If you’ve ever been in the interviewee chair whilst the recruiter or hiring manager talks ceaselessly about all of the incredible offerings their company will offer you, but when you start work, and none of the promises is forthcoming, you've been job-washed. The company has overpromised on your employee value proposition (EVP) and failed to deliver. Thankfully, it's only sometimes intentional; job-washing does happen due to miscommunication or misunderstanding of policies, but sadly it's becoming more commonplace during the current labour shortage.

Overpromise and underdeliver risk

In today’s incredibly competitive market, there is a risk that employers may overpromise and employees might not get the experience they’ve been led to believe in the hyped-up recruitment process. In 2022, data from the Skills Priority List revealed that 42 per cent of occupations were experiencing shortages across the country, illustrating why some employers might have been overemphasising their EVP. The list showed shortages in 268 occupations compared to 153 in the previous year. Another outcome of the report showed that 98 per cent of employers are talent poaching to fill these in-demand roles despite candidates not overtly seeking a new role.

Employee confidence is rising for the younger generations; a recent report by Randstad found that over 60 per cent of Gen Z respondents felt confident that they could find a new role relatively easily and quickly. Recruiters and hiring managers are being forced into panic hiring, overpaying new talent and trying to pin down candidates to make a decision.

High attrition risk

Candidates are not going to find job-washing an acceptable practice, which has disastrous consequences for companies. Randstad's report showed that 67 per cent of respondents who are actively open to new opportunities would be quick to move on if the position doesn't meet their expectations or they don't receive the promised benefits and working conditions. Quite simply, they won't put up with being misled. 

Millennials and Gen Z employees unanimously said they would prefer to be unemployed rather than unhappy in their workplace. Half of these employees said they would leave if they didn't feel happy, valued, and secure and that they were contributing. Whilst employees are not expecting perfection in the workplace, they want it to be, at the very least, authentic. This potentially high turnover level doubles recruitment and retraining costs, costing almost AUD$ 24,000 per employee.

Balanced and realistic

Whilst LinkedIn is a tremendous source for employers and recruiters to contact potential candidates, it’s equally as easy for candidates to expose an organisation's best practices, or in some cases, not. Since Elon Musk’s recent announcement about working conditions, flexible work policies have been scrutinised. Employers might highlight remote or hybrid work opportunities, yet new hires find that they must work from the office. Another prime reason could be the lack of development or training prospects, which were overpromised at the recruitment stage. It’s inherently easy to focus on the highlights, exciting aspects and possible progression within a role. However, it is crucial to manage candidate expectations and build trust by being upfront, articulating the challenges that recruits might face in their new role and discussing company values. 50 per cent of younger Millennials will only work for a company that is making a proactive effort to improve its diversity and equity. Trust and building good relationships are crucial to retaining Millennials in the workplace; over 20 per cent will want to

work there for the foreseeable future and feel connected to the company's values.

Be authentic

By running regular internal engagement surveys, employers will understand whether or not their employees are happy, or if they find the company authentic or feel like they’ve been job-washed or misrepresented. External messaging or marketing is vital and equally as crucial to employees; this can be through the overarching marketing strategy, recruitment campaigns, honesty and authenticity. Employees want to understand what leaders, hiring managers and recruiters have to say about the company. Authentic, ‘real life’ campaigns are essential and reflect the brand's legitimacy. The poorer the representation, the poorer it will present the brand. Open communication about the future vision for the company is also critical, even with pipeline decisions and plans.

Interviews should be a two-way discussion allowing the candidate also to ask questions. Hiring managers and recruiters must be able to answer any tricky interview questions honestly and authentically and be equally upfront about the role or company's benefits and challenges. For example, if the company strives for equal representation in leadership roles but still needs to meet its targets, the interviewer should answer honestly and explain that the company is working towards a solution.

Employees want authenticity, not perfection.