Take a moment to reflect on the last job that you applied for. No doubt you entered the process with hope and excitement about joining a new organisation that aligned to your motivators and values. Did the company meet your job seeker expectations or did it leave you with a bad taste in your mouth?
When an employer is overwhelmed with applications it can be tempting to only focus on the top few candidates. But organisations that fail to meet baseline expectations of applicants are finding that they are not only losing candidates mid process, they are also losing customers and earning a reputation of delivering a poor recruitment experience.
A recruitment experience can unfortunately be about ‘power’. Many candidates feel powerless as after the ‘submit’ button is pressed, they are in the hands of the business. When and if they hear back is generally a mystery and if they don’t progress through the process, some are left wondering where they fell short.
Unfortunately, too many applicants have poor experiences that are disheartening for them and damaging for the business. Some of the common candidate concerns include:
The way the business makes a candidate feel speaks volumes about how they treat their existing employees. If you were left in the dark during the application process, chances are the engagement and culture of the organisation will also leave you disappointed. A negative candidate experience is certainly a red flag and in the days of online feedback chat rooms and social media, this is not a gamble that a business should take.
Strong candidate communication is about mutual respect. It is a chance to demonstrate that applicants are more than a number and that their time and efforts are acknowledged and appreciated. On many occasions, only one person can be successful, so there are countless others that the business needs to deliver bad news to.
A strong recruitment engagement strategy will leave even unsuccessful candidates thankful for the experience and willing to throw their hat back into the ring at the next opportunity.
It may seem like the effort is not worth the reward, but a highly effective communication strategy with candidates will generate a faster and more efficient process. Employers will attract higher quality talent as word will spread that applicants receive a transparent process with key touch points in place.
Decide early when and how applicants will hear from you. Be clear on the system for advising candidates when their application is received and how they are tracking at each stage of the process. When there is a change in status, share the news promptly and, where applicable, help applicants to know what to expect next.
If you are advertising for Christmas casuals in August with the intent of not interviewing until November, share that information early. It removes recruitment anxiety and helps candidates to understand that the wait is normal.
Where practical, provide a point of contact for candidates. It is natural to have questions about the role and answering these can provide clarity and eliminate unsuitable candidates early.
Consider providing a FAQ document to each applicant on receipt of their application. Not only will this provide all of the key pieces of information about the process but it will also serve as a powerful marketing tool and insight into how candidates can expect to be treated as employees.
Sometimes employers will hold information back until they are at that stage in the process, but it may also eliminate candidates if they know early. For example, if a Working With Children Check is a requirement, share that early as it may prove to be a stumbling block for some.
Research suggests that candidates are more likely to positively respond to a text message update than a traditional email. Texts receive a high open rate with candidates usually seeing them within a short time frame. This makes them effective and timely for both parties.
It may be tempting to herd hundreds of applications like cattle but it is important to remember that behind each application were undoubtedly hours of work. Each candidate is not concerned with the employer’s work in sifting through the stack of resumes but they are interested in at least being acknowledged for their application and interest. Reframe your approach to remember that leaving a positive impression is vital to the employer's brand and applicant's self-worth.
Candidates that have just embarked on a recruitment experience with you are well positioned to share some insights into what part of the process went well and where you may have dropped the ball. Sure, it may not be easy to hear but if you provide an appropriate forum to vent frustrations you just might avoid the candidate using avenues like Glassdoor and LinkedIn to share their negative feedback.
Recruitment has come a long way from hand-typed resumes personally delivered to the receptionist. In many ways, technology has made candidates anonymous and much easier to reject or ignore. While there is no doubt that employers should leverage tools to streamline the process and improve efficiencies, it is important that we never lose sight that behind each ‘number’ is a person that chose your organisation and is full of hope that you will chose them.
Further information
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Georgina is Senior HR Content Editor – Publications at Ai Group. She is an accomplished Human Resource professional with over 25 years of generalist and leadership experience in a broad range of industries including financial services, tourism, travel, government and agriculture. She has successfully advised and partnered with senior leaders to implement people and performance initiatives that align to business strategy. Georgina is committed to utilising her experience to create resources that educate and engage and is passionate about supporting members to optimise an inclusive workforce culture that drives performance.
