Ron Macklin and Deb Dendy
The idea of dignity in hiring goes beyond simply finding the right candidate. It's about ensuring both the employer and the employee maintain their dignity throughout the process. As Deb aptly put it, “If the employer is not holding their dignity and treating others in a dignified manner, the employee will know that too.”
The first step in hiring with dignity is clear: defining the role and your company culture. Deb emphasizes the importance of clarity in the job description, ensuring that it isn’t too broad with unrealistic expectations. This sets up potential candidates for success, knowing exactly what is expected of them.
Ron highlights the importance of knowing exactly what you’re looking for in a candidate and the kind of environment they will be stepping into. Ron adds another layer to this: understanding your own company culture. It's not just about finding someone who can do the job but someone who will thrive in your specific work environment.
Ron notes, “We want somebody who fits into the culture. And if we don’t really have a good understanding of what our culture is, we could be hiring somebody who has all the right skills but does not fit in our culture.”
Deb touches on the often impersonal and technical nature of many interviews, recounting an experience where interviews felt more like interrogations, missing the opportunity to understand who the candidate truly is. Ron echoes this sentiment, stressing the importance of conducting interviews in a way that allows the candidate to feel seen and understood.
Interviews shouldn’t be one-sided interrogations. Instead, they should function as mutual explorations where both parties understand each other better. Prospective employees should feel comfortable sharing their stories and probing into the company’s culture.
Allowing candidates to ask questions doesn’t just provide them with the information they need but also shows them that their curiosity and engagement are valued. Candidates should also assess whether the company is the right fit for them.
Creating a dignified hiring process involves vulnerability and authenticity from both sides. Sharing personal stories or past failures can encourage candidates to drop their shields and be authentic. The goal is to understand how they handle failures and how they take responsibility, critical attributes for any team player.
Ron describes how transparency and immediate acknowledgment of mistakes are critical traits: “You want somebody in your business who can talk about mistakes when they're happening and come forth and say, ‘I screwed this up.’”
Deb brings up an often overlooked aspect of the hiring process: treating rejected candidates with dignity. Respect must extend beyond the hiring decision. Even if a candidate isn’t a good fit, they should leave the interview process feeling valued and respected. This can be as simple as timely communication and constructive feedback.
Timely communication and honest feedback help to maintain a positive reputation for the company in the marketplace. Ron adds that everyone who interviews, whether hired or not, should leave with respect for the company and feel that they were treated with dignity.
At the end of the day, hiring with dignity is about creating an environment where everyone feels respected and valued. Employers should foster a culture of openness, authenticity, and mutual respect, while candidates should feel empowered to show their true selves and engage deeply with prospective employers.
If this approach resonates with you, why not try it out in your next hiring process? We’d love to hear about your experiences and the results you achieve. Share your experiments, learnings, and insights in the comments or on our podcast page to contribute to this ongoing conversation.
To learn more about creating a better corporate culture in the workplace, head over to www.macklinconnection.com
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