Every step in your Candidate Care program is important.  From posting the job advertisement, phone screening, interviewing, making offers to on-boarding creates relationships and opportunities in and for your business.  If you do not manage this experience well, relationships and your brand can be damaged leaving people with a sour taste in their mouth when they hear your company’s name.  By creating a positive experience for every candidate, even those who are unsuccessful, you can enhance your reputation.

By providing candidates with a positive experience they will become representatives for your brand.  Every interaction with a customer, supplier or candidate is a CRITICAL exercise in brand.  Word of mouth is one of the biggest marketing tools used.  You know the saying, if you’re happy with a service you will tell 5 people BUT if you’re unhappy you will tell 20…..

Regardless of how long your Recruitment and Selection Process takes communication is key.  How many times have you applied for a role and never heard back regarding your application or been through the interview process and then not been contacted to advise the outcome of the interview.  This is both frustrating and nerve wracking for the candidate.  At times the recruitment process can be delayed due to many factors however keeping the lines of communication open ensure you keep candidates ‘warm’.  You don’t want to lose your top candidates to your competitors because you were dragging your feet.

Giving constructive and professional feedback where required is essential.  Feedback is free, effective, motivational and a great tool for continued learning.  You never know when you may come across the same candidate again when recruiting for another role.

Candidate care is ever evolving and effective business owners will need to adapt strategies and methods used to attract the right people for their business and the roles they are recruiting for.  Bill Gates once said Take my 20 best people and, virtually overnight, Microsoft becomes a mediocre company.

Candidate care is not a once off implementation. It is ongoing because the talent pool is always changing, becoming more mobile, and developing new skills. When done right, candidate care programs have a positive impact on both your company’s brand and its profits.  Business’ that fail to embrace candidate care will lose the prospect of hiring the best people. It goes to show that doing right by people is simply good business.

Here are our top tips for Candidate Care.

  • Good brands attract candidates – without trying
  • Review your Recruitment and Selection process on a regular basis
  • Be timely with your process
  • Provide accurate information on the company and the role including an up to date PD
  • Ask open ended questions and ask everyone the same set of questions
  • Focus on getting specific examples from their working past
  • Be friendly and put them at ease!
  • Focus on speed and effective communication to all candidates
  • Give regular updates and honest and professional feedback
  • Regard all candidate contact as a Marketing and PR exercise
  • Don’t judge a book by its cover
  • Don’t interrogate
  • Don’t be too super friendly – that’s creepy!
  • Don’t ask questions that are: Closed, Leading, Option, Multiple, Hypothetical or Personal

If you need assistance with establishing some Candidate Care practices in your workplace one of our highly experienced Gurus can help.  Give us a call on 1300 959 560.

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