One of the top 5 things employers must focus on in 2016 is candidate experience.
Top candidates are tougher to hire than ever, as more and more companies are looking to grow. Additionally, candidates are no longer scared by the economy and are eager to leave their current jobs for greater pay elsewhere. Candidates are also more willing than ever to leave their current job for a company with a better reputation or culture, even if that means their pay will stay the same or even lessen.
So, employers MUST step it up!
If you want top talent, you’ve got to pull the trigger to hire when you see the talent you want. That could mean hiring even when you don’t have the budget to hire. That could mean hiring the first candidate you meet in an interview process without comparable candidates. That could mean being more open-minded to salary, remote work flexibility, relocation packages, etc. That could even mean creating a brand new position out of thin air for the right person.
With all of this in mind, employers need to be more cognizant than ever about the candidate experience. If a candidate has multiple job opportunities, and you drag the interview process along, you WILL lose that candidate. If the person greeting the candidate in your reception area is rude, disheveled, late … that could kill the deal.
Presentation is incredibly important for candidates. You’d be surprised how often interview rooms are cluttered and disorganized. On top of that, companies often don’t have trained, polished representatives conducting the interviews. More times than not, it is just some person from the department being hired for, and they likely don’t have the skills to be conducting interviews.
It’s 2016 – you need to be prepared to answer questions about your company’s culture, vision, and values. You need to prioritize the needs of the candidate, not just your own needs. As an interviewer you have to be able to explain the potential career path for the candidate and explain it in an enticing manner. This includes following up when you say you will in the recruitment process. You definitely don’t want to leave the candidate hanging. Candidates are calling the shots more than ever these days, and you need to make the best impression you possibly can in the recruitment process.
In the intense talent hunt we have ahead in 2016, there is no doubt that when you find the candidate you are looking for, you must move swiftly and be confident in your hiring decisions. The day and age of taking months to find the “perfect” candidate is long-gone.
If you don’t pull the trigger to make an offer, your competition will!