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- Jo Faragher
Among all the recruitment predictions for 2015, perhaps the most reliable is that we are likely to see a return to the ‘war for talent’ – a buoyant employment market where applicants call the shots and businesses fight to attract the most talented candidates.
In order to ensure your agency and its clients get a look-in on those valuable candidates, it’s more important than ever to ensure that they’re engaged with the recruitment process so they don’t drop out along the way.
A positive candidate experience covers everything from that person’s first impression with the role and the company to the length of time between being made an offer and receiving a contract. At any point along the way – even after offer stage – a good candidate can decide to leave the process, leaving a hiring manager high and dry in favour of a more attractive (or more responsive) new employer.
Companies invest millions in their consumer brands, and recognise that reflecting that brand in how they attract and retain talent pays off. But how much attention is paid to how they treat their candidates?
A recent survey by TheJobsPost found that treating candidates poorly during the recruitment process could actually be hampering agencies’ growth. Its survey of senior recruitment professionals found that only 28% felt their company database was being used effectively to communicate with people in their talent pools.
Another survey, by recruitment services provider TMP Worldwide, revealed that around a third (34%) of jobseekers rated their recruitment experience as poor. Almost two-thirds (58%) said they did not receive regular updates about their application, and 52% felt they were not treated as individuals.
Surely communicating regularly and building a relationship with your biggest asset is simply common sense? Not necessarily. Part of the issue is that during the recession, employers’ recruitment departments were cut back severely (yet applicant numbers rose) so “basics” such as responding to a job application started to fall away. Technology has been able to fulfil some of these functions – such as acknowledging receipt of an application or retaining candidate data in an applicant tracking system, but could never really replace a phone call or a face-to-face meeting to discuss that candidate’s fit for the role.
One HR recruiter said she was “shocked” by reports from candidates complaining they never even received an acknowledgement, or just received an automated email disclaimer saying ‘Please assume if you don’t hear from us by X you have been unsuccessful’. Unfortunately, she adds, this complacency became the norm for some recruiters and now that the market is flipping back into candidates’ favour, it will be those that neglected things such as regular communication or honest feedback that lose out.
Barney Stupples, operating director at Page Personnel Human Resources, works with his consultants to ensure “they cover all the bases – speed, efficiency, data”. “The experience for the individual has to be a positive one; you want them to go away, even if it’s bad news, thinking you fed back well,” he says. And it’s worth remembering that with social media just a click away, a poor experience during the recruitment process can become common knowledge in no time – alienating even more candidates.
So how can recruiters ensure that this doesn’t happen? A good place to start is with the application process itself, according to advice from job board platform Careerbuilder. Its research found that, while applicants like being able to browse jobs on smart phones or tablets, two out of five would like to be able to return later to apply for the job properly. “Consider incorporating a shortened lead form or talent network that allows candidates to leave minimal contact information,” advises Careerbuilder. Currently, only around a quarter of employers offer this option, it adds.
When it comes to the actual process itself, time is of the essence, especially as competition for candidates hots up. More than a third of respondents to Careerbuilder’s survey said that they thought a lengthier process was a positive thing because it would filter out candidates who were not serious about the role – however, this logic doesn’t always hold up. Those businesses could equally be putting off qualified and suited candidates who refuse to put up with the hassle of waiting around.
In volume recruitment situations, where you could be dealing with tens of thousands of applications per year, the same ‘high-touch’ approach you apply to senior roles may not be appropriate, but there are still ways to make candidates feel good about themselves (and the employer’s brand) even if they’re unsuccessful. Some companies do this by offering candidates reports on any psychometric assessments they do as part of their application – and the findings can help that individual see where they might fit into another role or how they come across at interview.
Arguably, it’s the stage between interview and offer (or rejection) where a recruiter has the greatest power to make an impression on the candidate. This is where it becomes important to gain honest feedback from the client so this can be relayed to the candidate. Managing expectations is key – if there is evidence as to why this candidate was not right for the role, share this, as it may prove useful in their next application. If possible, make this personal – two-thirds of respondents to Careerbuilder’s survey expect a phone call from a recruiter or hiring manager to tell them the news, good or bad.
In fact, a joint piece of research by the REC, the CIPD and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply suggests that this year, employers will take a more “rounded approach” to deliver the best candidate experience possible when choosing how they recruit. This was a priority for 20% of respondents, although only 14% said they ranked communicating their brand to candidates as a high priority when selecting a resourcing model – so there is room for improvement.
“In the end, getting (candidate experience) right will improve outcomes like finding and retaining the right staff and employer reputation,” says Kevin Green, chief executive of the REC.
“We want to see recruiters seek to influence their clients’ supply chain by providing more strategic advice in areas such as workforce planning, innovation around attracting candidates and helping to shape their longer-term workforce strategy.”
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