The Importance Of A Positive Recruitment Experience
I recently read a great article on how important it is to
treat job applicants well. How much do we really think about this, though? Even in the current “buyers’ market” in the
West, interviewers/recruiters may only think that the hiring company matters,
and that they’re doing the candidate a favour by interviewing them. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The way you treat a candidate has significant
repercussions. Treat them right, future
bright. Treat them bad, make them
mad. So what can you do to make for a
great recruitment experience? Here’s
what I think is absolutely critical:
1.
Have a
proper Job Description: potential candidates need to see immediately if
they’re likely to meet your requirements or not. It’s amazing how many “blue chip” companies
still produce poorly written Job Descriptions, then wonder why they have so
many applications.
2. Acknowledge applications promptly: preferably
within 2 working days. A number of
employers now state that, if candidates don’t hear from them, they should
assume that they haven’t made the “first cut”.
This is unprofessional and rude. Candidates
who have spent time on preparing their submission deserve a professional
response.
3.
Tell them
what comes next: e.g. you need time to go through their application and
when you’ll get back to them. Don’t leave
this for too long.
4.
Get back
when you say you will: nothing is worse than a broken promise to someone.
5.
Be professional:
at all times during the interview process, and make sure that this doesn’t “drag
out”. Know how many interviews it takes
to reach a decision and explain this to candidates.
6.
Don’t
delay: if you find “the one”, make the offer quickly.
7.
Let
others down gracefully: you never know when you might be asking for
business from them.
What could be the results of a positive experience
(including telling the candidate that they haven’t made it this time)?
·
A Positive
Place: … in the candidate’s mind.
OK, so they didn’t get the job, but if they were handled properly,
professionally and with integrity,
they will deal with you in future, and tell others about how “fair” you were.
·
Increased
Revenues/Profitability: candidates and their family and friends will still
do business with you, what will that do to your bottom line?
·
A Better Deal:
candidates are more likely to treat the company favourably in future,
should they be asked for business.
What happens if you get this wrong? To start with:
·
Negative Reputational
Impact: social media is here to stay and is accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Treat a candidate badly and he/she can be
FaceBooking or Tweeting to friends within minutes of leaving. Don’t think they’ll hold back for fear of not
being considered for the job – they’ve already rejected you as an employer and no
longer care.
·
Profitability:
Candidates who have a bad experience are less likely to buy your product or
service and will tell friends and family not to do so as well. Depending on how “viral” the experience goes,
expect to see a drop in revenues and/or profitability.
·
When The
Market Recovers…: people will be scrambling to fill new roles. If you already have a “bad name”, what sort
of candidate will you attract?
·
He Who
Laughs Last…: one day, you may be seeking business from a disappointed
candidate. Imagine your feelings after
you pitch what you think is the perfect proposal, only to be told “Yes, I
remember interviewing with you for a job X months/years ago. If the way you treated me as a candidate is
anything like the way you’ll treat me as a customer, the answer’s no!”
Short-term thinking applied to long-term recruitment will
only get you one thing – trouble.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in the world financial services industry running different service, operations and lending businesses, I started my own Performance Management Consultancy and work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email . My website provides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
posted by William Martin @ 10:15
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