Mr. CEO, we have a problem. Would you care to see it? It's in your hiring process.

"HR's main function of sourcing and hiring is getting flawed these days. Not just flawed but widely skewed too..." said one of my old time friends when I met him in Dubai after a long time. I've heard this and more from many when I've come back recently to Dubai after a year or so. I had a chance to cross this charge with some of my past colleagues and also my students who are now employed with companies in UAE and overseas. Majority of them vouched for the same and some even went to the extent of telling me that unless you have someone at the top it's difficult to get hired in UAE. "That was not the case few years back" I replied, but found no backers.

Cherry picking at its best and worst

I remember some years back, when I've joined as the GM for a leading media company in UAE, I had to hire and build a new team. The HR came with a proposal to hire people and shared the overheads budget approved by the board. I could hire with whatever budgets remaining, but I was told that in order to cut down the expense I may opt for a conventional ways of hiring like getting reference from my business circle rather than publishing, which I disagreed forthwith.

I arranged to release a recruitment ad in the Gulf News, a leading daily in the UAE, and a listing in the LinkedIn. My HQ had few apprehensions at the beginning but eventually agreed. Many have applied for the various positions and support roles in our Dubai office.

Applicants lists was so high that my HR person couldn't handle sorting it right. Intrigued so, he came and told me we could cherry pick few candidates for the interview rather than wasting the time searching in a hay. I asked him how. "We will choose applicants coming from the competition" fast came his reply. He added "Will also pick a few who I like" with a smile. Easy... but What a Pity!

Contrary to that with some great effort (but worth it's time), we've scrutinized and shortlisted as many candidates as possible on merit for the interview. I was like an observer in most of the preliminary one on one sessions and have tried to get a feel of the candidates as far as possible. I've put another crew independently under some of my bright line mangers to interview those who have claimed that they knew me personally for years. Only few were found to be true. More rounds followed and then the orientation, training & on-boarding sessions all through out the month. Few were left out due to procedural and visa issues. Alas, my HR was freed from the selection process.

We have now a brand new team energized enough to hit the market in no time. In the next few months to my surprise, they have achieved far more that what our old team could do in the past.

An unique journey called life

I knew how difficult it is for someone to be jobless and tirelessly engaged in continuous a job search especially in the UAE after landing here as a fresh, experienced or redundant. For some of the aspirants job search is part of their routine. Just killing time while enjoying life & touring in Dubai at the expense of their beloved ones. But I also know that there are many who have taken this as a real challenge and a task. To get employed or re-employed and then start or re-start their career and life is their priority No.1.

My HR asked me why this hardship of calling so many candidates for an interview as we are left with little time and just two quarters away for the year to close." We can't offer a job to all candidates who have applied ... but we can always offer them an opportunity to attend this interview" I said firmly. No big deal, but it's more than enough for an aspiring and a talented candidate. "If he is worth his salt, he will soon find his way up here or elsewhere" I poised.

I asked him how many interviews he went personally in his whole career. He said none. A person who had never gone through an interview process by himself is handling HR. No fault of him as he was doubling up as an HR person in addition to his role as an accountant. Another disaster in waiting. This is not a one-off case. In fact most of the companies in Gulf have a similar story or even more to tell as I've found out that after a brief research on this burning issue. Even a dedicated HR person do this mistake very often as the finding goes.

Let's merry-go-round

Sourcing and Hiring by the HR Department is an important function in a company. Of late they tend to become mere gatekeepers than cheerleaders for many inbound talents. Sadly, most of the HR desks turn away the callers who are found to be job seekers. In fact they are the one's who had spent their precious time in searching for the right company to join. They also took the pain of finding out the right contact in the hiring department. But most of the time the HR person thinks the other way and feel it is their duty to scare and turn away people who cold call them. Then they follow up candidates who are actually not interested to work with them.

Calling the candidates from competition or through reference or recommendation is an easier process. But history says they defect most to the competition at the wink of an eye or demand ransom. They exceedingly ride 'merry-go-round' and enjoy the merry at the cost of others. Sticking around is a rarity. If you want loyalty better hire a cocker spaniel, they says gladly.

Knocking on the hell's door

Eventually, the organisation shall miss the opportunity to hire a candidate from a different industry who could have bought a new dimension and a whole lot of dynamism to the table. This is especially true in the case of a leadership or senior management hiring. "Strangely and also sadly most of the CEO's or the person who has the power to hire are not interested... for they believe, its beneath their status and attention span to involve themselves with any kind of hiring process" adds my old friend. "They ignore you or don't reply your email if they find you as a job seeker. They don't even show any courtesy to message back. However, they expect the best recruits - experienced or fresh, to come in a platter, decorated and placed on their desk in tact". I know many cases were CEOs or Business Heads intimidate the HR person or his secretary to act as his gatekeeper from potential candidates approaching him for jobs.

How on earth could a CEO build, improve or restructure his team if he don't give the right attention to talented candidates, especially seeking leadership roles, knocking at his door?

Soft cheats

HR who blindly relies on computer programs like ATS (Applicant Tracking Software) to sort and select candidates for the interview is in fact doing a crime - figuratively though. They are either lazy to do their job or helpless to find a real and practical solution to sort the candidates based on their ability, exposure and experience. Customization of the software may prove otherwise, though. But that is a different story.

Candidates who could cheat the tracking software may find their way up much easier than others. But always short lived. That is why some of the best organizations have best of the fools working for them at the top, middle or bottom. Once a good friend of mine, GM of publishing company, told me his company is equally balanced - with 'smarts' and 'fools' and he replenish frequently. Time to reward mediocracy.

Barbarians at the gate

The technology is so immensely progressing these days that many HR persons are either ignorant or conveniently forgetting that most of their job functions could be replaced by bots (Automated software applications) and robots soon and their job shall also be made redundant one day. HR persons who were exploiting the bots all these days for their convenience were shocked to find that the same is reaching their neck to choke them to death. Boomerang!

That is the heavy price they are going to pay sooner than later. Especially true, if they keep blindly relying on readymade softwares rather than putting their devoted time and undivided attention to detail in the selection process.

PS : CEOs if you already have a strong Human Resources Department and great professionals to mange it effectively, this article is not meant for you.

Rest may pay attention, please.

Antony Konnoth

Dubai, UAE