AUGUST 19, 2024

Is Hiring In This Mis-Aligned Market A Recruiting Problem Or Managerial Problem?

I’m always on the side of what’s possible.

Even now, when employers are inflating titles to attract new hires. The market is rewarding people without these skills with big job titles, and it’s a real problem.

This inflation of titles to attract talent gives an employer or the hiring manager the false impression that the person has commensurate experience.

If you work your way up through the ranks, you pick up skills and learn how to handle people and situations. These are the building blocks, the foundation, and we’ve got a misaligned market where people without this foundation are being put in managerial and leadership positions.

The work simply isn’t getting done.

So how do we fix this? Is it a recruiting or management issue?

I’d say it’s a combination.

Yes, managers are trying to hire fast so that they can backfill open positions.

I’m seeing recruiters being pressured by hiring managers to hurry up and get people in, and shortcuts are being taken. I’m seeing many organizations fail to screen as heavily or as stringent as they would in a different market.

Sometimes, the recruiters aren’t taking the time to really understand what the team, the manager, or the organization needs, and sometimes there’s a mismatch between the demands of the job and the skills of the new hire.

I’ve seen situations recently where recruiters have done their due diligence and tell the hiring managers that “we haven’t found the right candidates and need to extend the hiring timeframe,” only to be told, “Let’s move ahead with what you’ve got because I need people now!”

Frustration on both sides is up.

Let me say that recruiters can’t do anything that the hiring manager doesn’t allow them to do, but rather than play the blame game, let’s turn to solutions.

I think there are three things organizations should be doing differently in this current hiring market:

1. Be super clear on what you need, not only to do the job effectively but also on what you want your new hire to do to contribute to your culture. This is about fit, a skills fit, and a cultural fit, so don’t waver on either. The right person is out there. It’s a big market.


2. Take your time. It’s OK to delay until you find the right fit. Think about the long-term pain of hiring the wrong person. That’s much worse. I know it feels hard in the moment, but to get the right person who will contribute at the level that you need them to, if you truly have the right person, they will hit the ground running and it will look in hindsight like you never lost time.


3. Don’t change your job description to make it sound like it’s a bigger job than it is. The job responsibilities are the job responsibilities. Keep to the needs and expectations of the role and qualifications. The market is inflating titles right now. If you feel the need to go along with this trend, fine, but stick hard and fast to the responsibilities, the work, and the fit. Make sure that the people who make it to that final round of interviews can meet your expectations.

The market is actually forcing many of us to inflate titles right now as a kind of compromise to attract talent. This is not good, but you don’t need to let it affect your ability to find the right person for your open roles.

If you’re challenged by the current hiring market, check out our Recruiting Services.