Up Your Job Seeker Empathy by Applying for a Job Yourself

When was the last time you interviewed for a job and why is this important?

If you are responsible for applicant interviews and employee selection and have not been on the applicant’s side of the desk in the last few years, it is time for a refresher course in how it feels. It’s the one way you can authentically project the empathy, consideration, and respect that will attract the best and brightest applicants to your organization.

Here are some suggestions as to how you might go about it:

If your company is big enough, you can simply go to a different branch or location where you are not known and apply.
Apply at one of your competitors and hope they call you for an interview. If their reply is “thanks, but no thanks” or they don’t get back to you at all, notice how that makes you feel.
If you belong to a trade or professional association, as an activity for one of the monthly meetings, set up a program where hiring managers from different companies interview each other.
Role play the process with someone outside your organization who also is responsible for interviewing.
Next time you see a “Now Hiring” sign in your travels, stop in and ask for an application blank or tell the manager you are interested in the job. (I think you’ll find that just asking – even when you don’t really want the job – is not an easy thing to do.)