How To Win, or Lose, the Ideal Candidate
In the article What’s New and Fresh in the Candidate Experience? Absolutely Nothing by Kevin Grossman, Kevin describes the many touchpoints employers have that can improve candidate experience. However, frequent and respectful communication stands out as how to win or lose the ideal candidate. Read the entire article here, highlights below.
Communication is Key
There are many opportunities for employers to impress their ideal candidate. In the current competitive job market, employers must use every tool at their disposal. According to the article, it is not surprising, however, that “Each phase of the candidate experience offers employers critical communication touchpoints: pre- and post-application, for example; before and after interviews, screenings, and evaluations; even during the job-offer phase, where poor communication can still cost you a great candidate.”
Winning
According to Grossman, “Employers that take advantage of as many of these touchpoints as possible — letting candidates know where they stand and what’s next every step of the way — are going to be the real winners in the competition for talent because they’re offering the kind of respectful experience that candidates are eager to return to again and again, even after they’ve been rejected for a particular job.” Additionally, “They’re using chatbots and more advanced conversational AI tools, text messaging, employer branding and marketing campaigns, and good old-fashioned emails and phone calls to keep candidates engaged. And they’re communicating through an extensive array of channels and platforms, including job boards and specialized talent communities, LinkedIn and other social media, and their own careers sites and employer marketing materials.”
Losing
Bad habits die hard. According to Grossman, “many employers were getting away with less-than-stellar (if not downright poor) communication. Candidates would apply to jobs and never hear back. Others would email or call recruiters and still not receive a response. Others, lucky enough to get a chance to interview, would end up being ghosted by recruiters or hiring managers when interview time rolled around…Some of these missteps are still occurring, of course, and they add up to one huge lost opportunity. In fact, Talent Board’s research shows that 11% of North American candidates voluntarily removed themselves from the recruiting process in 2020 because of poor communication. That’s literally hundreds of thousands of candidates whom employers never had the chance to meet or assess.”
What’s the Formula?
According to Grossman, there is no magic formula to landing your perfect candidate, but standardizing frequent and respectful communication never hurts anyone. In addition, with the market more competitive than ever, employers large and small will have to bring their best game to the recruiting table. Otherwise, they will scramble for talent while other businesses increase their market share.
Trent Lyons is a Technical Recruitment Lead at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to get the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Trent, who specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth, and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career, contact us today.