We wanted to put faces to the recruitment struggle that candidates are facing in 2020 to make hiring managers and recruiters aware of first hand experiences in the hope that people take note in order to better their candidate experiences. Today we spoke to Guy Humphrey.

- What role were you in prior to 2020 happening? 

Content writer for a luxury travel agency

- How long were you with the company for? 

I joined the company in June 2017

- So tell me in short how job hunting has been for you since? 

I will be honest and say it's been a rollercoaster. Some days there are loads of jobs, other days there aren't. For me, phone and video interviews have been steady, I'm just hoping that something comes up purely because it has to. I try and not think that I'm searching for a job, but trying to find a new opportunity. This mindset has helped in terms of positivity and productivity. It also helps when I'm nervous about approaching companies.

- Have you had to take any part time roles? 

I haven't. I'm in a lucky position that I still live in my family home and therefore can take advantage of the fact I can search for new opportunities more and have more free time for interviews.

- Have you used any recruiters (no need to name names)?

Yes. So many. 

- What has your experience with recruiters been like? 

Some great experiences while others have been awful. Unfortunately, some recruiters don't seem to have my best interests at heart and either patronise or simply disregard my work history which is annoying. The brilliant recruiters are the exact opposite of this, are attentive and genuinely care. They check in with how your job search is going, contact you for roles and give hints and tips with what the companies hiring want to see. 

- What advice would you give to hiring managers with live roles right now?

The advice I would give to hiring managers is to understand the current situation and your role isn't the only job that the applicant has applied for. Also, don't ask why people have been made redundant... it's obvious why. I'm also commonly asked my reasons for switching industry and, as my previous industry was travel, this should be obvious again. Also, if you ask what my previous companies were, then it shows you haven't done your research on me. I've done research on your company so the least you can do is google the company name of my past employers.

- What have you struggled most with in your job search? 

Ghosting and not getting constructive feedback. I've also struggled with retaining positivity and receiving rejections from roles that I know I am capable of.

- What is your worst experience in an active job process this year?

I have a speech impediment and twice now, a couple of recruiters have put the phone down on me or said that I need to 'fix' my stammer in order to be taken seriously. I also got through to the final stage to a job I really wanted before the role was put on hold or taken down completely.

- If you could change one thing about recruitment processes, what would it be?

I detest application forms that require a login that you'll never use again and for you to manually input the exact same information on your CV that you also have to submit. Read my CV and cover letter and then go from there. I'm also not a massive fan of being asked to do written tasks before an initial phone call or first round interview. It's a waste of my time if you can tell by my CV that I'm not the right candidate either due to experience or any other factor.

- Tell our readers what roles you are looking for right now? 

Marketing and content roles ideally within travel but I'm open when it comes to industry due to the current climate.

If you'd like to get in contact with Guy directly, you can here.