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Job Hunting - who holds the power?

Job Hunting – Are you the buyer or the seller?

It’s important to know.   And it does change.  While certain roles always seem to be in high demand, our rapidly evolving world is continually redefining key skills.
As a job seeker, you might feel that you are the buyer, and it may be that you are one of the fortunate people whose unique attributes give them superior negotiating power.  Most of us, though, have to sell ourselves to the employer.  
Experience plus formal qualifications definitely give an employee the edge and can change the buyer/seller dynamic.
Why is this even a discussion?
For a number of reasons:
·       Complimented if approached, some people accept the new job because it sounds like a good idea  or use the offer as a negotiation tactic with the current  employer, never really intending to resign.
·       Others accept a position, but would really prefer an alternative role and if that one comes up, gazump the first offer
·       Life happens, circumstances change and it isn’t feasible to start the new job
HR Departments are concerned that future employees do not appreciate the impact of contracted new employees not commencing work.
·       The recruitment process is lengthy and costly
·       Other potential candidates have been informed that they have not been successful
·       Start dates are often designed around particular business requirements which will have to be adjusted, once again at cost to the hiring company
While most contracts include a resignation period, non starters do not consider that they need to give the contracted notice even if they do not ever commence work.
And how does this tie in to the buyer/seller conversation?  Two key points:
·       The shifting power base in the employer/employee relationship.   HR departments and line managers may be measured by their ability to attract and retain staff, however, the employee pool is larger than the employer one, offering the hirers more options, giving them the buyer’s position more often than not.
·       That old burning bridges concept.   As long as you are the seller, even if you are at the forefront of your industry, or in a high demand speciality, once you have let somebody down, you will find it more difficult to sell yourself in the future.  Word gets around.
Treat future employers the same way you would treat your current one.
·       Give them as much notice as possible
·       Don’t string them along with a story which may have to be changed
·       Explain your reasons for not taking the position
This way there is a greater chance that in the future, when an opportunity arises, you might get the call!



  


Links, References and Notes

Accsys, a member of Transaction Capital Risk Services, provides people management solutions ie Payroll, Human Resources (HR), Time and Attendance as well as Access Control/Visitor Management.
The company develops, implements, trains and services our solutions.  We provide readers, turnstiles, booms and CCTV.
We run both on premise and in the cloud, as well as mobile options for ESS.  Recruitment, online education and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) are part of our offering, too.
http://www.accsys.co.za/accsys-peopleplace-talent-management
email:      tschroenn@accsys.co.za
twitter:   @TerylSchroenn


Note:   Thank you for reading Teryl@Work.   Should you wish to use any of the material, please acknowledge this blog as the source.
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