Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
When it comes to job hunting, the younger generations (Millennials onwards) say there is no worse experience that can be had. Yen Mei (Malaysian badminton player) put it bluntly, “The whole process is a never-ending circle designed to suck the life, motivation, and energy out of your soul.”
Hearing from the younger generations, it is clear that they feel employers have expectations that are unrealistic, ridiculous, and pointless. The companies may still have the power, but the dynamic is shifting.
Hiring managers can’t fill their vacancies and it’s a growing trend.
Here are a few stories of Malaysians who are quietly refusing to comply with every ridiculous HR demand because they know what they are worth and will not settle for less than that.
Wishlist Vs Job Description
You don’t get a job description. You get a bullet-pointed list of the demanded qualifications and skills. This is also a company wish list that no real person could possibly possess. This confuses the heck out of all job seekers. The overqualified may think it’s a senior-level role and apply. Whereas those who are underqualified will apply for everything and anything everywhere at once.
Stock image used for illustrative purposes only.
The Job Aggregators
The job was probably listed online at a job aggregator site like JobStreet, Hiredly, LinkedIn, and Glassdoor. All of them are badly designed, cumbersome, and glitch-prone, and require everything including your SPM and PMR results, to set up a profile on it.
You spend hours completing the website’s requirements, which include recreating your resume, then uploading your resume, and then hitting apply. Then, you repeat the process for a different job on the same site. Worse yet, you don’t even get a courtesy email acknowledging your application from the site or the potential employer.
Interview for an Interview
Getting an interview means applying for an interview. You have to get through a few rounds of phone interviews with a junior human resources representative who probably doesn’t even understand the position, its duties, and its responsibilities.
Stock image used for illustrative purposes only.
Many of these internal interviews are just checking off boxes on a list, and it’s apparent that they haven’t even read your resume or are just reading it right in front of you.
Then you’d get called for an interview on a date, time, and place that suits the company without consideration for your time and schedule.
Your tests are invalid
I remember graduating, wearing a fancy robe and hat, and getting that piece of paper that says I have the knowledge to do a specific job.
Diploma, degree, master’s, portfolio, references. Why am I being subjected to insulting skills tests that first-year university students can pass? Why?
Stock image used for illustrative purposes only.
Personality and psychometric testing to see “if” I’m a good fit is another waste of time. Considering that most of these tests have been debunked, the other extreme is that people know how to answer them to present themselves most favourably for the position they want.
Here’s How HR Companies Can Improve The Hiring Process
If a company is serious about hiring competent people, it has to adapt and meet candidates halfway.
Here are a few of our suggestions:
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Streamline The Application Process
Sending a cover letter and CV should be the end of the application process. There is no need for me to fill out my 20 years of experience on a 10-screen application form when my attached resume already covers it. If you’re allowing a digital application, either read the attached CV or check out the LinkedIn profile.
Also, let’s get rid of AI when applying for jobs – from the applicant tracking software to the robotic screening systems. All that technology removes human judgment, which is why good candidates are missed and overlooked all the time. Get actual people involved in the hiring and firing process.
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Treat Candidates As People
Actually, candidates ARE people. Human Resources represents the company to job seekers. If you do not treat a candidate with respect and courtesy, they will talk to each other about how badly they were treated. That’s how your company might get a “quiet blacklisting.”
Be flexible with interview dates and times because job seekers either have jobs or a life (preferably both) and generally won’t be able to attend the interview at the drop of a hat.
Lastly: If it doesn’t work out with the candidate, inform the candidate by email. Even a WhatsApp text will do! Don’t leave a candidate hanging. Ever. Candidates quietly blacklist remember?
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Don’t Hide The Compensation
From Reddit
If the salary is amazing and the perks are great, stop hiding it and tell it upfront. This would save everyone a lot of time. When I was offered RM3,000.00 for a senior leadership position after two interviews within six months, I laughed in their faces and left. I actually took a receptionist job elsewhere that very same day, which came with similar pay and perks, and better hours too.
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Times Are Changing
The economy is shifting. Maybe for the better or for the worse. But a company still needs talented and skilled individuals, and those that won’t change with the times will lose the war on talent because candidates will talk to each other. Malaysian candidates are also starting to stand up and push back on what most of us view as unfair and inefficient HR hiring processes. We are learning what rights we possess, and we are more willing to seek legal counsel.
Hopefully, more and more people will start valuing and giving themselves the respect that they deserve.
Know anyone with an interesting story to share? Drop us an email at hello@inreallife.my, and we may feature the story!
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