I am currently looking for a new job. A new job in another country and in a language different from my own. The experience has been a revelation and a great learning, to put it simply.
But the point of my post is not to talk about this, but about the process of applying for jobs and interviews. I was attending a workshop on the subject and one of the things that got me thinking was how companies, and HR specifically, in my opinion, are outdated in terms of how they attract and filter talent. Why do I say this? Because these days more and more people are getting to know themselves on a much deeper level, cutting ancestral patterns to reconnect with their authenticity and, consequently, looking for another kind of work environment. Jobs (and companies) with cultures that reward mass thinking, that do not encourage individuality, that enforce hierarchy and that are not flexible, will clearly not appeal to them. The energies will not match. This, in itself, is not a problem because life is wise and perhaps it is as it should be, but, I believe, it may be the next big challenge to consider workwise.
How I would love to find a workplace that invites you to be yourself, while collaborating from the heart for a reason/cause/product/service we both believe in. Where HR doesn't just look at your CV and read your cover letter but sends you a personality test before interviewing you and THEY prepare to give YOU the best environment to showcase your talents. No more stressing introverts in drilling and aggressive interviews, where they clearly won't be able to get past the awkwardness barrier if not perhaps until the end of the interview. Enough of the culture of rush and hustle and forcing us to pretend to be someone we're not just to get a job. ENOUGH.
In fact, I would love to see tools like astrology or human design used on a massive scale for recruitment purposes. Why? Because then we can help the person and the team to work cooperatively and shine where they naturally do best. Extroverts shine in presentations and sales. Introverts shining in the areas of processes and care. No one forcing the other to change and adapt to "company culture". I am glad to know that there are other more accepted corporate tools, such as Gallup or the perfil Nova, that are gaining momentum; however, there is still a long way to go before they become not just a diagnostic or team building activity, but part of the companies' DNA.
But I am hopeful. My dream is that more and more consultancy companies will be created to help start-ups or small businesses recruit collaborators based on a good knowledge of their personality, talents, and areas for improvement, rather than their work experience mainly. In this way, they will be able to tailor the recruitment process accordingly. Even further in my fantasies, introverts will not have to suffer through aggressive interviews where they are drilled for information but will find someone warm and smiling waiting for them with a blanket and a cup of tea for a relaxed chat. Hypersensitive people will be able to work from home and limit human contact as much as possible because it helps them to regulate their nervous system (and that’s ok.) The shy ones will not be forced to make team presentations, but to contribute to team building and will be given credit accordingly. It will make all the difference! The new generations will seek out environments more attuned to their personality like bees to the honeycomb.
Changing the hiring culture in established multinational companies is complex, but in this age of entrepreneurship, I do feel it is possible. It all starts with the leader: if this person knows him/herself and his/her base is to make his/her talents shine while managing that which is not so easy or delegating it, then he/she will probably be open to hiring people who complement him/her and help him/her grow. Hence, they may not be at all similar in many areas. Therein lies the richness: accepting that we don't have to do everything, that we don't have to be everything, that there is ample and fertile space for sharing and teamwork, and for learning and error. This requires emotional intelligence and great farsightedness. It requires a major change in the way we relate to each other and the way we produce or offer services. How I would like to contribute to this paradigm shift. Hopefully I have achieved it with this short post.
And you, what do you think about the current recruitment culture, do you have any experience you would like to share? I read you.
Photo: Image by pressfoto in Freepik