The Deprioritization of Diversity, Crazy Salary Ranges, and More! – ERE

Welcome to “The Most Interesting Recruiting Stories of the Week,” a weekly post that features talent acquisition insights and information from around the web to kick off your weekend. Here’s what’s of interest this week:

DEI Is Kind Of-Sort-Of-But-Not-Really a Priority for Recruiting

According to this year’s Monster Work Watch Report, only 5% of recruiters rank DEI among their top three priorities. What’s more, “11% f employers report DE&I programs are among the first to go when they are forced to cut costs — just behind company events and bonuses.”

$330,000 to $1.8 million. Is That a Sensible Salary Range?

Here we go again. Just like when New York City mandated the disclosure of salary ranges in job posts recently and companies were skirting the law by posting overly broad ranges, so too in California in the wake of its new pay transparency legislation. One posting for a software engineer included a range of $90,000 to $900,000. Read more about what’s happening in this Washington Post story.

Job Interviews Are a Nightmare — and Only Getting Worse

“Employers are constantly finding new hoops for candidates to jump through,” Vox reports. “One recent graduate described having to take a series of intelligence tests, go through two interviews, and provide five references — all of whom were asked to complete a 15-minute questionnaire — for an entry-level position at a nonprofit he was told he didn’t get two months later. One woman’s job offer was contingent on her getting a reference from her current manager, who wasn’t aware she was on the hunt for a job.”

America Needs Carpenters and Plumbers. Gen Z Doesn’t Seem Interested.

From NPR: “The application rate for young people seeking technical jobs — like plumbing, building and electrical work — dropped by 49% in 2022 compared to 2020, according to data from online recruiting platform Handshake shared with NPR…While postings for those roles — automotive technicians, equipment installers and respiratory therapists, to name a few — saw on average 10 applications each in 2020, they got about five per posting in 2022.”

Job Applicant Data Stolen in Breach of Burger Chain Five Guys

“Burger chain Five Guys Enterprises LLC has disclosed a data breach that resulted in the theft of personally identifiable information of job applicants at the company,” according to SiliconANGLE.  “Five Guys said that upon discovering the unauthorized access, it immediately implemented its incident response plan, took steps to contain the hack and launched an investigation. Ticking the standard response list, the company also informed law enforcement and hired a forensic cybersecurity firm.”

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Your Next Job Recruiter Might Be an AI Bot

“As companies scramble to fill jobs at a time when talent is hard to find, many are turning to artificial intelligence to find, interview, and match candidates to much needed skills,” according to ComputerWorld.

How TikTok Influencers Are Helping Companies Recruit New Workers

“An influencer promoting open roles on TikTok can help increase the impact of a company’s recruiting efforts,” according to CNBC. “Employers are hiring influencers to post content about what a company is like and why someone would want to work there. Companies can have existing employees post videos or content on TikTok and become an influencer for their business.”

The Emancipation of the American Worker

“Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposal to ban noncompete agreements,” according to ERE.net. “Should the proposal turn into law, it would create a seismic shift in how many employers do business.

Read the most interesting recruiting stories of past weeks here.