HR errors through the eyes of the developer

    The main task of the HR specialist is to find a talented and qualified employee, ensure his organic integration into the team and the labor process, and control at the first stages - during the trial period, the productivity of the programmer.

    Last time, we figured out how the job application process as a whole looks from the applicant. Now let's talk in more detail and list the most common mistakes that HR specialists make. I do not pretend to be an expert opinion, I only want, as a developer, to share my personal experience of working with HR. I hope that my recommendations will help novice HR specialists to act more competently and efficiently. Coincidences are random, events and heroes are fictional.

    HR errors through the eyes of the developer

    Error number 1. Answering machine


    An answering machine in the mail with a test task. The applicant writes a letter to you, attaches his resume, and in response receives a request to pass the test task. The problem at this stage is that you can lose a candidate without even starting to communicate with him. Not every specialist will agree to perform a test task without receiving more complete information from you - at least simple answers to possible questions.

    Recommendation
    Do not make a mistake that depersonalizes your company in the eyes of applicants. Respond to all letters in person. Remember, people do not go to work with robots, but with people, no matter how automated the workflow is. Indicate in the letter the coordinates of the manager with whom you will have to communicate, a link to the site where you can learn more about the company. Also, check whether the applicant agrees to immediately perform the test task or first it is better to discuss the general points.

    Mistake # 2. Hurry is a bad helper


    Another common mistake is departure time. The confidence limit will be sharply reduced if you send a letter at 2 a.m., and even on the last business day. In an IT company, punctuality is an important feature of doing business, and if you write at 2 a.m., you are unlikely to do it on schedule (of course, if you and the applicant do not have a time difference of more than 5 hours). And if in the letter still ask urgently to answer, then this immediately causes bewilderment.

    Recommendation
    Use the CRM system to manage communication with job seekers. This will allow you, starting from the first stages of acquaintance, to build the right rhythm of interaction with all applicants.

    Mistake # 3. but on the other hand


    The flip side of the rush is excessive passivity at the initial stage of communication. There is no desire to continue communication when the letter contains only 2 lines with a request to show code examples or answers to questions from the test task. And even if the applicant responds to such a letter, it happens that the employer disappears for a couple of days, leaving the applicant unanswered. This greatly reduces your chances that this specialist will work with you in the future. Why work with a company in which delays and interruptions begin already from the first contact?

    Recommendation
    Often this problem is associated with the lack of tools that would speed up and partially automate the work for the manager. Also, do not forget about the feedback from the applicants - you can find out exactly when and where problems arise in the framework of interaction with the applicant. Check if there are specialized systems and assistants in the market for this.

    Mistake number 4. Text instead of words


    Instead of talking personally with a person, some HR specialists simply send out a general article or a test task and ask for answers to questions (“These are the principles of our company, read and express your opinion”). There was a case when an HR company simply sent me TK, before indicating that they were looking for a PHP specialist. The result of the communication was not promising.

    Also, there are often cases when potential employers ask for answers to questions on a particular technology, without even looking at our resume. This helps you lose another part of the candidates.

    Recommendation
    This style of communication is not the best option for both parties. It would be much better to arrange the first personal offline or online meeting and motivate the candidate to fulfill your conditions. Indeed, sometimes there are situations when initially you have completely different views on the possibilities of cooperation. In communication mode, you can quickly adjust goals, or immediately come to the conclusion that you do not need to cooperate at the moment.

    Communicate with your job seekers directly, do not drop them halfway with a minimum of information. Carefully read the resume provided by the applicant. So you can get to know the person better and show that your company cares about its employees, even potential ones.

    Error No. 5. Incompetence


    There were times when I clarified some professional nuances or asked for clarification of the information I received from the company earlier: after reading an article for developers or studying the algorithm. I am developing a topic that interests me and ask you to immerse me in all the nuances of what I have to do, and a person begins to pour on it. Here, of course, my opinion about the company begins to change for the worse.

    It's okay if the manager does not know the intricacies of the technical process. But it’s bad when technical experts ask about the intricacies of work in a certain area of ​​technology, but at the same time they cannot even answer indirect questions on this topic.

    Recommendation
    Before the interview, prepare for communication. If you ask questions, do not be surprised that you too may be asked a question.

    Mistake number 6. Criticism and Patience


    Unfortunately, not all managers are endowed with such qualities as self-criticism and patience. There were times when a manager did not thank an opinion expressed for honest criticism regarding a specialist or a company, but sarcastically wished the applicant to find another job. This only leads to the fact that the company immediately spoils the impression and the applicant who is hardly rejected in this way will recommend such a company as a possible employer.

    Recommendation
    Constructive criticism in business is a useful feedback from your target audience. Start collecting and processing the data. This will help you to improve the quality of your work and increase the level of recruiting.

    Error No. 7. Who is the head in this house


    At the interview there is a time when it becomes clear that the programmer in terms of general indicators is suitable for the proposed position. And suddenly the manager decides to show the candidate "who is the boss in the house." Most often, such methods are used as focusing on insignificant problems: indicating spelling errors, requiring a high level of knowledge of a foreign language, focusing on a specific narrow area, instead of figuring out the degree to which the candidate understands the main tasks. Believe me, minor typos and mistakes in the construction of sentences will not tell you anything about the degree of professional training of the candidate.

    Recommendation
    It is very easy to avoid this manager’s mistake and keep the conversation in a constructive way - start asking answer questions that can hardly be prepared for if you are not a professional in your field. You can simply ask a question on the implementation of a non-standard task, which does not have a clearly good solution. For example: "How to design a service for completing input in the search bar."

    Mistake number 8. Excess people present at the interview


    What is good for one may be unacceptable to another. Therefore, it is desirable that there are no people at the interview who are not related to the decision-making on this applicant. For example, former colleagues, fellow students, friends, and so on.

    Recommendation
    There are no recommendations here: just stop demoralizing the applicant, concentrate on communicating directly with him. After all, your guests will distract not only the applicant for the position, but also yourself.

    Error No. 9. Greed is not a vice


    The last and probably the most excusable mistake, but still the most repulsive candidate is money. How can you start working in a company when you are offered a clearly understated salary? And often they still want to make the first month test for 75% of this figure.

    Recommendation
    Now it’s hard to find specialists in the market with a level higher than middle, but quite real. Just be loyal and learn to engage in dialogue.

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