How to Use Hiring Transparency in Business
Despite the economic fluctuations today, it is useful to consider the following four components to bring more transparency to your recruitment processes in order to cope with the difficulties.
1. What would we lose if we also published wage ranges and fringe benefits when publishing a job posting?
Today, we see that wage bands and fringe benefits are given more importance in blue-collar or gray-collar job postings in our country.
While many companies do not hesitate to share wages and fringe benefits since the wage bands of employees in such positions are close to each other in the labor market, there are almost no companies that include wages and fringe benefits in job postings published for white-collar and especially middle and senior level positions.
There are many reasons for this.
One of these is that there are serious wage differences among employees in similar positions in our country on a sectoral basis.
For example, the differences in wage bands are as high as 100% for employees at the manager level.
Even in some companies, there are wage differences of up to 30% in different departments in similar positions.
Although companies make agreements regarding the confidentiality of wages, employees can share this information among themselves.
When companies include wage bands in job advertisements, the perception that current employees will compare their own wages or learn the wages of other employees when they see them is also an important problem for the company.
In some developed countries such as Europe and the USA, wages and fringe benefits are clearly included in job advertisements for legal reasons.
While sharing wage ranges in advertisements does not pose a problem in such countries since the wage differences within the sector or company are very low in white-collar positions, companies in our country have serious difficulties in being transparent about wages due to the imbalance in wages.
In our country, before the pandemic and during the periods when annual inflation was single digits, the differences between wages in similar positions on a sectoral basis or within the company were at more reasonable levels, but under today's conditions, with excessive inflationary pressures, these wage differences have started to show extreme differences.
It can be said that wage differences between positions in positions below or above the manager level are less different than those at the manager level.
Another problem is that companies may experience serious problems in determining the correct wage bands because they do not conduct sufficient analysis when determining the wage bands for the positions they will advertise or because they do not research market wages on a sectoral basis.
When companies include salary ranges in job advertisements, the concern that candidates will demand the highest salary level even if their competence is not sufficient also prevents the inclusion of salaries in advertisements.
In some cases, there are also concerns that current employees will start looking for a job when they see the salaries in advertisements of other companies or that it will cause unrest within the company.
So how can we be transparent about salaries and fringe benefits in recruitment despite all these problems?
Although we have difficulty in transparency in recruitment due to reasons such as the high cost of living caused by the excessive pressure of inflation, there are actually many things we can do.
For example, if we cannot include salary ranges in job advertisements, we should at least be more generous in sharing our salary ranges and fringe benefits with the candidates we include in the interview process.
Would all hell break loose if we included salaries and fringe benefits in advertisements for positions below the chief and below?
I think that in extremely inflationary economic conditions, including salary ranges and fringe benefits in our job advertisements for many white-collar positions will contribute significantly to companies seeing the wages in the labor market and making wages more balanced.
Sharing such data both adds value to our employer brand and provides more transparency to candidates in recruitment, and can guide us in the measures we need to take to reduce internal turnover.
Since wage imbalances will be less when inflation drops to single digits, it is undoubtedly more beneficial for everyone to include wage ranges in job postings, except for a few exceptional cases.
2. It is necessary to inform candidates early on how long the recruitment process will take.
Treat candidates the way you want to be treated.
Treat candidates the way you would like to be treated.
Of course, you can’t meet with every candidate who applies, but it’s important for candidates to get back to you on their applications as soon as possible.
It’s important to inform candidates politely at every stage of the process.
This will solidify your reputation as a communicative, thoughtful recruiter, rather than lumping you in with the others.
The number of thank you notes we receive for our return communications is staggering, because candidates have been conditioned to expect the worst (and hear nothing).
We now have the technology to do our candidates justice.
For too long, recruiters have been seen as “behind the scenes,” creating a perception of distrust. This perception needs to be changed.
Today, the high level of uncertainty can sometimes cause recruitment processes to drag on significantly.
This causes delays in feedback to candidates during the process.
The healthy execution of these processes can be carried out more smoothly when both parties cooperate.
At the very least, immediate feedback should be given to negative applicants, while candidates who continue the recruitment process should be given more frequent mutual information.
3. Job Requirements
In order for the recruitment processes to proceed transparently, it is important to conduct a position analysis when a position is requested from departments or consulting firms.
Requirements should not be over-inflated, and a position profile should be created according to the company culture and needs.
The issues regarding what kind of requirements are expected from the new candidate should be clear and include certain flexibility.
For example, the level of education, the need to speak or not speak a foreign language, and the definition of certain competencies should be defined without exaggeration.
For the most accurate analysis of all processes, the department manager requesting the position and the recruiter should meet and agree on requests and expectations.
The reason for the new position to be employed, its place within the organization, wages and fringe benefits, types of work, the desired characteristics and job description should be clarified by going over them.
In addition, it is necessary to consult on what kind of personal characteristics will be emphasized in candidate profiles that are suitable for the corporate culture.
Because sometimes corporate culture can be more decisive than experiences.
4. Collaborate with Hiring Managers
Let’s not forget that no hiring process is perfect, especially when you’re waiting for someone else to make a decision. In order for the hiring process to be successful, the relevant department manager and the hiring manager within the company, or the relevant consulting firm in the case of consulting firms, must work closely and in coordination. Putting this task solely on those who manage the hiring process can cause the process to drag on and candidates to withdraw from the process after receiving other offers, and may require starting from scratch. For this reason, I think it’s best to be as transparent with hiring managers as you are with candidates.
Make the hiring process a team effort by involving the hiring manager in building and maintaining a reputation for fair, open and honest hiring, while also emphasizing that the hiring manager is accountable for the results.
Share the types of conversations you have with candidates about the process, the reputational risks of not making decisions, and of course, the reality and cost of losing great talent.
Ultimately, transparency in hiring protects your employer’s brand and your own reputation as a recruiter. Build a partnership of trust with everyone involved, especially candidates. Finally, own and love your hiring process enough to admit where the pain points are.
Cengiz Karaman
Kurucu Genel Müdür