What methods can you use to ensure a positive candidate experience with staffing agencies?

Coming from a recruiter background myself, communication is the key to a positive experience. From providing the agency with a full brief on the company and the role to closing the position, open and transparent feedback is so important. To help with this I would put myself in the candidate’s position and ask myself what I would like to know and then put that across. In the busy world of work it’s all too easy to forget the time and commitment that candidates who weren’t successful went to as well. It’s important to acknowledge those people too and ideally provide some feedback as to why they weren’t successful. Or, at the very least, send a courtesy email to thank them for their interest and let them know they weren’t successful.

Setting expectations upfront will impact the overall experience for all engaged parties. Candidates undeniably seek transparency throughout the recruiting lifecycle. Agencies should be viewed as brand ambassadors so be sure to equip them with details about your company's culture, interview process and what it is like to be a part of your organization. Articulating "must haves" from "nice to haves" will always work in your favor as will clearly communicating on-site, hybrid or remote work options. No one enjoys the old "bait and switch" at offer time. Sharing appropriate feedback with an agency will not only enhance rapport building, it will differentiate your company from those with a simple message that the candidate "is just not a fit".

The communication not only between the recruiting agency and candidate is critical, but also between the recruiting agency and client (company). If a company is transparent and thorough in their communication with a recruiting agency, and the agency does the same with the candidate, then there's no reason they should not all walk away feeling like the process was a success. Hiding information, not following up in a timely manner, not keeping the momentum going to ensure candidates stay engaged, these are all reasons why often times companies, agencies, and candidates feel let down by the process. It's a simple fix, just requires a little effort and time to set the process up from the get go for success.

Often, employers do not understand the correlation between a strong relationship with your external recruiting partner and a positive candidate experience but it's pivotal. First impressions mean everything. In this case, the first impression is going to be made by an outside party. Hence, it's important to provide your recruiter with enough information about your organization and the process so they can sell the candidate. During the process, your recruiter should proactively check in with candidates and ensure they are engaged. The recruiter, in turn, should have access to a POC within the organization to answer any questions that come up.

A good recruiter treats a candidate with the same respect and professionalism, as they do their company client. To ensure a good experience, clear and timely communication is an absolute must, sometimes we recruiters don’t have an update or new information to share, however, that is no excuse not to get back to an individual with an update, even if that update is that we’re waiting for an update. In my experience, treating someone the way you would want to be treated is the absolute key to a successful relationship.

I always tell our candidates that we will work around there availability and I am fortunate our hiring managers agree with me

“positive candidate experience” is no different than the positive customer experience you would enjoy by getting a completely fresh and new order at MacD if you didn’t like something in the first meal. I’d like to remind, recruitment is not only a SALES job but a DOUBLE SALES JOB. As first you sell a job to the candidates and then a right fit candidatature to the business. For Staffing firms it’s all about ensuring that candidates have a smooth and satisfying journey from the time of job application to their integration into the organization. A strong governance to track applications and communication along with a combination of human interaction, is applied then “positive candidate experience” will be become a new normal.

This is a great point. If you are unsure or need any assistance with keeping candidates up to date and informed in a timely manner, ask your recruitment agency/consultant to help. A great agency will not hesitate to assist you where required. It is a partnership after all.

It's very important aspect and point to ensure a positive candidate experience with staffing agencies, it's crucial to maintain transparent and efficient communication throughout the recruitment process, providing timely updates and personalized attention to individual candidates. Employing skilled, empathetic staff members who offer professional guidance and support is essential. Utilizing technology for streamlined processes and gathering candidate feedback through surveys helps in continual improvement. Building long-term relationships by offering career development opportunities and maintaining ethical practices fosters trust and enhances the agency's reputation, ultimately leading to satisfied candidates and successful placements.

Mostly, when the interview is scheduled, it is forced upon the candidate and the candidate flunks the interview, it is better that the candidate is given a opportunity to prepare by giving him a heads up 2 days before the actual interview, doing so will help the candidate take out the to make sure he clears that certain time period from his/her calendar. This shows that the candidate is being respected and he in turn respects the process.

Feedback from the hiring managers is absolutely crucial for a variety of reasons - it provides a much better candidate experience for not only that candidate, but for every candidate after. In order for recruiters to share the right info with applicants, select the right applicants to present and next the right next steps, we must have feedback (and timely feedback!) from the HMs!

Whether the feedback is positive or constructive, specific or general, I make it a point to communicate openly with candidates. This not only contributes to their professional growth but also fosters a sense of connection and validation that many seek during the hiring process. Expressing gratitude for their time and effort is a small yet impactful gesture. Acknowledging their skills and achievements, regardless of the outcome, reinforces that their contributions are valued. By incorporating feedback and recognition into the process, I aim to demonstrate a genuine interest in each candidate, creating a more positive and human-centric experience.

Two cents from two decades in Japan's recruiting scene: **Pick Your MVP agents**: Work only with the best specialists and a couple of generalists, as required. The candidates win. **Embrace Your Agents**: Consider them an integral part of or extension of your team. Prioritize transparency and collaboration. Make it a win-win commercially. **Introduce Key Stakeholders**: Ensure agents can access key figures in your company so they represent you authentically and effectively. **Urgency is Gold**: Clear and timely communication through your agent isn't just a nicety; it's brand armor. **The Bottom Line**: Treat your trusted agents like an extension of your team to ensure you win the top talent. It’s about partnership.

Even if the candidate is not directly on your payroll and is working through an agency, you should make every attempt to make them feel at home, provide feedback on their performance on a regular basis, recognize their contributions to the team and always include them in company events.

