The Employer is the Customer

A job seeker’s mindset determines their job search success.

A crucial mindset shift job seekers should adopt to improve their chances of job search success is recognizing that, in the context of their job search, employers are customers—potential customers looking to purchase skills and time.

Consider the similarity between an employer paying employees, freelancers, and contractors to accomplish tasks and achieve results, and you engaging a cleaning service, painter, dentist, or mechanic. Essentially, the employer-employee relationship is fundamentally a customer relationship, where the employer purchases the services of its employees for as long as required, similar to hiring a contractor to finish your basement.

This means:

• The adage “the customer is always right” applies. Employers determine the scope of work, expectations, and how much they’re willing to pay.
• Regardless of an employee’s position, all employees essentially work in the service industry, delivering a service to their employer.

Job searching is essentially a “finding a customer” activity. Given the prevalence of layoffs, it should be obvious that employees are free agents and will likely need to find a new employer (customer) several times during their working life.

Understanding the Customer Relationship

When you view an employer as a customer, you approach your job search differently. Think about how you like to be treated when you’re a customer. Do you lower your expectations? Of course not! Yet, fueled by a sense of entitlement, many job seekers publicly criticize employers for not lowering their hiring requirements so they can “have a chance.”

Employers have the same rights to have hiring expectations—set the bar—as you do when you hire a plumber or hairdresser.

Like any other customer, employers have specific needs they seek to fulfill, which must be met to remain in business. Therefore, understandably, employers look for candidates they can trust to deliver results, solve problems, and contribute to their success (read: profits). Few job seekers thoroughly research the company’s goals, culture, and challenges and then use that knowledge to present their skills and experiences in a way that will make the employer say, “Yes!” When interviewing, you have one goal: to demonstrate to your interviewer that you understand their business needs and that they can rely on you to deliver results that address those needs.

Employers Are Customer Dependent for Their Survival

“It’s not the employer who pays the wages. Employers only handle the money. It’s the customer who pays the wages.” – Henry Ford

Employers are unlikely to overlook a candidate they feel would be dedicated to looking after their most valuable asset: their customers. Employers are aware that without customers, their business ceases to exist. 

It baffles me how many employees don’t extend themselves to look after their employer’s customers, who pay their salary, as Henry Ford pointed out. When approaching employers, demonstrate how you’d maintain their existing customer base to prevent them from going to the competition—a valuable skill in today’s price-sensitive market. An even better attention-grabber, demonstrate your ability to acquire new customers.

Setting the Scope and Expectations

Applying for a job is equivalent to bidding for the job, much like a contractor bids (quotes) for jobs. In the same way that you’d define what you expect a painter to do based on the scope of the work and what you’re paying them, employers define job responsibilities, outcome expectations and performance metrics to gauge productivity. 

When networking and interviewing, provide examples and numbers—employers love numbers—demonstrating how you added value to your previous employers. This approach positions you as a solution provider, communicating you understand the scope of work and can meet expectations. 

Flexibility and Adaptability

More than ever, employers need flexible employees.

Going back to the adage “the customer is always right.” Employers, if they want to stay in business, need to adapt to ever-changing customer demands, which means their employees must also be willing to do the same.

An effective way to stand out from other candidates is to convey your understanding that your employer’s success is also your success. Assure your interviewer that you’re eager to adapt to changing needs, such as adjusting your hours, working onsite, learning new procedures, or obtaining certifications. Forget about being hired if your interviewer senses inflexibility or you’re a clock-watcher.

Building Trust and Long-term Relationships

Trust is the foundation of any healthy relationship. It’s the core reason for hiring a candidate. Do you purchase from companies you don’t trust? The same principle applies to job searching. Hiring decisions are based on trusting that the candidate will deliver the results the business needs; therefore, focus more on building trust than selling your qualifications. Building trust starts with following application instructions, something many job seekers fail to do.

Closing the Deal

Securing a job offer is akin to closing a sale. Only attempt to close the deal once you’ve established your value—proven you’ve delivered measurable results for previous employers—and communicated your understanding of the employer’s needs. Much like hiring a weekly maid service to enhance your life (e.g., freeing up time to pursue a side hustle), an employer isn’t hiring an employee; they’re securing a service they believe will improve their business’s efficiency and profitability.

_____________________________________________________

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned corporate veteran, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. Send Nick your job search questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.