How do you establish trust with applicants during recruitment?

I establish trust with applicants during recruitment by: 1) Providing clear and transparent communication about the hiring process, 2) Acknowledging receipt of applications promptly, 3) Keeping applicants informed about their status and timelines, 4) Respecting their time and commitments during interviews, 5) Addressing their queries and concerns with empathy, and 6) Providing feedback, even if they are not selected. Building trust fosters a positive candidate experience and enhances the organization's reputation.

Trust is a process. Recruitment is short-term and that has implications for the relationship and how trust can develop in it. The short duration, the "new" and the context (power relations, roles, etc) create a special dimension in which non-verbal communication is the key to creating trust. Think of that smile, that nod that expresses understanding, the open attitude that radiates equivalence. It is precisely this in recruitment that expresses the necessary elements such as transparency, respect, empathy, openness, etc., so that the candidate experiences trust and can come into his own. It is the engine that reflects consistency. This is rather underestimated and neglected, despite there being quite a lot of empirical evidence for it.

First and foremost all conversations are confidential. Clear communication is key. Staying in contact with candidates through a process, ensuring they have a clear picture of the role, the hiring manager, the company, culture and compensations structure is important. Continual follow up on feedback, status and next steps is important. Making sure they feel prepared and confident is my job. And then keeping them updated-if it's that you have no update is important (because client's don't always move quickly). We are their trusted advisor and their ally! I want to build trust even if the role is not a fit, so we have a relationship in the future as well and they remember me and that I truly care about their candidacy and their career goals!

Trust can be earned by; 1. Being professional in carrying out your job as a recruiter. It always shows in the words used and in the body of the message as a whole. If you promised to get back to an applicant, get back within a stipulated time for closure. 2. Be empathetic by putting yourself in the shoes of the applicant whose only hope may be hinging on that application. If the roles were reversed, what kind of words would you like to see or hear even if you are not selected? 3. Fairness: As a recruiter, what exactly are you looking for? Skills? Experience? Attitude? State precisely what you are looking for and if possible rank them and choose the best suited "amongst the selected applicants" and make the process very transparent.

I've found that one of the best ways to build trust with your applicants is by being vulnerable. Applicants are very interested in the culture of the organization. Who better than you can bring that culture to life? Share your experiences and bring that culture to life.

If you say, you will get back to a candidate, get back. If you can’t get back, say that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. But say it, don’t play with hopes of people. Period.

In my experience, having a pre defined set of interview questions helps things run smoothly. You can have different sets of questions for each phase of the interview process if needed.

Consistency is key to building credibility as an employer. Communication, transparency, feedback and candidate all need to be consistent because in doing so you’ll inadvertently get the same from your candidates. This also helps build a solid brand reputation so even when candidates aren’t successful they feel compelled to still apply to future openings and recommend friends and family to apply based on how they were treated. Inconsistency is a different reflection of not just the hiring process but process and procedures within the business.

I think this is were most recruiters failed, after a 1rst meeting > no news, no feedbacks, no update nor even decision emails and where a good recruiter could do a major / impacting difference from a candidate POV, this will enforce the feeling of professionalism and trust.

Consistency is a very important part for a nice recruiting experience for the candidate: having them updated on a weekly base for example, even if you don't have any update, just to let them know that they are still considered for the job, or maybe the hiring manager is on vacation, whatever information is always good for a candidate to know that you didn’t forget him at all.

Don’t be assumptive because candidates have gaps on CVs or there’s a number of short term roles on there. Seek out to understand the rational behind these, often the blame for gaps and short term roles lies firmly on the candidate rather than the previous employer. Show unbiased and empathy to their situation and look to draw open the skills and experience they can bring to a business rather than the time between roles or the their tenure in roles.

It is vital that as an HR we should be empathetic about feelings and also embrace it. Whatever the result will be that candidate will always remember the interview experience and by being empathetic we are allowing them to express freely. Another way to be empathetic is communicating and giving flexibility when the candidate faces any issues during the process.

Empathy should be the base of every human relationship, so to be empathic is something very important in a recruitment process: there is always a story behind every CV or resume or profile, and to be capable to understand that will allow you to understand more the history, background and experiences of the candidate.

You want to show that there’s no hidden agenda and you’re not keeping a poker face and withholding any information from them. You also want to implore them to ask more questions in the hope they’re get a deeper understanding of the opportunity and business to provide better insights into whether this is the right company and role for them. By you also asking open questions the chance are this will be reciprocated by the candidate. And if you don’t know, tell them you’ll come back to them with the answers they need to improve trust and credibility.

In my experience I would always agree an interview is and should always be a conversation not an interrogation Always be open let an applicant know what you are hoping to get from the conversation this breaks down any preconceived ideas of how the meeting will go Always try and learn something unique from your applicant don’t be afraid to ask what makes them different and how that difference has worked for them in their career But most important, let them talk about who they are what they are good at but if they failed at something what did they learn

Just throwing a question like “ Do you have any questions for us?” will not open the candidate rather giving them key-pointers, telling them important policies and even asking them for feedback will definitely help to open.

Actually, I recommend more than just openness, if you truly want candidates to open up about, who they really are, then you need to offer something up yourself, share something, which makes you vulnerable, and which suits the situation. Your display of vulnerability shows them that it is OK for them as well to be, who they are. This also aligns with Brave Leadership.

Showing some vulnerability in an interview also helps a nervous candidate settle in. I always start off with something human from my side, especially in a remote interview setting. "You may hear my dog bark, he expects a second breakfast soon." "My daughter will probably join us soon, she's my mini boss."

Authenticity: Building Trust with Candidates Authenticity is the cornerstone of trust in the recruitment process. It's the unwavering commitment to being genuine, sincere, and true to your identity. When candidates recognize your authenticity, it fosters an atmosphere of trust where they feel at ease and confident in their interactions with you. By bridging experiences, values, and emotions, authenticity paves the way for deeper engagement and connections.

People buy people, and often in recruitment you’re the first person they’ll talk to and that can imprint as a first impression on the company as well as yourself. You want to assimilate to candidates, share your own experiences about your time in the company, the positive impact it’s had on your personal lie and how they’ve helped you achieve your career ambitions. Whilst you may not be directly working alongside the potential future employee your mannerism and behaviour are a direct reflection of the type of people this company hires: so you want it to be a warm, engaging and memorable experience for the candidate

From my POV, to establish trust with applicants during recruitment: Having clear communication: Providing transparent job information and company values to set proper expectations. Having responsive interaction: Promptly responding to messages and showing commitment to their candidature. Being Honest About Challenges: Discussing both positives and challenges, demonstrating transparency.

Aside from transparency, communication is the 2nd key to building trust with applicants and candidates. One example of this is making sure to update your in-process candidates every Friday so no one goes into the weekend anxious. Even if you have no real news to share, a no-update is better than radio silence.

I couldn't agree more with Preston: transparency and communication are indeed crucial. I particularly liked your idea of providing Friday updates to alleviate anxiety, even when there's no substantive news to share. For many years, maintaining timely and quality communication with candidates has been more the exception than the rule in Latin American countries (the place where I have been providing consulting services for the last 15 years)