More Back to Basics Recruiting

Last time we discussed how the basics of recruiting are essential, even in today’s technology world.  This week we continue the discussion with looking at how all this technology is impacting the application process. 

Enjoy,

Gary

It seems that companies have fallen prey to the newest, shiniest technique when it comes to all aspects of recruiting.  One area that is frustrating candidates is the application process.  This frustration is universal across all industries.  It begins with the company posting on job boards or aggregators such as Indeed or LinkedIn and continues through to the interview process.

The biggest frustration amongst candidates is the lack of communication from the companies they apply to.  They submit a resume or application and hear nothing in return.  If they receive a response it is a cold, auto-responder that basically acknowledges receipt of the application.  This is a huge missed opportunity for a company!  Auto-responders should be a means of engaging the applicant and furthering the company brand.  Including an invitation to check out the company’s social media pages, i.e. Facebook and LinkedIn company pages, Twitter feeds, etc., engages the applicant rather than turning them off.

Once a decision is made regarding the position, sending a simple response informing the applicant is a great way to keep that candidate interested in your company.  Including another invitation to check out other opportunities on the company’s social media will further the company image and leave the candidate with a better overall impression.

The second biggest frustration in today’s candidates is job postings that are too long or too ambiguous.  The vast majority of active and passive candidates are looking at postings on a smartphone.  Many will not scroll to the bottom.  They look for the “top story” and move on. 

Think of the post on job boards and aggregators as content marketing.  These posts help build, develop and strengthen your brand.  Job Boards are the most important element to all recruiting.  They are the biggest source of external hiring next to referrals.  The potential to attract top talent is high when the power of the job board is fully realized. Don’t turn off top talent with long, drawn out postings.  

The third frustration is lack of compensation data.  While it is difficult to publish this in the posting for many positions, this conversation should occur early in the interview process.  Compensation can be a deal breaker for company and candidate.  By working through this process straightaway, it saves times and frustration for everyone involved.

By addressing these three frustrations and returning to the basics of communicating with applicants, attraction of qualified candidates will increase, as will the company image.  It will not only increase the likelihood of attracting the BEST talent, it will increase your referrals for other talent!  Watch your email from me as next time we continue this discussion with more ideas on talent attraction.   

Gary Vice is sought out by leaders in Software and Services who recognize the need to attract the industry’s best talent.  Through Strategic Recruiting Partners’ extensive network of relationships, they are able to identify high level opportunities for well qualified candidates.  To discover how this process can benefit your job search, simply reply to this email or call Gary at 469.402.4008.