iCIMS Hire Expectations™

Amusement parks, whether on the grand scale of the Disney resorts or a smaller scale local boardwalk or country fair, hold a special place in our hearts. At an amusement park, everyone can set aside the worries and cares of daily living, and adults and kids alike can enjoy spending time fun and fancy free. That is, until a vertically-challenged (either too tall or too short) thrill seeker spends three hours in line for the latest and greatest park attraction only to find out that they do not qualify to participate. And depending on the individual’s personality, an array of anger, disappointment, sadness, and belligerence can ensue.

The prospective rider’s reaction spreads beyond the spurned park guest. The others in the group who can board the attraction spend time debating whether to stand by their rejected friend or to go on and experience the ride anyway. Often the rest of the line is held up as the disgruntled guest debates his or her qualifications, standing on tip-toe or struggling to force the safety bar in place. Park staff members are faced with the challenge of diffusing the situation with the upset guest to set things right for the throng of waiting guests.

All of this can be avoided by setting clearly visible, clearly understandable directions and notices at the entrance of the ride. Of course, many amusement parks do have these notifications posted, but there are frequent cases where guests do not notice the warnings or do not take them seriously, thinking they will be a convincing exception to the rule. And unless the park employs someone as an official gate keeper, theme park goers will continue to press their luck with ride requirements with the hope of being a good fit.

The HR rollercoaster can bear similarities to extreme thrill rides as well as some more supposedly tame ones. There is almost always a long stream of applicants waiting for access to an interview with an organization. The process of applicant crowd control can become overwhelming as the talent pool begins to fill up, and dealing with persistent applicants who are not the best fit can be very unpleasant.

While it is impossible to completely avoid dealing with individuals who are not a good fit during the recruiting process, there are a few ways that you can help ensure that those who do line up for the position have a better chance of fitting in and producing a positive outcome for all involved.

1. Make the requirements clear. Determine what criteria are non-negotiable and include them right up front at the top of the listing. Choose concise language and easy-to-read formatting so that prospective candidates notice and understand the position’s scope up front. The idea is for them to realize they won’t fit before they get in line for the ride.
2. Stick to the requirements. Don’t make exceptions for applicants who are not a great fit. There is reasoning behind the chosen standards, and deviating will only cause problems later on and keep you from finding the best candidate for the job. An applicant can try to seem like a close fit, but if they don’t measure up from the start there could be repercussions to deal with later.
3. Screen based on requirements. Don’t put yourself in a position to even consider exceptions to the non-negotiable requirements. A candidate that is a 95% match to what you are looking for can be alluring, but they could be a poor choice if the other 5% fails in the critical requirements. You can use different processes and applicant tracking tools to automatically filter candidates based on the job criteria. This way, you can spend time and resources on more qualified prospects and keep your HR processes moving along seamlessly.