Candidates
who have a positive experience with your recruiting firm are more likely to do
business with you again and recommend your services to others. As a result, you
want to keep each candidate engaged in the recruiting process and excited about
the opportunities you have to offer. When candidates see you put in the effort
to get to know them and fill their needs, they feel more confident about moving
forward. Here are five ways to connect with candidates by showing you care
about their success.
Research
Each Candidate
Gather all
the information you can about a candidate. Take notes on what you read about or
hear from them. Check LinkedIn and other social media to determine a
candidate’s most notable skills and accomplishments. Mention one of these
characteristics when first reaching out. Before talking with the candidate,
reread their resume and your notes. Jot down key items you want to cover their
experience and abilities. Ask questions about how certain projects turned out,
which challenges the candidate faced, and how they overcame them.
Help Each
Candidate Feel Company Culture
Provide a
candidate with enough information to experience company culture. Share pictures
and videos of employees at work. Mention company mission, vision, and values
and how employees demonstrate them every day. Ask the hiring manager to provide
the candidate with a tour of the office and an introduction to potential
teammates. Help the candidate authentically experience the culture so they feel
encouraged to work for the company.
Maintain
Open Communication
Encourage
strong communication throughout the recruitment process. Boost a candidate’s
engagement and build trust by staying in touch. If they don’t make it past the
screening process, send a personalized email with an invitation to stay in
touch. There may be openings down the road that the candidate has more
qualifications. For a candidate who moves to the next stage, send regular
status updates. Use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to stay organized and in
touch.
Provide
Notice About Interview Attendees
Let the
candidate know how many people to expect during an interview. Being prepared
for an individual or panel of interviewers and what the day will look like
helps the candidate appropriately get ready. Email an agenda a few days ahead
of time. Include the name of each interviewer, breakdown of each panel, and
focus areas to be covered.
Be
Transparent
Point out
the downsides of the job, so the candidate has realistic expectations. Since
every job has highs and lows, knowing what to expect shows you have the
candidate’s best interest in mind. Whether it’s dealing with difficult clients
or handling tight deadlines, they need to be ready for any challenges that may
come up.