Creating experience with recruitment

It's a cold Thursday morning, The rain is pouring in scores and torrents and everywhere is calm, sombrely calm.

I think of a way to kick off a productive day, opened my spotify work playlist and open whatsapp for any urgent messages. Yea, I am one of those people who open twitter or whatsapp first, largely because I often have ongoing conversations.

I see a message from a familiar name, open the message and it was the best way to start my morning.

Either I am facilitating a learning session or consulting for a founder, I am always quick to highlight how the recruitment process of any organisation is a major way to create exciting employee experience and build and irresitible employer branding.

Rephrasing the words of the head of growth at one of my favorite Startups in Nigeria, every recruitment process should be treated like a product focused on the best experience for the users.

As an hiring manager/team, you should always ask; how do I want this candidate to feel after this process. Either they make it through or not, each step of the hiring process should be a fulfilling adventure.

How can I improve my recruitment process and creating lasting experiences? The following tips might help.

1. Communicate with clarity: Receiving an email that highlights the steps the process might entail, what will happen across each steps alongside the required tasks and huddles will probably attract the kind of candidate you want and repel to those who are applying for the fun of it.
2. Carry candidates along: It's okay for you know to get back to the candidate in time because of different challenges but it is important that you carry them along. From sending an holding email letting them know they are still in the process , to tips about what they can do while they wait to hear from you, this procedural communication is quite pivotal to creating exciting experiences. If by chance, you won't be able to do this- it's also great to indicate that if candidates do not hear from you after XYZ weeks, it means that they didn't make it to the next round.
3. Don't ghost candidates: There is not much to say about this right? Please don't ghost candidates, we are people too and we have expectations . Please get back to us in time so that we can also weigh our options and take the next steps.
4. Make the process humane: A candidate once made a tweet that I wrote rejection mail like a love letter. While this was quite hilarious to me, it simply showed the extent to which I had been deliberate about creating an humane experience for the candidate despite the fact that they were not going to get the job. Sometimes it is sending an hour reminder about an interview (it's extra , I know), sometimes it's writing a thoughtful rejection mail as against a generic one, whatever it is for you; ensure people have something positive to say about your organisations.

HR Professionals do a lot and I know how stressful recruitment can be from both ends, but if handled thoroughly, it could be key that opens the door to a livable employer brand for your organisation.

Thet being said, do you know that May 20 is International HR's day? Well, I am now informing you if you didn't know. One of my favorite brands PaidHR (formerly Pade) is running an amazing campaign to celebrate HR professionals.

Click this link to nominate your favorite HRs and give them a shout-out, don't forget to nominate me too.

I deserve a shout-out, don't I?

P:S- What's an excitingly memorable experience you have had with a recruiter before that left a lasting impact?

Please share below.