The end of the job listing?
The rituals of applying for a job are well known to many at this point: Pick out something nice to wear, bring an extra copy of your resume, and maybe research the company before going into your interview. But along the way, several companies have made attempts to reinvent the hiring wheel. Most recently, Zappos got rid of job listings entirely, opting instead for a system in which interested individuals sign up to be part of a network of candidates that the company vets for open positions.
They’re not the first to try a holistic approach to hiring, either. Messaging company Kik asks potential hires to start work part-time before they agree to the full time position. For those who already have a full-time gig, Kik invites them to work evenings, or during a vacation on a project that relates to their new position. The company believes that it works better for employers and employees to know if the job is a good fit.
Other companies partake in intense rites of passage for new hires. As outlined in this article on bizarre hiring rituals, Moving company GentleGiant asks employees to run stairs at the Harvard Stadium with their boss as part of a team building exercise. Foot Levelers, which makes chiropractic products in Virginia, has all new employees attend a screening of the film “Rudy” to gain inspiration.
But back to getting the job in the first place. Some would say that all of this is too much time spent vetting new hires and then ingraining them into the system. For those who shoot more from the hip, Travelodge tried out the speed-dating of interview processes back in 2008, giving each potential candidate just 3 minutes to prove themselves. Sometimes, first impressions are everything.
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