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Candidates interviewing employers

Catherine

Hi everyone, hope I'm posting in the right place. I have a 7000 dissertation coming up and am trying to think of a topic. I'm really interested in dysfunctional workplaces as I think there's an epidemic of them, at least here in the UK, and that's why productivity and mental health is suffering. I think it won't be long before candidates interviewing employers becomes the norm as more candidates become aware of how to spot a dysfunctional workplace and it's this topic I'd like to explore in my dissertation. I'd be interested to hear other people's views on this.

Parents
  • Hi Catherine

    You seem to have several hypotheses:

    * Many workplaces are dysfunctional,
    * That is the cause of productivity and mental health suffering
    * Candidates will become more aware of how to spot a dysfunctional workplace
    * Candidates will start interviewing employers as a result.

    For a 7000 word dissertation, I’d suggest you pick one hypothesis. I would also think about how you will gather data and analyse it to see if it supports your hypothesis or not. I think you will struggle to carry out a credible piece of research if you want to investigate broad trends in society such as these.
  • in reply to Elizabeth Divver
    I tend to agree with Elizabeth that your scope is too wide and too far ranging to get down to 7,000 words - just a literature review would probably go way over that on that range.

    The one where I think you could add most value and conduct a good piece of work is Elizabeth's 4th question. As Peter says there is always an element of recruitment being a two way process. I wonder if you could design some research that tested this and see if it varied with level/seniority, age , gender etc? Also what actual triggers or signs potential employees were looking for - and where in the process these were?

    Is it "interviews" or a number of signs along the way? How much research do candidates actually do on employers (and again does this vary?)

    How much weight do candidates put on some/all of the various bench marks (Best Companies, IiP etc) and if an employer has these how does it affect their decision making process?

    Is Glassdoor any more than a niche of a niche in the UK?

    How equal is the recruitment process for some/many candidates - my experience is that very few people offered a job turn it down - is this because they pre select out the process earlier (and if so when/why) or is it because candidates are willing to ignore even pretty big warning signs on culture fit to get that job?

    7000 words will rush by
  • in reply to Elena
    Hi Elena

    It's a shame that the first time you are moved to post, you have made a personal attack on another contributor. In this community we usually manage to disagree respectfully. You think David's comment sounds 'a bit arrogant' and 'adds no value'. I think your suggestion that David should Google great women in history sounds deliberately impertinent. I know you are misinterpreting David; I hope I am misinterpreting you.
  • in reply to Peter
    I don't like this answer at all. Very one sided, I will probe into any potential employer. I want to work for a good organisation just as much as they want a good employee.
  • in reply to Sharné
    I think probably Catherine (who started the thread) and maybe others would agree with you. Many experienced colleagues who have contributed above have questioned certain assumptions. I think this probably demonstrates some of the obvious cultural / generational tensions... and perhaps the evolving theory vs the practical realities.
  • in reply to Sharné

    Of course you will. But however much you may want to work for them, you do not get to make that choice, and never could, otherwise every other applicant who believes they will be a good employer would also chose to work for them: So one vacancy would be filled by (potentially) dozens of people turning up for work on Monday!

    However much you may not like it: the employer will ALLWAYS be the one to choose who they want. The Candidate can decline the offer (for whatever reason), so no-one is forced to work for any given employer (any longer) by survival-need or circumstances, but no candidate gets to make the "positive" choice to be chosen (all else being equal).

    Hence the right way to ensure that choice is made in your favour is to be good at doing the job required, and able to demonstrate that fact with your CV or application, not to be good at identifying the employers you would like to work for, or which might be dysfunctional

    There is certainly an advantage in knowing which employers to avoid, but that will never ensure you are chosen by a good one, no matter how many "scandals" are disclosed or "epidemics" of dysfunctionality there may be.

    (Currently: None more than there have ever been, but maybe more disclosed).

    Candidate selection IS one sided, so if your implication was that I too am an arrogant sexist dinosaur I feel you might like to apologise.

    P

  • in reply to Peter

    ...so if your implication was that I too am an arrogant sexist dinosaur I feel you might like to apologise

    .

    I don't think that was the implication at all, Peter.

