An org builder reflects on why he is candid about the organization during the hiring process
I have spent over two years at Sahaj as an organization builder. This time has yielded substantial learning, unlearning and a way of working underlined with a truth that I consider absolute.
A brief history:
I have been working in the recruitment/HR industry for a little over 14 years with a wide spectrum of organizations selling both products and services.
How it usually works:
We work with clients on their hiring needs and internal projects. Recruiters work across roles that may be technical or otherwise, and handle such requirements every day.
Recruiters have to achieve targets on a daily or weekly basis. For a given requirement, for instance, they would need to provide 2 to 3 candidates within a day or two. If it is an in-house recruitment, they are
expected to fill a position within a stipulated time period.
A race against time:
So, recruitment professionals try to reach out to as many candidates as they can who fit the criteria, evaluate them and attempt to close the position, all in record time.
Gaps in the traditional system:
While the recruiter would have evaluated the candidate for skill fitment, it often happens that something more vital is completely missed — cultural fitment. There are two primary reasons why this may happen –
strict timelines are one, the other being lack of familiarity with the organizational culture — this usually happens while working with recruitment agencies.
Present day:
I have been talking to developers, data scientists and designers. There is curiosity among people and they want to know more about Sahaj and the kind of work we do here and our culture. These conversations yield a surprise — there is a widely-held belief that org-builders/recruiters sell
‘things/ideas’ to candidates in order to hire them.
I definitely don’t believe in painting an inaccurate picture of the company or processes in a bid to lure an individual into joining an organization. So, I raised the question — if a candidate is convinced by a pitch that is not a sincere reflection of the organization and its values, and then happens to join the company, how long they would stick around?
The answers varied. Some people felt that they would spend at least six months and if things were still not working out, they would move on. Others felt that one month would be long enough to make that call.
At Sahaj, we are looking for people who will join us and associate with us for a long time, individuals who are passionate about driving things rather than simply working on tasks. This journey must begin with the right intentions. Sahaj is founded on the tenets of trust and transparency — these values permeate into all our actions. We encourage people to ask as many questions as they want to understand Sahaj and the kind of things that we do here. We are looking for people who are passionate about technology, brimming with ideas, can think through hard problems and work with a team to realise and implement solutions. And we tell them exactly what they are signing up for — a company that cares about its people, and values trust, respect, curiosity and craftsmanship above all else.
