The Law of Clarity 👓 EBH

You say a lot, but what does it all mean for a candidate?

You can from the look on my face (above) that this was the line of the whole episode. Take a bow, Marcus.

If you want to ask us a question, to go TheBrandPlan.show and click the mic button in the bottom corner to leave us a voicemail message.

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1. The Law of Strategy

2. The Law of Focus

3. The Law of Perception

4. The Law of Ownership

5. The Law of Impact

6. The Law of Desire

7. The Law of Quality

8. The Law of Fit

9. The Law of Clarity

Take a moment and think about all the information being sent or shared between the company and the candidate during any candidate experience (or is it “candidate’s experience?” Have we gotten to the point where CX is its own thing?)

From the company side, you’ve got the career site, the job posting, years of LinkedIn posts, short videos (new and old), recent press releases from the company, what the recruiter says, what the interviewer says, and what the offer letter says. 

From the candidate side, you’ve got the application/resume, the LinkedIn profile, social media and thought leadership content, what gets said in the screening call, and what gets said at the interview. Perhaps your process includes a case study or a working sample.

Now let’s get real here. Everything in the above list is deeply biased (at best), overly aspirational spin, or outright bullshit (at worst). Career sites make each company sound like they invented paid time off. Job postings are so filled with junk, you need a map and a native guide to try and interpret what the job even is. Social media corporate channels are rife with “we took the day off to paint a school!” posts ignoring 99.9999% of what the company really does.

Oh, don’t get all high and mighty, friend-o. Your resume is a set of cherry-picked wins glazed like a donut with “power words” and over-generous and poorly-attributed outcomes. And your LinkedIn channel is like if your resume came to life. Either way, none of them are really you. 

Because of that, much of what both sides see and hear up to the interview is like looking at someone through their press clippings. Like trying to discern details while the subject has orchestrated the lighting and smeared the lens with Vaseline.

All this is to say that in the process of recruiting, there is a LOT of information flowing back and forth, but how much of it is useful? 

On both sides, what everyone is desperately missing is clarity.

Now, clarity is… messy. What your lawyers think is clear can feel like trying to find a light switch in the dark while wearing sunglasses to you and me. What your hiring manager (an expert in their chosen field) thinks is clear is like trying to read hieroglyphics upside down.

So how can we decide what is clear? 

Things that are clear meet four simple criteria: Specific, attractive, different, and real.

Specific meaning that what is said isn’t bluster or spin, but concrete claims with proof. It’s the difference between saying “we offer world-class benefits” and “we offer 12 vacation days, 21 PTO days, and pay 90% of all health insurance premiums.” One is a nice thing to say, the other gives information.

Attractive meaning that it is something that the specific audience cares about and wants. Does your audience care that your CFO is speaking at a conference? Or that your CHRO won an award? If it isn’t, then explain why your social channels are filled with content like that?

Different meaning things that show how your company is different from others. You’ve got a “fantastic place to work” award? So do all your competitors. You fill your social channels saying you care about LGBTQ+ people in June. How is that different than other companies? That line where you’ve got a great culture on your career site sounds a lot like the line on their websites saying the same thing. If your content isn’t helping a candidate make an informed decision, it isn’t clear.

Finally, is what you’re saying real? Or is it a product of marketing copywriting to imply something that isn’t there? Or is it what your CEO wishes the company were like? Or is it what people tell themselves when they choose to not look for a new job.

If you aren’t SADR, you simply aren’t being clear to your candidates.

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How can I help? No really. How? What specific challenges are you facing at work? Reply to this email with three questions and we’ll record the conversation around them. 100% free!

***This Newsletter Contains No ChatGPT***

-James Ellis [LinkedIn] [Website]

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