There are things a recruiter should never do...

And the biggest is to drop the ball on candidate experience....

I'm yet to meet someone who hasn't had at least one let-down recruiting experience in their lives, and not just in terms of the hiring outcome. Like everyone I've ever hired, I've also been recruited, and I try to always think of the process through my candidate eyes, rather than my recruiter eyes, when I am on the other side of the computer/table/event stand. It does seem like it's becoming a 'buzzword', but candidate experience can make or break your longterm recruitment strategy if you don't give your processes the attention they deserve. 

Candidate experience  can make or break your long term recruitment strategy

The world is small and the emergence of platforms like Glassdoor have only compounded that fact. Candidates know each other, and even if they don't, it's easy to find a way to talk. I thought it’d be worth giving a quick run down of some easy things every talent-wrangler should aim to do through the recruitment process.

Before 

Give a clear and jargon-free job description.  This is a given, and I’ve touched on it previously. Which do you prefer:

• Strong time management process on a day to day basis when managing any specific client or corporate expansion opportunities, while utilising tools provided to keep a working document of processes and workflows

Or

• Using tools to manage your time to the best possible degree, while keeping up to date records.

Give examples of other employees career paths, and allow candidates to see their LinkedIn profiles. It’s nice to see what career path lead other people this way and see if you’re reasonably aligned. Putting a face to the hiring manager is also a fantastic way to boost candidate morale, and gives an insight into the team someone might be joining.

Say what the process should look like straight away. In the canned application response email it’s helpful to include some rough time frames, as well an overview of the application that can be looked back on as required. Example:

Dear Simon Armitage,
We’re delighted to let you know that we’ve just received your application to our role as Poet Extraordinaire! We aren’t psychic, and sometimes our timeframes can blow out, but if we progress you should expect an email to this address requesting a phone interview sometime within the next 10 working days.
If you haven’t heard from us after then, please feel free to drop a line to [email protected]!
Speak soon,
Your actual name, if you can.

Leave someone with some kind of contact detail (like a shared inbox). I know this might not be manageable for roles with 1000+ applicants (which I did see in my time at BHP and Goldman), but for smaller companies the benefits far outweigh the negatives of giving a candidate a ‘base point’ to reach out to with concerns or questions post-application.

During

Use your name, and your own email address. From the very first email with a candidate I try to be as personal as possible and let them know that their application is specifically important to not just the company but me. The first ‘successful’ communication comes from my personal email account, not a generic one, and includes my full name and LinkedIn profile link.

Be clear in your requests, and give a candidate options if you can. I always use a fairly canned email for first round interviews and progression, but I try to clearly lay out 1) what I want 2) what the options are. Something as simple as, “I’d love if you could get back to me with 3 or 4 30 minute slots, across the next 7 working days, where you can be in a quiet space to speak to me about the role, and what you’re after.” I really, really, hate the “automated” booking apps that are used a lot now. I totally understand that there is a logistic reason for them, and on bulk processes they do make sense, but to me it feels incredibly cold when you’ve yet to build any rapport.

During interviews make it immediately clear how they're structured. My first move in a screen is always checking that now is still a good time, saying hello and introducing myself, and then laying out the agenda, “First we’ll go through the role and company, then we’ll talk a little about you and what you’ve been up to, and finally we can run through any concerns or questions you may have, if that’s okay?”

Be clear that you’re there to help however possible. This one is huge, and I feel like a broken record I repeat myself so often, but it’s something so important to establish trust with a candidate. Regardless of how a first round interview goes, I will always offer my support through the process. It’s as simple as letting a candidate know that you’re happy to receive emails with questions, or if they read something interesting about the company/role in their research they’re welcome to come to you for some more info. But with me it’s not just ‘letting them know’, it’s really confirming it. I almost harp on; saying that I’m terrible on the phone, but will always have time for emails, and I’m here to support them, and be their champion, ad nauseam.

Touch base. Often. “Update: there’s no update” or “How did today’s interview go” are tiny phrases that take no time at all, but will keep your candidates engaged in a process, and reconfirm that this is the right kind of company for them. I’ve never heard a candidate say that I sent “too many updates” – correct me if I’m wrong!

Get to know them. Follow them on LinkedIn, download Rapportive and check out their Twitter, mention things they’ve told you: vacation coming up, going to dinner after your interviews. This could be your future colleague, get a head start being someone they love to work with.

Help them out with some resources. Specifically if a candidate has a full day of interviewing coming up on short notice, or a project to present, it’s nice to drop a few links. I usually send a branded powerpoint template (presentations/projects), twitter and social media links, 2 recent news stories, and some ‘education’ links (training videos etc.) It’s not much, but it’s somewhere to start, and again at the end of that email I always sign off offering more support however possible.

After

Feedback. Give candidates an opportunity to get some feedback, and don’t make them ask for it. If we’ve taken a candidate to a second round I will always drop in a line saying, “If you’d like to run through some feedback, please let me know and we can find 5 minutes to have a quick call.” Most candidates don’t take me up on this, but those that do are always more positive at the end of the call.

Connect on LinkedIn. Reach out to them on LinkedIn and let them know that you’ll keep an eye on their journey and to stay in touch.

Reach out again without needing to. For great candidates (specifically those who will always be fabulous, but they just were in the wrong application at the wrong time), I will always drop a 2 – 5 month snooze event to give them a quick ‘catch up’ email. These candidates might not be suitable today, but in 6 months time they might be ideal. Never lose a contact you’ve build rapport with if they’ll make your team brighter in the future.

If they’re successful, see if they’re around for a coffee before they start. If a candidate is successful see if there is time to hook them up with a coffee or beer with you, the hiring manager, and maybe a member of the team. Often a 1 – 3 month notice period drags, and a new employee can feel a little ‘out of touch’ and awkward before their start date, this is the perfect way to ensure they arrive on their first day ready to go.

Check yourself. Ask successful and non-succesful candidates how you did, by sending them an anonymous survey. I send a random selection of both a quick 4 question survey about our process and brand.

--

If you see my CV roll through your inbox sometime over the next few weeks, I’ll be looking forward to some great banter, and maybe a beer at the end of it! Swing me your ideas, I’m always keen to improve my process and make those I work with feel a million bucks!