  • in reply to Steve Bridger

    Correct Steve, I didn't imply anything. I have turned down offers on more than one occasion because I didn't get a good impression from the interviewers. I'm glad I did because I absolutely love my current job.

    *Edit: I hope this is useful to directing your research Catherine. 

  • in reply to Steve Bridger
    I don't think anyone here is suggesting that candidates shouldn't do their research on organisations - just that ultimately it is the employer who makes the choice about who they want to work for them, the candidate can of course reject the offer but they don't get to make the initial decision.

    I like candidates to ask questions at interview about the job, the people, the culture etc. it's important that they understand who we are and how we operate and that they're comfortable with this. However if a candidate interrogates me at length, at a certain point I'm going question whether they are the right fit for us and probably end up rejecting them.

    So the balance of power ultimately will always sit with the employer - no matter who smart the candidate is at 'interviewing' the organisation.
  • in reply to Steve Bridger

    Steve, see my response above. This is not a matter of theory -v- reality, but of response to need (by the employer) -v- misdirected endeavour (by the candidate).

    If you can propose a means by which the selection of one candidate from many can be made by those many candidates' choices then you are a lot cleverer than I am!

    There are already many candidates who are brilliant interviewees, but when appointed turn out to be rubbish at the job! (Which is why we see so many postings about people being dismissed after their (legally fictional) "probation" period.

    Knowing which employers are good or bad is therefore useful to a candidate, but will not help one iota towards being employed (or retained) by a good one if the necessary job-skills are lacking.

    See a good job you can do and then check-out the employer; don't spend hundreds of hours checking out good employers who you can then only wish you had the skills to work for!

    Is that rationally flawed? Has my logic finally fallen off with the last of my hair?

    P :-)

  • in reply to Peter
    I see your point, but I think you're going off topic. Let's try and explore how the "candidates" can hold some power.
  • in reply to Emma
    An interesting and useful contribution Emma

    It will be interesting to see if Catherine conducts primary research into this area and what she throws up in both the literature review and any surveys, opinion questionnaire or other evidence.

    Whilst I tend to think that the balance is tilted more one way than the other I do accept that there is a balance of sorts and either party can and should walk away if they feel the role isn't right for them.

    It would be interesting to see some evidence as to at what stage candidates walk away (and how many as a % do) and if you could then follow up these candidates and see why they walked that would add even more value.

    My sense is that a far higher % of candidates get rejected by organisations than the number of organisations who get rejected (once they are in the process) by candidates.

    So my working assumption would be that by the interview stage its an uneven balance but at earlier stages....there maybe more of a balance with candidates not even applying to organisations they dont wish to work for. testing that against various demographics and types of role would probably make a fascinating PhD thesis let alone 7000 words!
Reply
  • in reply to Emma
    An interesting and useful contribution Emma

    It will be interesting to see if Catherine conducts primary research into this area and what she throws up in both the literature review and any surveys, opinion questionnaire or other evidence.

    Whilst I tend to think that the balance is tilted more one way than the other I do accept that there is a balance of sorts and either party can and should walk away if they feel the role isn't right for them.

    It would be interesting to see some evidence as to at what stage candidates walk away (and how many as a % do) and if you could then follow up these candidates and see why they walked that would add even more value.

    My sense is that a far higher % of candidates get rejected by organisations than the number of organisations who get rejected (once they are in the process) by candidates.

    So my working assumption would be that by the interview stage its an uneven balance but at earlier stages....there maybe more of a balance with candidates not even applying to organisations they dont wish to work for. testing that against various demographics and types of role would probably make a fascinating PhD thesis let alone 7000 words!
Children
  • in reply to Keith

    That I would agree with Keith, but it is a very different proposal than that made, which seeks to assume that identifying poor workplaces (for whatever cause) influences the choice of who is appointed. It does not. I alters only who accepts appointment and (as you rightly identify) that choice is rarely made during interview and (as Emma points out) if pursued by a candidate to excess during interview can influence any offer being made.

    The PhD aspiration might also be strengthened by researching how many wasted applications might be avoided by checking of employers before making them (and subsequently not following though to interview) and how this might reduce the vast stacks of inappropriate applications offered for some roles!

    P