HR is getting a lot of bad press these days. We thought we’d share one HR Department that’s getting an A+ for its transparent HR recruitment practices. The company is Cumming Corporation, an international construction management firm headquartered in San Diego.
When candidates apply online for a position with many companies, they are treated like a commodity. They either get no feedback from their application, or a boilerplate email thanking them for their resume and telling them it may take several weeks before they receive a reply. This approach leaves candidates feeling degraded and discouraged.
At Cumming Corporation, the hiring process is based on 3 things:
1. Speed of Hire – Before implementing their new hiring process, Cumming calculated the impact “time-to-fill” had on company revenue. By their formula (Weekly value of revenue generating employee X # of open revenue generating requisitions = Revenue loss to company when unfilled) they determined that the cost to the company was approximately $120,000 for each week those jobs went unfilled.
2. Valuing the Candidate Experience – When candidates apply for a position at Cumming, they immediately receive an email that outlines Cumming’s recruiting process, and lets them know what happens next. The Applicant Flow Communication Process (see link at the bottom of this article) states, “Treat candidates as you would like to be treated if you were applying. Communicate throughout the process. If hiring managers take too long, tell the candidate. Tell them if they’re not qualified. Be direct and move on.”
3. Transparency – After the initial email, candidates get emails from their recruiter every step along the hiring process. Recruiters are required to either reject or follow up with candidates within 5 business days of the candidate application. They post this process on their careers website blog page and provide a link to their Glassdoor page asking candidates to hold them accountable by writing reviews of their experience.
As one applicant told us, “HR is the ‘first touch’ of a company’s culture for prospective employees. Even if I were to receive a rejection, I would leave the process appreciative with respect for how they treated me as an individual.”
Respecting employee candidates is one of the most important things an HR department can do. Learn more about how Cumming gets it right at Culture & Hiring Transparency Drives Recruiting Efficiency.
Read about more organizations that are getting culture right in the “Business In Focus” section of our CEE News-just launched today! Want to get these newsletters delivered to your inbox monthly? Send us an email and we’d be happy to add you to our distribution list. Hope you enjoy it!
