If you’re an HR professional, hiring manager, or otherwise responsible for finding talented employees, it can be easy to forget how stressful the job search is for candidates. It typically takes a long and stressful search process for candidates to find the role they’re looking for. They must update and customize their resume to every job posting, craft the perfect cover letter and complete and submit an application, often hundreds of times! Not to mention the phone screenings, interviews, followup calls… it can be a real ordeal!
The best hiring managers and recruiters know the importance of building a relationship with the candidate throughout this entire process. This will require empathy and an understanding of what drives the candidate. If you want to think like a recruiting pro, you should be asking yourself:
“What will make this candidate fall in love with my company so much that they’ll not only finish the entire process, but will enthusiastically say ‘yes’ when we extend the offer?”
Step 1: Listening
Being an active listener will get you far in all relationships, and the recruiter-candidate relationship is no different. Listening out for both explicitly stated and non-verbal cues will tell you what you need to know about the candidate—their goals, motivations and why they’re no longer happy with their current situation. If we truly understand what’s motivating candidates, then we can help them by providing the right guidance and support throughout the hiring process.
There are a lot of reasons people begin a new job search. It could be dissatisfaction with the compensation or recognition they’re currently receiving, or unhappiness with limited opportunities for career growth. Or it could be a less than harmonious work environment. With so many possible factors in play, it’s important to listen, so you can understand—and help the candidate to make the right choice. Of course, you want a great candidate to choose you—but only if it’s the right fit for both parties.
Step 2: Helping Candidates Fall in Love
Only after you understand the job seeker’s motivations, can you start to personalize the experience. While it’s true that many interview questions are standardized, there’s no reason the overall experience needs to be the exact same for everyone. If you uncover a candidate’s motivations–like location, money, flexible working hours or workplace culture–you can showcase the programs, perks and benefits your company has to offer that best meet those needs. No need to go on about the in-house masseuse or fitness center if the candidate couldn’t care less. Tailor each experience to the candidate.
Step 3: Making the Decision to Commit
So you’re ready to make the offer. Getting your “yes” will take reconfirming all the candidate’s motivators and showing that you understand and can accommodate their needs.
It’s a common assumption that, when it comes to jobs, people are primarily motivated by money, but it’s not true. Don’t focus on the compensation (unless, of course, that is the candidate’s primary motivator). Make sure they know you’re offering more than a paycheck—you’re offering everything they’re looking for. Just as if you were presenting a big project to a client, you’ll need to make the sell to the candidate. You want them to choose you, so impress them with a highly personalized experience.
It’s tough (and time-consuming!) finding and hiring the right people, but you don’t have to do it alone! Clients who trust us to help out with their recruiting save time without sacrificing quality. Want to know more? Reach out to the experts at TalentBridge today for a consultation!