‘Love bombing’ | Why excessive attention isn't beneficial for recruiters

In the fiercely competitive world of talent acquisition, companies are constantly seeking innovative strategies to attract top-tier candidates. However, one recent trend has raised concerns among industry experts – ‘love bombing’.

Love bombing, originally a term coined in the context of romantic relationships, refers to the practice of showering someone with excessive affection and attention to gain their favour.

In the recruitment world, love bombing involves employers going above and beyond to impress candidates, creating the illusion of an ideal workplace, that may well not really exist.

The allure of love bombing

On the surface, going above and beyond to attract the talent you need may seem like an effective strategy to entice potential employees. By lavishing candidates with personalised gifts, extravagant perks, and exaggerated promises, recruiters hope to win them over. After all, who wouldn't be flattered by such an outpouring of attention and praise?

However, in reality, getting someone to agree to take a job is far from the aim of a good recruiter. Top recruiters are thinking not about the short term, but the long term. Giving a candidate a realistic view of the workplace they may join, and them actually staying in the role longer than a few weeks, is far more preferable than simply painting a fake picture of a job.