Dey shared his insights into the limitations of the traditional employment process, as well introducing new concepts to break the endless cycle of rejection that most candidates face.
In the speech he said “For every person hired, an average of 80 are rejected. The Head of Recruitment is actually the Head of Rejection. Every rejection chips away at a candidate’s confidence, leaving them downtrodden and often depressed – not the best attitude with which to approach the next interview. This vicious circle has to be broken.
What we need to develop is a process that removes the innate structure of rejection seen in traditional recruitment and gives every applicant powerful development opportunities, regardless of whether they get a job. I call it UnRecruitment ; the removal of our current employment single-mindedness, in favour of exciting training possibilities for all.”
The UnRecruitment concept centres around the desire to put power back in the hands of those applying for positions; the idea that candidates should no longer feel like the only thing to be gained from job-seeking is the job itself.
“In between unemployment and employment there is a gap, and it’s one that should be filled with self-improvement, self-empowerment and genuine learning. Though only one person can get any given job, everyone applying for it should be able to benefit from the process.”
According to Dey, this concept of UnRecruitment comes from blurring the boundaries of recruitment and training – from schemes that give the tools for employment to young people, and from businesses who are willing to be more transparent, open and creative with the process of taking on new people. Rajeeb is currently trialling this model at Enternships with a number of selected employers, with training partners The Spring Project.
“Together, we can create systems of training, insight and feedback that ensure every candidate that applies for a position gains value from it, and that every employer has access to brilliant, ever-improving talent.”