The Molasses Movement
A common dating term that has recently made its way into recruiting jargon is “ghosting,” which, is the descriptive definition of someone who simply disappears to never be heard from again, and it has been happening all the more frequently in the hiring process. In addition to it there seems to be another new trend that the Coronavirus and its many ripples through our collective conscious is causing. For lack of a better definition, let’s call it the molasses movement.
In this pendulum swinging time where America went from near record low unemployment, to record levels of it, almost overnight, one would expect that there would be a plethora of active job seekers. After all, we all have bills and obligations, of one form or another. Facing the uncertain business climate ahead and knowing there will soon be many people looking for work, one would imagine that job ads would be getting flooded and that job seekers would be posting resumes and calling recruiting agencies day and night. In fact, what is happening, is the opposite.
The fight or freeze/flight response to a crisis has been well documented. Most hiring managers seem to anticipate that the American worker is going to fight. That people, realizing they may not have as much opportunity in the future as they have in the past, would be applying for openings with abandon. What recruiters and hiring managers are seeing on the ground though is quite the opposite. Most unemployed, have simply frozen. Perhaps in fear, perhaps in hope of everything going back to normal.
To employers that are hiring, finding candidates is moving at the pace of molasses. Job posts that pulled abundant candidates prior to the shutdown of nonessential businesses have dried up almost completely. Of the candidates that do apply there are 2 to 3 times more noncontacts to recruiter outreaches including unreturned phone calls, emails and text messages. One out of every 2 job offers or potential interviews for a job results in a ghost, vs. actual candidate appearing (or not – depending on one’s perspective).
This molasses movement is slowing hiring, creating great strains on essential businesses that need to bring on new workers and hamstringing companies that are positioned to grow in these times. Additionally, as business bailouts from avenues such as the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and related funding/loans are just starting to make it to some businesses, and they decide to hire people back, or bring on new employees with better skills for the times, they are unable to find the talent they need.
If you ask the average unemployed worker, most will say they are waiting for their old job or enjoying the break. Those are the better answers. Others will more honestly tell you the stimulus packages from the Government from a $1,200 check to enhanced unemployment checks offer the same, or sometimes more, than their jobs did so the motivation to go back to work “now,” is minimal. Granted, some are also concerned about social distancing and the overall health of themselves and their families.
These factors combined are creating a perfect storm for businesses, in today’s economy that are trying to survive or grow. It would be hoped that soon enough the “fight” response will collectively build in the American jobseekers mentality but for the moment, we are in a strange and surreal time where tens of millions of unemployed Americans are simply choosing not to move on jobs, or go back to work. Let us hope, that this time shall soon pass. Until then, if you know someone who is unemployed, let them know there is no better time to look than before the flood of applicants that is out there awaken and it would be advisable to act now, while there is still opportunity to be easily found.
