Are you love bombing potential hire?

The concept of "love bombing" may seem odd when applied to the workplace. Some companies hotly pursue job candidates for open roles. In this accelerated hiring process, applicants often encounter a scenario where job requirements take the backseat, and a whirlwind of attention and promises take the front seat.

What is love bombing? 

Usually, "love bombing" means a technique a person uses to manipulate individuals into entering a relationship with them. 

Here are four signs of love bombing at work:

• - Excessive and constant communication

• - Unrealistic promises and unrealized expectations

• - Overemphasis on employee's potential and future prospect 

• - Overwhelming generosity and perks 
  
  

Definition of love bombing in the workplace

When companies shower potential hires with excessive flattery and make lofty promises. It can create a gruelling situation for employees, leading to a sense of manipulation and eventual failure. 

The dark side of love bombing employees

The case discussed by the BBC involves a 46-year-old individual residing in Washington, DC, who claimed to have received an immediate job offer. The report highlights the enticing benefits of the offer, such as the highly sought-after remote work arrangement. Regrettably, these promised benefits failed to materialize upon the individual's commencement at their previous organization.

Sally Hunter, a managing director at the global talent-acquisition firm, shared her insights with the BBC regarding this phenomenon. She explains that recruiters, being natural salespeople and optimists, may unknowingly engage in behaviours known as "love bombing" when interacting with potential employees.

Their intentions are well-meaning, with an expectation that the candidate will successfully secure and enjoy the position.

Nonetheless, Hunter suggests that some recruiters may resort to love-bombing staff due to their own financial circumstances, such as having a low base salary and heavily relying on commission-based earnings.

How recruiters can avoid love bombing in the workplace 

Recruiters should avoid overpromising candidates and offer transparent information. Once hired, they should remain vigilant regarding future possibilities.

To avoid love bombing in the workplace, consider the following key points:

1. Emphasize Transparency

Foster a workplace culture that values transparency and authenticity. Encourage open communication between employers and employees, allowing for honest discussions about expectations, growth opportunities, and company values. This helps establish a foundation of trust, preventing manipulative tactics from taking root.

2. Cultivate Genuine Relationships

Building lasting connections with employees instead of relying on empty flattery will drive real impact. Invest in their professional development, provide constructive feedback, and create a supportive work environment that recognizes their contributions. This approach fosters trust and loyalty based on mutual respect.

3. Set Realistic Expectations

Be clear and honest about the potential opportunities, benefits, and challenges employees may encounter. Avoid making exaggerated promises or rushing promotions without evaluating individual performance and qualifications. By setting realistic expectations, employees clearly understand their roles and responsibilities.

4. Support Employee Autonomy

Encourage an environment that values employee autonomy, allowing them to make decisions, express their ideas, and voice concerns. Minimize micromanagement and empower employees to take ownership of their work. This reduces dependence on the organization and decreases vulnerability to manipulative love bombing tactics.

A better way to streamline your tech hiring

As evident by the words of Sally Hunter, not every recruiter practices love bombing. Sometimes, it could be unintentional. Lack of skill gap. 

For example, one of the tech hiring challenges is the need for more skill sets to access candidates among hiring managers. 

On average, hiring managers have to

- Screen 10-15 applications

- Conduct multiple interview rounds

- And follow up constantly

So, this sets in interview fatigue. 

What if you could handle all tech hiring challenges by outsourcing recruitment? 

Tacnique is an AI-powered tech hiring platform that enables you to outsource your tech interviews and provides access to a pre-evaluated talent pool to facilitate engineering and hiring managers to make fast and right hiring calls. 

With Tacnique, you can cut your time-to-hire by 80%.

Here's how we help:

With Tacnique's Interview as a Service, you can get:

- Increased interviewing bandwidth

- No more hiring bias

- 50+ insights on every candidate

- Evaluated candidates within 72 hours. 

Want to discuss your tech hiring challenges? 

Have a quick consultation call with us.