The paradox of mystery employers in adverts

By BURA KINYANJUI

Many organisations run job adverts and omit their identity, sectors they operate in or their addresses in preference of newspaper publishers contacts.

Some of the adverts carry scanty information and request interested candidates to forward their details to a postal address. Others use proxy recruitment agencies that don’t indicate their client’s profile.

While its true that the employer is at liberty to do what pleases them — after all they are paying for the advert — they have to consider that there are qualified employees who are not willing to send off their details to the unknown organisation.

Booking an advert with scanty job information and no company profile, will put off qualified job seekers, moreover, this makes the company look unprofessional and makes the assumption that since the market is saturated with many desperate job seekers, the advertiser will automatically receive many applicants.

noble intentions

What the employer may not know is that prospective employees will want to do some background research in preparation for the interview as well as in considering whether they really want to join the advertising organisation, besides, as funny as it sounds, a prospective job seeker could be applying for a job in a company, where they are already working.

Many organisations probably have noble intentions, but there are still many pros and cons of withholding company information during recruitment. Many organisations hide their identity because they do not want to be bombarded with incessant enquiry calls or visits by prospective employees, agents or scam artists.

Ironically, others do it to hide the recruitment from their employees, especially when the goal is to inject new blood into the organisation.

Fraudulent agents also use this method to fleece desperate job seekers by advertising fake vacancies.

Being the employer of choice runs deeper than just perception. Employers of choice offer enormous opportunities to their employees apart from just competitive salaries — they provide opportunities for career growth, offer employee assistance programmes such as development funds, they empower, motivate and train their workers to be the best they can be.

Such employers are not shy to use their brand effectively to attract and retain the best employees. These organisations also know that their brand draws attention and will not be afraid to ride on the free mileage they receive from advertising.

star employees

The benefits of organistions revealing their identity during recruitment definitely outweigh those of not doing so. Star employees in other organisations will not be attracted to submit their papers to unknown employers and neither would an organisation appreciate receipt of anonymous curriculum vitae details from a Mr XYZ working for company ABC with an indication that the real information will be revealed later.

Additionally, by simply indicating company details, an organisation will also save itself from time and resource wastage as a result of attracting potential employees who are not seriously considering a career move but who simply send applications just for the sake of it.

Nevertheless, it is still the prerogative duty of the employer to re-evaluate the recruitment strategy and how it relates with the corporate brand to attract and retain the highest calibre of employees in the market.