In 2019 the software developer market in Sydney was very tight, and finding the right new employee was not easy. Each person is a massive investment in a small business and we had to get it right.
After going through the recruitment process, we had our preferred candidate, made an offer, and employee agreement. Unsuccessful candidates had all been informed.
There was only one loose end to tie up. One candidate interviewed very well and seemingly had all the qualities we were looking for - however, they did not have any experience. It was a familiar situation, and we could empathise. Experience was needed for the role, but how do you get that experience if every role requires prior experience.
In a larger organisation, the risk might have been worth it. However, at this point the risk was not one we could afford to take. We also had other excellent candidates with experience.
Still, we could empathise with the candidate and decided to try and help. So we sent an offer for them to do some contract work to gain experience.
Ghosted.
I re-read the message I sent several times. Did I make it clear we'd pay? Yes. Did I make it clear they'd get support and experience? Yes.
I felt somewhat deflated.
In 2022, we had a similar situation and opted to make a similar offer. The candidate was personable, and very keen to learn. That said, we did have more suitable candidates who could hit the ground running.
So, again we sent an offer for them to do some contract work to gain experience.
After a short wait we were met with their response. Eager acceptance.
Fantastic!
The project went through and the experience was overwhelmingly positive. It was great to see someone learn so much so quickly and to have our senior staff remember what learning was like. We also gained a new feature for our website and we provided someone the opportunity to gain valuable experience, earn some money, and to learn together.
Two very similar situations, and yet two different outcomes. What was to be learned from these?
In short, one not-so-great ghosting case shouldn’t dampen our drive to support candidates where we can. Our 2022 experience showed us that by reaching out and giving a greener candidate the chance to grow, we fostered our own growth as well.
Our key lesson? Don’t give up after being ghosted. Keep trying and the right opportunity will come your way.
