Why Interviewing Should be More Like A Dating Service

As we consider the reality of surpassing 400 million Americans by 2030, a global recession that continues to linger and a dramatic change in social lifestyle, the schematics of dating have taken on a new framework. Competition is higher and the quality of candidates has shrunken to some questionable lows. Mobile communication and Web 2.0 have reduced the percentage of time spend in actual intimate face to face settings and more and more of us are becoming desensitized to human contact.

What an awakening!

Relationship headhunters have found an opening and now is their time to find a lucrative hole as wandering souls search desperately for a connection.

When professionals, successful adults or individuals feeling the social scene has gotten them down hire a relationship agency, they are provided with a number of resources:

1.) Coaching and training on how to effectively date. How to read body language. Proper posture. How to maintain a strong dining conversation and what is the right and wrong thing to say when posed with traditional date questions.

2.) Match you up with potential mates based on a series of personality and lifestyle matches.

3.) Selection locations that are most conducive of an comfortable conversation setting.

4.) Conduct initial background and credit checks on all potential clients.

5.) Organize meet and greet events to provide a comfortable social environment for clients.

6.) Follow up with relationships with metrics and success/failure stories.

Now with a successfully formula of research, process, implementation and reporting, why aren’t talent acquisition teams utilizing a similar philosophy?

First, why don’t companies do background checks during the initial interview and not wait until the offer is extended. Are there legal reasons, cost issues or just an unwillingness to take a proactive stance.

Do enough companies really follow up with new associates and solicit real feedback or is it based on a generic questionaire that isn’t even tailored to the role, location, business unit or responsibilities?

Who follows the path of this person? Is it the strategic sourcer, the recruiter, the hiring manager, the unit supervisor or the administrative assistant that reports the metrics???

Is the match making one sided? We know the company and the culture as talent acquisition specialists but do we really know the candidates?

They have the right technical skills. True
They have the right cultural background. True
They have industry experience. True
They have the right leadership skills? True

But, are they good long term marriage potential or will we see a divorce in the near future.

It is time we look at each of our processes and put yourself on the other side.

As the client, is my relationship consultant there from start to finish?
Are they really understanding me and my needs
Can I fall in love with the company or is this a short term romance.

I think all of us in talent acquisition can learn something from the match making world.

Comment by Karla Porter on August 9, 2010 at 9:09am: The two of course have many similarities. Matchmakers would benefit from Recruiter skills - relationships have 50% turnover IF they make it to marriage. Recruitment agencies would benefit from more focus on relationships. Perhaps a consolidated agency would be ideal. It seems everyone is either looking for a job or a relationship. This could prove to be a recession proof business model.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on August 9, 2010 at 12:21pm: I have always thought it was kind of funny that we draw back in horror when someone says, "I have had two blind dates with ole John and decided to marry him. Then we do a one hour interview or maybe two for an SVP position that impacts an entire business offer them a job and they take it.

Perhaps it's still the mind set that a marriage is forever and jobs are not. Yeah right. I think i know more people who got divorced last year than changed jobs.

It's my take that if we had as many laws governing what you could ask on a blind date as we have about what you can ask or check on in the hiring process the divorce rate would soar like a rocket. Can you imagine what it would be like to have a date and not be able to ask them how old they were, if they were married, had kids, had ever been arrested, what their financial situation was currently, who their friends were or look at their facebook page. Not date them if we didn't like what they do in their spare time, how much they drink or we thought their politics suck buttermilk. If we did ask it would be called discriminatory dating with refusal to marry and we could get sued by some government agency or ole John could file a suit against us for not marrying them. That in my opinion is what makes the hiring process such a joke and a crap shoot at best. :)