drafting a breakup text, Martian Logic3 software can do the hard work for you. Martian Logic has

pre-created templates that can be slightly adjusted per candidate and sent off easily. How about wanting to look back at a previous candidate you interviewed but for an upcoming role? A backlog of all previous conversations are easily accessible in the one platform for future reference. So no ‘ghosting’ happening here!

Red Flag 3: “I’ve invested so much time and energy into this! But I seem to keep attracting the wrong kind of person”

We’ve all heard those disheartening words before from a friend when talking about dating drama “I just can’t find someone compatible” but these struggles can also apply to recruiting. According to the recent 2023 REOS study5 undertaken by the Australian Government, attracting the right candidate seems to be the most difficult part of the recruitment process. The two most common reasons were “a general lack of applicants and…suitable applicants” The first step in this situation: take a fresh look back at your list of requirements in the job ad – is it realistic or a laundry list of requirements? In a skill shortage economy, the sad reality is that many applicants may be too intimidated to apply to your job ad. Friendly reminder: it’s a cliche but true sometimes you have to choose between the 6’3 height or the personality! As you skilled HR professionals know, on-the job training is always an option if they are a great cultural fit.

Another thing to consider is that the initial dating period requires some investment on both sides. Picture this: you are trying to impress your potential match paying for nice dinners and taking the time to really get to know them. Businesses spend a lot of money trying to win over candidates, a shocking statistic from Majer6 demonstrating that “the average cost per hire is

$21,000… compared to a previous $5000 in 2018.” This number seems to be increasing by the years and with current market threats like inflation, conservation of resources is at an all time high. The good news? Martian Logic saves time and money by automating recruiting processes such as filtering applicants automatically rather than manually. Saving valuable time, and time is money. The initial investment is an unbelievable $0 to get started with a free trial4, if only we had the same technology to filter our dating pool!

Red Flag 4: “Too many people are getting involved in our relationship!”

Sometimes too many people want to get involved in your love life! But in the case of recruitment, it can mean too many HR professionals getting involved in the process. Whether it be due to sick covers or other employers making unforeseen alterations to documents- all of these changes trickle downwards and impact the candidate’s impression. I know from my personal experience, I once had two HR professionals communicating with me at the same time about a role I was interested in, only to each tell me a differing day and time for my interview!

Common examples like these show the risk of double-handling and how it doesn’t leave the best first impression. The solution? An intuitive interface5 accessible to all parties, enabling easy edits under each candidate’s profile. This reduces the need for internal meetings, ensuring first impressions are smooth sailing.

Red Flag 5: “Help! I forgot to do a background check and I got catfished!”

In the crazy world of online dating, sometimes people are not who they seem to be. There can be a lot of fake profiles or misinformation. That’s why HR professionals like yourself, always do your background checks – otherwise known as ‘cyber stalking’- to see if any unexpected surprises come up. However in the fast-paced recruitment world an accidental forgetting to do a reference check for one of your candidates can bring all your efforts in finding a match crashing down! Martian Logic6 removes this fear of human error with its custom-built HR processes and stage-by-stage workflow reminders so you will never forget to request a critical document ever again! Plus, all your critical documents will be stored securely in the interface so you will never lose an important file.

The #StayToxic trend stays in 2023, Let’s #KeeptheHumaninHR this 2024

Have you noticed any concerning phrases or red flags among your HR colleagues? Remember, applicants are evaluating employers too! While they may not be looking for the love of their life they do seek a job they will enjoy. The moral of the story, treat applicants like you are creating a long term relationship (no speed dating here), saving your business time and money. Just like your dating preferences can evolve, there’s nothing wrong with reassessing your recruitment strategy in the new year and utilizing a Human Resources Information System (HRIS). The benefits are undeniable, saving time, money, removing human bias, and delivering the best candidate matches. Lets innovate our processes where needed and remember kindness can go a long way, paying off dividends when you continue to find ‘compatible matches’ for your business.

Have questions? No need to hire a ‘dating coach,’ get in contact with our globally recognised team at Martian Logic to set up your HRIS system tailored to your business recruiting needs in under 2 weeks.