We don’t talk openly and honestly about the mental and emotional anguish that job seekers contend with on a daily basis.
The interviewing and hiring process lately has become overrun with technology and and devoid of human interactions and empathy. It may be a hot job market, but many people are not benefiting. When a person spends several hours a day over a number of months filling out dozens of long and involved job applications that are submitted and not responded to, there is understandably a feeling of shock and dismay. This growing sentiment of dread is compounded upon when résumé submittals continually go unacknowledged, interviews not offered nor feedback provided.
A feeling of dread takes hold. You start worrying about whether you did something wrong. You retrace your steps and try to figure out if you’ve offended someone or committed a faux paux that has placed you on some sort of unofficial “black list.” A little paranoia kicks in as you start ruminating that maybe colleagues or former co-workers are saying derogatory things about you. As time progresses, there is an increasing level of fear that you are not wanted or needed any longer. You feel alone, adrift without any direction or faith for the future.
It’s easy to become despondent and depressed. You pull back from social engagements, stay at home and dwell on the unfortunate turn of events. It wasn’t long ago, you recall, when you were highly in demand. Interview requests, recruiter calls and job offers used to arrive routinely and now it’s all over. You start to feel worthless.
This dark cloud starts to impact your performance when interviewing. Instead of marching into the interview feeling confident and strong, you psych yourself out by inwardly believing that you’ll never get this job. It’s hard not to come across bitter and a little hostile because of the shabby treatment you’ve been encountering. This negative attitude isn’t attractive to potential hiring managers. They pass on your candidacy, go with another candidate and it spurs on a further downward spiral.
It’s too easy to tell job seekers to just buck up and keep trudging on. It’s true; job seekers need to regain their confidence and bravely forge ahead. We have a tradition in America to tell you to keep hustling, reinventing yourself and making your own breaks in life. There is only so much you can do on your own. It’s up to the companies—who wield the power—to meet the job applicants halfway. They need to be sensitive to their cold and impersonal actions, which—at times—have a devastating and debilitating impact on the people searching for a new job.
Corporate executives will claim that it is too difficult to get in touch with everyone who applies to a job posting. They’re not completely wrong. The amount of résumé flow is overwhelming. However, if the company truly values people, wants to ensure that its brand is burnished during the process (rather than degraded), changes need to be enacted.
Reputable corporations should allocate the financial and human capital necessary to improve this area. They need to make a good-faith effort to engage with the job seekers. Sending form letters is better than nothing at all, but it doesn’t really help anyone.
Corporations have to spend more money to hire additional internal human resources and staffing professionals—and empower them. It’s a smart business decision to treat people who apply for positions and interview with the company with courtesy and respect. Executives should incentivize employees involved with the interview process to take the time to ensure that they have a humane experience. Less tech and more human interpersonal interactions should be encouraged.
In our culture, we prize wealth, success and power. If you are unable to secure a job, there could be a feeling that something is wrong with you. When you feel that you’re nearing the end of your rope, job seekers should not feel embarrassed to reach out to others and share their feelings.
There are career meetups, conferences and networking events that you can attend and discuss what you’re going through with others who are in similar situations. Speak with your family, friends and mental health professionals about how you’re feeling. If you know someone going through this, inquire about how they are feeling and coping. Check in to make sure they are okay and offer to listen to them.
Keep in mind that this is happening to a large segment of the population and you are not alone.
Source: Forbes