From the agency recruiter perspective, I cannot agree more! Sadly, there is sometimes a lack of feedback shared with agencies and days/ weeks can go by without updates until the classic cliche of "we found someone more qualified".. Agency recruiters are far from blameless too (too many times we can fall foul of this too), but interview processes are a two way street and require feedback for both sides. I would like to see more clients request feedback on how their company and process is perceived by candidates, both ones hired and ones rejected. It only takes a few bad candidate experiences to garner a bad reputation which marketing departments may not like either!

It's always been important to me that our agency partners are just that - partners. We can't treat them like vendors, or the candidates will ultimately feel like products rather than people. If you think of your agency partners as an extension of your own team, they'll be motivated to tell your story and share candidate intel. Arm your partners with access to job data, hiring managers, systems, and guidance they need, and the candidates and hiring team will ultimately have a better experience.

What’s often neglected is agency enablement. Just because they charge a fee for their services doesn’t mean they should be left to their own devices. Offer them marketing collateral, company info & vacancy briefings. You need to hire, so you need to enable them to be successful.

As a recruiter, I believe that recruitment goes far beyond just identifying qualified candidates. We serve as a liaison between candidates and our clients, and this means going above and beyond to provide the inside scoop to our candidates on the company culture, values, and team dynamics.

True history: Instead of merely citing your tenure of 2 or 3 years at 'Company X', the hiring manager is primarily interested in tangible results, statistics, and impactful cases you've achieved. They want assurance that you can contribute to the company's growth and bolster revenue. An talented candidate, I was sure of it, but he was very brief and elementary storytelling. However, after my simple tip, the candidate got the job he deserved. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the smallest pieces of advice, constructive feedback, or even a few encouraging words can significantly alter the course of someone's life. This underscores the pivotal role that recruiters/headhunters play in shaping careers and fostering success.

I've always prioritized viewing our agency partners as true collaborators. Treating them merely as vendors could inadvertently make candidates feel like commodities instead of individuals. By considering agency partners as an extension of our team, they'll be more inclined to advocate our story and exchange valuable candidate insights. Equipping our partners with access to job data, hiring managers, systems, and necessary guidance will lead to improved experiences for both candidates and the hiring team.

There are around 15,000 recruitment agencies in the UK so it's really important to stand out and give the candidate the best possible impression of yourself as it's very common for candidates to have at least 1 bad experience with an agency. Giving feedback no matter how big or small shows the candidate that you're conscientious of them not being caught in limbo.

It is a best practice to solicit feedback from candidates who join your organization. You could request it after the interview, after the first few weeks they joined and even after 6 months they have joined. Feedback will help you improve your selection processes and practices, your onboarding practices, identify improvements in the agency process and finally identify managers who are not engaging their employees and are not offering the appropriate supports and resources. If you are using a staffing agency, feedback from these staff is key in informing your vendor management practices. It also helps employers to enhance the communication process and identify any potential information that is missing.

Set timelines. A good rule of thumb is being able to provide feedback within 24-48hrs. However, if feedback will take longer, be transparent it's okay to say we are still talking to other candidates through next week we won't be able to get back to you until X date.

Maintaining an open line of communication and providing direct, honest feedback on the process helps in building your network. Never close the door. If the candidate is not the right fit after interviewing with the hiring team, continue to build on that. It's likely that you have another opportunity that aligns with their values, either today or in the future.

Always provide unbiased, factual feedback. If a hiring manager tells you a candidate is "not a good fit" and doesn't add anything else, this is unacceptable. Encourage detailed feedback, including areas where a candidate was strong (even if it is ultimately a rejection) to make sure the rejection is as tactful and polite as possible. You might want to keep some candidates warm in case of future vacancies!

Clear communication, expectations, and follow through are the keys to a great recruiter:candidate relationship. I’ve found putting myself in the candidates shoes and taking an empathetic approach helps to build trust in the relationship too!

Set clear expectations with the staffing agency on what you expect from the partnership. They are an extension of your company in the talent pool. Be sure to ask your applicants about their experience with the staffing agency. Ask how the staffing agency contacted them, described the position and the company to them and how the agency communicated with them along the way.

Embrace the tedious... Use staffing format on your resume even if its not so visually appealing (name at top, summary, skills list, VERY detailed work experience,education certifications , done all in calibri 11 font except section headlines at 14. 99% of people need to work on their resume before the staffing group will submit it to their client. Take time to add relevant substantive content about your experience (triple true if it is a tech role) identify the key words in the Job descript and add relevant content for each one you have experience with, in your work history content. Its the most crucial albeit tedious part you have to embrace, also makes it easier to recall and talk about your exp in an interview if you write it all out

I'm getting a lot of questions on how to create a positive candidate experience...so here you go... Here's how to nail it: - Be fast (respond within 24-48 hours) - Be transparent (publish interview process) - Be kind (It's a stressful process for them) - Be a consultant (help them through the process) - Be communicative (let them know what's happening) The cherry on top? A simple thank you note after the interview. It's a small gesture that goes a long way.

When you engage an agency to work with you, do your research. Make sure their values align with yours. I would be very worried if a client didn't trust me wholeheartedly. Feedback is so important. Ask the agency for feedback on your performance and how you were to work with during the process and I agree to also ask the candidate for feedback on the Agency/Recruiter. Whether the candidate was successful or not I would ask for feedback. Occasionally, candidates will be sold a role that isn't perfect for them and to ensure you partner with genuine agencies you will find this feedback valuable.