The recruitment sector is currently experiencing a candidate shortage, so employers need be shift to change how they engage with job seekers and respond to applications. Too often candidates never get a response or feedback. Now that the market is tighter, candidate experience has never been more important. Consider the reasons why a job seeker might have landed on your advertisement and what drives them to apply. Here are a few tips to enhance candidate engagement that may be helpful, whether you are recruiting directly, or in partnership with a recruitment firm like Gembridge.
MAKE IT EASY
After a long day managing and juggling work, home-schooling, pandemics, earthquakes and family life, do we really expect a candidate to sit in front of another screen to address long laborious key selection criteria, fill out cumbersome application forms, upload documents and write a cover letter? Can they call and speak with someone to ask questions to ensure it is right for them? Make the process easy and streamlined. If the candidate feels there is a lot of business improvements required at the recruitment stage, give some thought to how they might perceive the way the business runs. Think about your website – first impressions last. Is it easy to navigate, user-friendly, does it reflect your values? If a candidate has trouble finding active vacancies or relevant information, it will form an opinion for the candidate.
BE CREATIVE
Do you want to attract the best minds to your organisation? Do away with staid and tired ad copy and design it with talent attraction in mind. The template model of ad writing makes candidates feel the role will be generic and restrictive. Write with the potential candidates in mind. What makes the job interesting, unique, exciting, challenging? Who are we trying to attract?
BE TIMELY
Respond to candidates in a timely manner. Most CRMs or databases allow you to tailor responses and automatically send them to applicants to thank them for applications, schedule interviews or provide confirmation that their application has been unsuccessful.
By managing the expectation of applicants, around the timing of the process, you will notice a greater engagement. In advance of posting the advertisement, set timelines of key dates including shortlisting, 1st interviews, ideal start date, etc. You can then inform applicants when they expect to hear from you.
COMMUNICATE
This is really simple. Setting reminders in your diary at key times during the process, when advertisements close, after interviews, any important step in the process or moving forward (or not). And use various methods of communication as some people prefer phone, email or even text message.
FULL CIRCLE
As a recruitment professional, the candidate experience is vital to success. We can’t confirm placements without them. Bringing candidates on a journey is crucial, so being transparent and timely will develop a sense of trust, and also encourage candidates to advise you too of any changes to their circumstances. Also, there is every chance one day they will turn into a new client and if I’ve managed their expectations so well, they will trust me to partner with them too as a client.
A failure to enhance candidate experience or monitor how you engage can limit the success of your recruitment projects, no matter how amazing the employer brand or career opportunity is. As a candidate, the recruitment process provides a small window into the organisation, its people, process, and decision-making, so can be the deciding factor of whether a candidate accepts or declines your organisation’s job offer.
Further Reading