Ensure a positive candidate experience
| Pages | 5-5 |
| Date | 01 July 2005 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390580000809 |
| Published date | 01 July 2005 |
| Author | Patrice Barbedette |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
5
Volume 4 Issue 5 July/August 2005
HOW TO…
,
Practical advice for HR professionals
DEPARTMENTS AT A GLANCE
STRATEGIC COMMENTARY
,
e-HR
,
HOW TO…
,
PRACTITIONER PROFILE
METRICS
HR AT WORK
REWARDS
,
RESEARCH AND RESULTS
,
,
,
,
Ensure a positive
candidate experience
1
CLEAR, CONCISE,
EASY-TO-FIND JOB
DESCRIPTIONS
5
BUILD EXCELLENT
ONE-TO-ONE
RELATIONSHIP
4
ENSURE
MANAGEMENT
INVOLVEMENT
3
BUILD A
TALENT POOL
2
First, make the job offer easy
to find by posting the vacancy
on your company’s website.If
candidates are applying via a
third party’s site ensure you
have a link from the site to
your own site. Provide plenty
of information about the job
role and what it involves to
help you find the right person
for the right job, and ensure
the application process is as
clear as possible. On your
website, include an HR section
which must be as attractive
and clear as possible, with
employee testimonials and
extensive job descriptions.
This will help provide
candidates with an idea of the
company culture and what
they can expect from the job
if they are successful.
If you receive a good CV but
don’t have an opening at the
time for the applicant, keep
the CV on file so you create a
“talent pool” to refer to in
future. Offer talented
applicants the opportunity to
create a personal profile that
can be updated at any point.
This enables candidates to
actively be part of a CV
database and allows the
company to send out
personalized job alerts that
match the candidate’s exact
profile. If possible,provide
the applicant with the option
of applying to other
departments or business
units within your
organization.
Effective communication
between the recruiting
department and managers
helps create a streamlined
process that’s time and cost
effective. For example,
management involvement will
ensure job descriptions are
completely aligned with
managers’ needs and the right
candidates are put forward for
the right job. Face-to-face
interviews, although
important, are time consuming
for both the candidate and the
interviewee. If HR and
managers have a good
working relationship, they
won’t lose time interviewing
candidates who prove to be
unfit for the job and leave
with the disagreeable feeling
of having been invited for
nothing.
M
any companies are failing to
ensure a positive candidate
experience during the
recruitment process. This means
potentially losing out on highly skilled
people to competitors, as well as
negatively affecting the employer brand.
By ensuring a good candidate
experience, applicants who are offered a
job are more likely to join the company.
Moreover, even if a candidate’s
application hasn’t been successful, a
positive experience during the
recruitment phase will ensure the
candidate isn’t left with a bad impression.
Implementing a system to streamline
the whole recruitment process will help
an organization to court talent
throughout the recruitment phase,
create a positive company image, and
ensure that when candidates arrive their
expectations are as high as when they
applied for the position. This helps to
deliver a stronger and more consistent
employer brand which is critical for
attracting candidates and retaining them –
a key advantage as the battle for talent
intensifies.
Here are five steps to ensure a good
candidate experience:
RESPOND
QUICKLY AND
EFFICIENTLY
Too many companies fail to
reply promptly to candidates,
and some fail to reply at all,
which immediately creates a
poor perception. An
automated e-mail system
which replies to every
candidate will ensure that
each person receives a reply.
But this must be followed up
and candidates kept informed
of next steps throughout the
process. Be clear on what is
expected next from the
candidate or what can be
expected from the company.
An automated recruitment
process enables organizations
to easily keep in touch with
potential employees and
ensure that from the moment
a person sends in a CV they
are dealt with efficiently and
treated seriously.
The most important aspect to
consider is to make the
candidate feel they are unique
throughout the recruitment
process.When possible, send
personalized answers, offer
the opportunity to apply for
other relevant jobs and ensure
you create a candidate file
with a CV and notes from all
the people involved in the
recruitment process.
Companies must also
remember to keep promises
made to new employees
during the recruitment
process.The induction process
should also be personalized to
ensure that, after all the hard
work put into recruitment, the
person doesn’t walk out the
door in the first few weeks.
Source: Patrice Barbedette,executive
director and founder,Jobpartners
patrice.barbedette@jobpartners.com
19096 SHRR run 30/6/05 3:01 pm Page 5
© Melcrum Publishing Ltd. 2005 For more information visit www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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