Note to Hiring Execs: Get a Clue

If you've ever wondered why some employers don't seem to understand how to hire or retain their workers, you're not alone. Slugging Through the War for Talent, a just-released research study cosponsored by Development Dimensions International (DDI) and Monster, confirms there is often a big disconnect between what employers and job seekers are looking for during the hiring process.

Based on surveys of thousands of staffing directors, hiring managers and job seekers, the report highlights three areas where employers and job candidates have mismatched expectations. Here are some of the key findings:

• They Want What? Aside from salary and benefits, employers believe growth and learning, advancement and work/life balance are top factors for job seekers. But while those are important, other factors such as a good boss, pride in the organization, a creative or fun culture and opportunity for accomplishment had wide discrepancies in importance between job seekers and employers. One category, a compatible work group, was mentioned by 67 percent of job seekers but only an average of 44 percent of hiring executives.



• Interview Ineptitude: Interviews are a key hiring factor for employers and job seekers -- no surprises there. Yet, while job seekers may spend hours preparing for an interview, they report hiring firms simply don't give interviewing the attention it deserves. Among the top-rated annoyances: interviews that are rushed or treated as inconsequential, withholding key information about the position and treating an interview as a cross-examination.
  
  Employers seem not to understand that a poor interview experience can have lasting business consequences. One job seeker survey participant noted a poor interview experience meant "I would want no association with that company at all as a customer."



• Dear Clueless Employer: I'm Leaving: The final disconnect is employee retention, as "employers are often clueless about why employees resign," the survey reports. Firms who take their hard-won employees for granted are pushing them out the door. The study shows nearly one-third of employees on the job for six months were already looking for another position. They report lack of appreciation and unfair treatment as key reasons for leaving a job. Meanwhile, employers think these factors are far down the list.

So armed with this information, maybe you should offer to help your prospective employer with their hiring needs. Of course, they'll have to hire you first.

Here are some additional resources for understanding employer needs:

• "Why Should We Hire You?"
• "Five P's of Job Search Progress"
• "Don't Just Tell Employers You're Motivated -- Show Them"

Post your comments about clueless employers below or on our Vent! message board.

Share this post: Digg, StumbleUpon, del.icio.us, Facebook, Twitter, etc.