Remember back in the day (a.k.a. last year) when job candidates would confidently walk into a job interview with a hefty chip on their shoulder, thinking to themselves, “They need to live up to my expectations too!” It used to be that interviewing was a two-way street, with both parties in the hot seat, both parties trying to impress the other, and both parties praying they fit the part.

Not anymore. A competitive workplace has left a lot of power in the hands of the employers. This shift in power is bringing with an unwanted culprit: poor hiring processes. The other day I came across a post by Kevin Wheeler, The President and Founder of Global Learning Resources, entitled, “It’s Time for a Candidate’s Bill of Rights.” In that he writes: “The level of frustration is growing. The longer the recession continues, the deeper this will become. Candidates are not asking for a lot — just basic guidelines and an understanding of how we make interview and hiring decisions"

Wheeler also touched on some specific ways in which companies are abusing candidates, these include: companies hiding behind electronics (not calling back, not emailing back, voicemail, etc.), false promises, misconstrued job postings, and a failure to inform/update the candidate on the process in general. Wheeler noted technology as a primary facilitator for bad hiring practices and is spot on when he writes, “So much of the technology that aids recruiters has actually increased candidate frustration and disenchantment with the corporate recruiting process.”

In my opinion the real trouble comes in the ramifications. Its clear to all of us that job candidates are now scrounging at the bottom of the ladder—pushing others, pulling themselves up, trying desperately to be noticed. With that sense of despair comes a lowered expectation from those doing the hiring. Unfortunately what Wheeler touched on does not bode well for the future. As the hiring processes continue to be watered down with insincere communications, inaccurate information, and weakened confidentiality commitments, I can’t help but wonder what this will mean for all of us moving forward?

Will a few companies rise to the occasion and put forth transparent documentation, catapulting them to the top of the heap. Will candidates across the board begin to take this laissez-faire approach with them post-hiring? Perhaps the most concerning for me—Will nothing really happen except an overall lowering of the bar during the hiring process?

I am not sure what the future holds, but the time for job candidate’s to begin this dialog is now. A more competitive workplace does not equate to a loss of rights for job applicants. Instead, I would think this would lead to a more aware job seeker—one that wants to make sure they are committing to a company that holds their best interest in mind. With the lack of phone call returns, the misconstrued information given, and half-ass hiring processes that are floating around right now, I don't see where many employers are looking forward.

To them I pose a question—When the tides change (and they will) where will your company be sitting? Will your inability to establish a professional hiring process backfire with a slew of not-so motivated and disloyal team members? And to the candidate’s that are accepting these failures with nothing more then a shoulder shrug, I ask, “If you don’t demand top quality across the board, why should they hire you in the first place?”

I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of this? Are job candidates in the wrong for accepting these behaviors? Or is it up to the companies to step-it-up, simply because they hold the power right now? Could a “Candidate’s Bill of Rights” work, like Wheeler suggested? Or is all of this inevitable due to the new technologies and employment landscape? Thoughts?