The recruitment landscape has changed vastly over the last decade, even over the past couple of years. Many of those steady, reliable methods and tools that were always at recruiters fingertips are now outdated and ineffective in finding and securing the best talent.
While there are some traditional approaches you won’t want to sideline, it is definitely the time to be reevaluating and rejuvenating those practices, tools and methods, keeping in line with the preferences of the candidates you’re aiming to attract.
PAPER APPLICATIONS
Filling in paper applications is on no-one’s list of favourites; it is, if anything, an off-putting barrier to battling for that desired job. It’s a lengthy process in a time where instant access is a must, and the recruitment talent pool is filling up with the ‘want it now’ generation; this pen and paper antique of application forms is more than ready to be replaced by a snappier, digital adaptation.
Digital application forms are quicker, arguably securer, and let’s face it, second nature to the younger generations applying for your positions.
DON’T HIDE THE COMPANY NAME – SHOUT IT LOUD!
Your brand matters and you can win over your candidates by offering them a brand worth working for. Taking this into account, putting forward which company this position is open with is vital to not frustrating and subsequently losing your candidate’s interest. Regardless of how efficient you make your recruitment process, it consumes your candidate’s time, time which is wasted when they find out the company is not one they want to work for. Alternatively, by keeping the brand name under wraps, you miss out on a candidate who would love to work for that company, and although the position isn’t what they were looking for, they’re now considering it! Transparency is a big deal in marketing anything, job vacancies included.
THE LACK OF SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
It’s all about digital, and one of the massive players in this digital revolution is social media – that’s not news – we all know it, and we all know how effective it can be in reaching an audience. So using it to find your candidates, contact your candidates and research your candidates should be on your radar and in your toolkit!
LinkedIn is a specially designed social media platform for doing just that, but are you making use of Twitter and Instagram too. Without even directly targeting individuals, you can still advertise your open posts here and make them region and industry-specific using hashtags (#Birmingham #HR).
LOWBALLING CANDIDATES
Generally speaking, attempting to save money and pay candidates less is no longer acceptable in the interview process. Candidates, increasingly, know their worth and will not respect or pursue employers who ‘lowball’ them. Chances are you’re not the only employer they’re interviewing with, and if your competitor shows them that they are worth the value they know they are, you’ve lost the candidate and their respect.
ONE MEDIUM INTERVIEWS
There are so many options available to recruitment agencies and companies to be able to conduct a multi-medium interview process. Face-to-face interviews are necessary, and they’re essential; to allow your candidate the face time with a real person at the agency or company is still invaluable in evaluating that individual.
However, are you also making use of AI, video interviews, online tests and questionnaires, and chatbots? These are all recruitment methods and tools which can not only make the process easier for you but make the recruitment process smoother, more efficient and more flexible for your candidates.
Video interviewing gives more flexibility to both parties; some programs don’t even require a recruiter to be present. Prerecorded questions allow candidates to logging on whenever is convenient for them and record and save their interview for the employer.
AI technology provides superior pre-screening methods, working from previous patterns of successful hires which allows employers to enter and begin with a list of pre-screened candidates.
COMMUNICATE EFFICIENTLY WITH ALL APPLICANTS
It’s frustrating not to hear back from your interviews. If you’re slow to do this or fail to at all, even if your company is the first choice, you might lose your top candidate. Precisely the same principle should follow for those unsuccessful candidates, your all-important brand image we mentioned may well be scrapped for good for that individual if they don’t hear the news from you promptly or at all. The message you’re sending is that ‘you didn’t succeed, therefore you don’t matter’, and it could lose you potential candidates for the future.
This information can be sent instantaneously via text or email; there’s no need for a letter to take 3 days to arrive or even have a potentially awkward phone conversation, it can be quick, informative, decisive and painless for all parties – it’s fast, the unsuccessful candidate isn’t left waiting and frustrated.
