Carla, thanks for the advice in this post. I am glad that my company already adheres to 3 of the suggestions, but we need to do better with our communication with candidates.
I liked much the last one "Aside from it being illegal to discriminate based on someone's age, companies may miss out on incredibly energetic, loyal, and knowledgeable employees." And this statement is so true I have seen people with the double age that I have and to work with passion and giving the "whole" thing to the job. Furthermore, "older" worker is a great example to follow specially for the younger. Consider a Company with an age limit, something is going wrong for sure .......
Carla, this is some more great advice, I think! A few comments:
That story of using a job description from 1999 is insane. I can understand being lazy and using old job descriptions as a framework to craft a new job description, but just copy & pasting something that is over a decade old is nuts.
I agree that it's very important to figure out what type of skills you're looking for in a candidate, while also keeping in mind that the perfect candidate does not exist. So I also believe it's important to prioritize and figure out what competencies are truly essential, and which things would be nice to have, but you can live without.
As far as not giving candidates honest feedback... this is tricky. I think a lot of people treat job interviews like dating, so if they aren't interested in a candidate, they just don't call them. Even if they "say" something like, "oh, we'll be in touch!" It can be awkward to reject someone. And I've certainly been guilty of not providing feedback to candidates I wasn't interested in, in the past.
However, I do agree that it is probably best to close the loop and let people know where they are at. A simple, polite email indicating that you won't be pursuing them any further is probably a good best practice.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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