I spent the last week all over the country. For the first time in my career, I took six flights and saw every time zone in one week. If you think that’s some weird humble brag, please know that’s not my intent. Airports are a miserable hell, and nowhere I want to be.
I was happy about where I ended up, of course. I had the chance to hang out with brilliant HR and recruiting practitioners from San Diego, CA, Austin, TX and Birmingham, AL, to talk about translating their stories into hiring strategies.
But before we get to the strategy part of the gig, I have everyone get a post-it note and a pen. Go ahead. Get a pen and a post-it. Then write at the bottom, “Katrina is awesome.”
Kidding.
Now, I want you to think about what it felt like to be a candidate. How vulnerable, frustrated, and scared you may have felt. Then, I want you to think about how you wish recruiting teams had treated you.
OK, back to the post-it.
I want you to write down three things that you promise to be for every candidate, in every communication. It is your promise never to treat anyone like companies have treated you. For example, my three words are, “honest, helpful, and considerate.” It’s my promise that every time I speak to a candidate (or anyone else, for that matter), I will stop before I hit send to make sure that what I wrote has met this commitment.
It has to be good enough for them. Candidates are humans, and they deserve better.
Reply to this email and send me your three things. I’d love to read what you wrote after you check out this week’s posts.
In this week’s blog, I wrote about how people deserve to be treated better at work and why that whole “we are family” thing doesn’t set the right tone for talent. I also have a video with advice to help you write blog posts candidates actually want to read. My last post is a reminder, really. Check it out.
Hope you have a great week -
Katrina
