There is a lot of noise on LinkedIn right now about companies ghosting candidates. I hear about it constantly from the people I talk to every day.
At ITC this year I heard Jesse Cole, founder of Savannah Bananas, make a point that stuck with me. He talked about how when you call a company, the first thing you often hear is “please listen closely as our menu options have changed.” That is someone’s first impression of your organization. He spoke about how this is a terrible first impression of your company.
Applying for a job is the same thing. It is a job seeker’s first real impression of your company. And if their experience is three rounds of interviews followed by total silence, that is a pretty terrible one.
There is a lot of conversation about this on LinkedIn right now and some of it it is warranted. But I want to come at it from the company side. This is worth taking a hard look at internally.
The good news is that much of this is controllable. Being transparent throughout the process, communicating consistently, and leaving a lasting impression on people who were not ultimately selected takes planning and intentionality. It also costs money and it does not always show up cleanly on a P&L.
But your reputation in the market does show up. And in a tight knit industry like claims, it shows up fast.
CAREER INTEL
Three things from this week’s Q&A worth keeping:
On salary transparency with your recruiter. Be upfront. A good recruiter wants what you want and will go to bat for your number. But if you try to renegotiate at the offer stage after your number has already been submitted to a client, I have not seen that go well. Align early, move fast, protect the offer.
On how recruiters actually find you. There is a growing trend toward recruiters going out and finding candidates rather than relying on applications. There are a lot of tools available today that allow talent acquisition professionals to scrape the web for data points related to your career and experience. LinkedIn is the best place right now to keep your information current and make it easy to be found. Simply being visible can help get you on the right person’s radar.
On breaking into claims with no experience. The entry level market is tough right now. Fewer training programs, fewer true entry level roles. The words on your resume alone are not going to get you there. Conversations beat applications every time. Get in front of people. Be open to a role you were not originally excited about. And be willing to go into the office. In a competitive market, showing up and being coachable is a real competitive advantage.
FROM THE DESK
Road to 100 is sitting at 21. Shoutout to Taylor who started her new job this week. Big move, well deserved. If this show or this newsletter has helped you make a move in your career, DM me. That is what this is all about.
On a personal note, my wife Grace and I are celebrating our 10 year wedding anniversary this week. We are doing it the right way, going out for ice cream at Coldstone Creamery, which just so happens to be where we had our very first date. Ten years later and the bar is still Coldstone.
Until next week,
🤘Josh 🤘