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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
Discuss workforce management, performance management, retention, communication, motivation, contributing to business results and other topics.
With fewer candidates around, a lot of companies are hiring people they wouldn't have otherwise.
Anyone have any experience with the resulting effects of this? For example, you've seen how the custom
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Forums » Topic Forums » General Forum » The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/19/1999 4:25 AM EDT
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Posts: 363
First: 7/30/1999 Last: 9/29/2005 |
With fewer candidates around, a lot of companies are hiring people they wouldn't have otherwise.
Anyone have any experience with the resulting effects of this? For example, you've seen how the customer service at your competitor's operation has decreased, because they have eased up on their standards? Or any other effects? |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/19/1999 7:47 PM EDT
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Posts: 833
First: 6/11/1999 Last: 8/23/2001 |
Todd, I think the backlash occurs if you let it. With more competition for each slice of the labor pie, lowering standards doesn't necessarily dictate lowering the expectations of the organization or the customers; it means raising the developmental effort in order to meet those expectations. Hiring standards would be re-evaluated to consider applicants that may not have immediate skills, but have the potential to perform. It just adds another facet to HR's hiring function by not only searching for candidates that are moreless "plug-n-play" in that they come with the desired skill-set, but also finding methods to determine potential and what would be necessary to fill the "skill-gap" between the applicant's abilities and the position's requirements. The most qualified applicant may very well be the the one who requires the least development out of a field of candidates, none of whom meet the hiring standard.
To quote Zenger-Miller, "No Train, No Gain". |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/19/1999 9:04 PM EDT
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Posts: 31
First: 6/30/1999 Last: 10/7/1999 |
Some companies are hiring people they might not have considered a few years ago, but HR managers do not necessarily view this practice as a lowering of standards; only that the learning curve is longer for less-experienced candidates with fewer skills.
I agree with Jim Carabetta in regard to hiring candidates with potential. Qualifications for entry level positions vary and often are flexible. Most people in this candidate pool meet rock-bottom basic employment requirements. After that, it is a matter of training. If you encounter an employee with no customer service orientation, poor communication skills, or other deficiences in performance, contact the organization's HR manager and let him/her know that certain members of their staff need further development. I would. It's the employer's responsibility. |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/23/1999 2:59 AM EDT
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Posts: 946
First: 6/14/1999 Last: 12/14/2005 |
I believe that sometimes HR execs and managers are willing to lower the standards for their own goals and purposes. An insidious HR exec or manager brings on non-experienced HR staff allowing more freedom to achieve the hidden goals than if they had to deal with staff who were knowledgeable. The lowering occurs when senior staff is "forced" out and inexperienced, staff is brought in to be taught the ways of the HR exec or manager. While EEOC or audits may eventually catch up with more blatant activity, that won't be for several years. And the new staff in HR is generally reluctant to whistleblow. Oten, it is the justification of "customer service" that allows the HR exec or manager to force out senior staff. |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/23/1999 3:00 AM EDT
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Posts: 946
First: 6/14/1999 Last: 12/14/2005 |
I believe that sometimes HR execs and managers are willing to lower the standards for their own goals and purposes. An insidious HR exec or manager brings on non-experienced HR staff allowing more freedom to achieve the hidden goals than if they had to deal with staff who were knowledgeable. The lowering occurs when senior staff is "forced" out and inexperienced, staff is brought in to be taught the ways of the HR exec or manager. While EEOC or audits may eventually catch up with more blatant activity, that won't be for several years. And the new staff in HR is generally reluctant to whistleblow. Oten, it is the justification of "customer service" that allows the HR exec or manager to force out senior staff. |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/23/1999 3:51 AM EDT
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Posts: 31
First: 6/30/1999 Last: 10/7/1999 |
I had an entirely different interpretation of the question. I was thinking of general hiring practices in any industry where the current tight job market has forced recruiters to seek candidates from a somewhat lower echelon in terms of skills and experience. What you describe above is news to me. Are you describing some form of discrimination? Or a particular job situation? What's wrong with "inexperienced" staff being taught the ways of the HR exec or manager? Elaborate, please. |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/23/1999 6:10 AM EDT
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Posts: 946
First: 6/14/1999 Last: 12/14/2005 |
I recognize that hiring standards apply accross the board in the workforce. But I am more interested looking at he hiring standards for those who do "gatekeeping." What I am referring to is the possible attempt by some HR execs and managers to initiate a political agenda-real or figuratively speaking-where the manager does not merely implement administrative policy or procedures but follows through on some hidden agenda. In order to effectively lower the hiring standards of the gatekeepers, more senior staff need to be nullified generally. The attempt by HR exec or manager to do this may very well be part of an overall effort to have new or non-experience staff in HR without having senior, experienced staff in the mix. Thus, the efforts of the the HR manager or exec are more likely to go unchallenged. I am not saying that lower hiring standards is only caused by this type of chicanery but rather may be ne reason it does occur in the gatekeeping ranks. |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/23/1999 8:09 AM EDT
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Posts: 833
First: 6/11/1999 Last: 8/23/2001 |
Are we talking hiring standards (the requirements for the position) or hiring practices here? I interpretted the initial question as the hiring standards being requirements, such as 2-yrs experience, high school diploma, and the like. I'm interpretting Hatchman's response as discussing the hiring practices and actual process involved in the acts of interviewing and hiring.
I'm confused...Todd? Clarification? |
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The Backlash of Lowering Hiring Standards
posted at 8/25/1999 2:50 AM EDT
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Posts: 12
First: 6/15/1999 Last: 9/21/1999 |
We also lowered our standards. The people who I had a bad "gut" feeling about proved me correct and they were not top performers. I have not had one instance since we began lowering standards when I was pleasantly surprised at an employee. We are a call center and have a lot of turnover so that is why we have begun settling on people we would not normally have hired. We have been discussing the option of raising standards again - especially since I have realized the cost of hiring and training these people and considering the amount of turnover. |
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