The current U.S. unemployment is the lowest it has been since 2008. As this trend continues, it is job seeker’s market. In order to remain competitive, companies need to pay strategic attention to their hiring process and the resulting candidate experience. If it falls short, top talent will likely go elsewhere.
Your Candidate is Your Customer
When hiring, your product is your organization. Candidates may be attracted to it – or steered away from it – based on the image they get from you, your process, your people, and your social media presence.
Create a Positive Experience
Following some basic steps can greatly enhance your chances of leaving a positive impression on your candidates. This is an opportunity to set your company apart from your competition, who likely are wooing the same talent.
- Simplify your employment process. Make it user-friendly from start to finish. If your application process is too complex, candidates will be turned off and will not complete it. Remove any unnecessary steps. You will easily lose the best talent if there are cumbersome lag times.
- Are you wooing or screening? Don’t laugh. Companies lose sight of the fact that the best talent today is quick to discount opportunities where there are too many hoops to jump, forms to complete, or when the interest seems lopsided. The best candidates need to be recruited.
- Personalize your candidate messages. Avoid email templates and make every message personal, so each candidate recognizes the human connection behind your brand.
- Communicate in a timely manner. Keep candidates constantly in the loop with frequent updates, so they understand your process and related time frames. Just as you might be evaluating them, they are evaluating YOUR ability to make a hiring decision.
- Make your website and careers page highly appealing. Candidates will judge your organization based on the quality of your online presence.
- Keep your social media image positive. Make sure that everything posted by your company is positive and actively promotes your values and mission.
- Build an industry-leading onboarding process. Help your new hires make an orderly and efficient transition to your organization.
To assist you in developing a winning candidate experience, Talent Bridge can provide the market intelligence and resources you need. We can work with your HR team on a strategy customized to your ongoing needs. Contact us today so we can tell you more.