The Candidate Experience: Hiring Staff in a Job Seekers Market
Imagine this…You show up for a job interview, the receptionist is too busy to help you, the interviewer is late, unprepared, and has to take an urgent call during the interview. What message does that send candidates about you as an employer? Candidates form their opinion of you as an employer during the interview process. To ensure a positive recruitment process and build a pipeline of qualified candidates, consider the following tips:
- Recruitment Life Cycle: Identify candidate touch points during your recruitment process and the impression you are making. What story are you telling about what it’s like to work for you?
- Communication: Call back all candidates who go through the interview process and offer them feedback for a positive experience. Every unsuccessful candidate is a potential recruiter who will tell friends about their experience with you, whether good or bad.
- Feedback: Ask candidates for feedback on the recruitment process. What impression did they get of you as an employer; do they have suggestions for improvement?
- Candidate Relationship Marketing (CRM): Keep in touch with qualified candidates who express an interest in your organization. This can be a simple e-newsletter, occasional phone call, or, really impress them and invite them to a candidate appreciation event!
- Employer Value Proposition (EVP): What is your unique, differentiating employment proposition to candidates and existing staff? Why would a talented person want to join (and stay with) your organization?
In the same way you want every guest that enters your business to leave with a positive experience, think of the recruitment process in the same way. In a job seekers market with employers competing for talent, your recruitment process needs to impress candidates and sell them on the opportunity of working for you.
Do you have a job interview horror story? How did it influence your perception about the employer? Share it with us by posting a comment.
