When I agreed to end my C-level position with my former employer end of 2023 (we simply did not match), I did not know what to expect from the first half of 2024. In the beginning there was despair and demotivation - quite normal if a job ends that you were passionate about. Later, I had the chance to rediscover technical depth in the area of #deeplearning (special thanks to Bernd Ebenhoch) - more to come soon. It was an up and down during the months and before I will start something new in this week, I wanted to share an experience I made with respect to the numerous applications I submitted. During my time as a leader, I was able to hire more than 100 people into the organizations I was leading. So I know both sides of the recruiting process. What puzzled me this time was that for 40% of my applications to (mostly) leadership roles I did not receive any feedback - really nothing! In a "war-for-talent" world this can only mean that either, I am not considered a talent (please, help me think that this is not true) or that there exist people that do not take #recruiting serious. It conveys a strange feeling if the effort an applicant puts into an application process (adapting the docs, filling the forms, using the application platforms of the companies,...) remains unresponded. Particularly, given the jobs I applied for. As a side note, the majority of the unresponded 40% was an "easy to apply"-LinkedIn submission. So why would companies use this feature of LinkedIn if then many of these submission are not treated the way I believe they all deserve? To all the #recruiters out there: Think of a waiter (the applicant) asking "What you would like to drink?" There is a huge difference between saying nothing and saying "Nothing."
Steve Mason
2w
Kim, it's disheartening to learn about your experiences but also to hear that so many recruiters are doing themselves, their employers, and the candidates such a disservice. When I'm in the market for talent, I want to ensure the candidates have a professional experience reflective of the company I'd leading, regardless of whether or not the candidate is a good fit for the role. It goes to show that we must apply to same diligence to the hiring of our talent acquisition partners as we do with the candidates themselves. Fantastic to learn that you've found what you're looking for. I've no doubt you'll be a wonderful asset to whatever team you join next. Looking forward to (deep) learning more about it in the coming weeks and months. Good luck!
Kim, thank you for sharing your experience so openly. I completely understand you, because I'm in the same journey, looking for a position where I can fully utilize my experience and grow. And I know how lack of feedback can be demotivating, especially when you put so much effort into tailoring each application and writing cover letters. Despite these challenges, I’ve found the positive side in understanding, that these experiences, as tough as they may be, just only make us more resilient. I believe that continuous self-improvement and relentless approach will ultimately lead into the right opportunities. Looking forward to hearing more about your upcoming endeavors!
Rahul Birla
2w
Kim, wishing you get the best you deserve. Imagine at your C-level you not getting any feedback, then what about happens at the other levels of hiring! Candidates are treated as a commodity/number and with that comes the attitude and treatment sadly.
Glad you are finding your path in this zoo Kim Listmann and looking forward to hearing about your next move Meantime, suggest you follow Robynn - you will read some nice posts :-)
Good luck in your new role Kim, I’m sure you will be a success.
Promoter of triple-bottom line leadership - Be the change you want to see in the world
1w"Nothing" has become the norm. So is the practice of solely relying on resumes to project the future from an applicant's past. Finding jobs through blindly applying for jobs on LinkedIn, Indeed, etc is highly ineffective - especially when looking for leadership positions. I think working within your existing networks is much more effective. Good luck and it's great that you have found your next career journey.