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Focus on Feedback and Expectations in a Candidate Market
As a recruiter, it’s easy to get caught up with sourcing and processing candidates as quickly as possible, without giving much thought to their actual experience. But, in a candidate-driven job market, the way in which you treat candidates has much to do with how effectively you can place them into jobs. A poor experience will send a good candidate bolting to a competitor. This is why your focus should always be on creating reasonable expectations and gathering feedback from candidates as often as possible. Here are some ways to accomplish these goals.

Create an easy application process

The number one reason why good candidates avoid applying for a job is because of a lengthy or complicated application process. To improve the chances of getting great candidates to apply for work, make the application smooth and simple. You don’t need to know every piece of information, just the vital parts. Use social tools to allow people to apply using their LinkedIn profiles, for example.

Get on those follow-ups, fast!

Being responsive to candidates matters when it comes to high-level candidates. This is an expectation with most job seekers today. Millennials are eager to hear from hiring managers and they understand the technology of email autoresponders – they are looking for something more personal. Take the time to check the application updates daily and follow up with suitable candidates. The response doesn’t have to be in two minutes, but a timely response will meet their expectations.

Conduct phone screenings effectively

Taking the time to acknowledge applicants is a start, but the next step in honoring the candidate experience is to conduct live phone screenings. Call each applicant and invite them to schedule a brief introductory phone call to learn more about the company and see if there is a career opportunity they may be interested in. During phone screens, be personal and ask relevant questions while using the candidate’s name often. Invite candidates for an in-face interview once they pass the phone screen.

Ask for Feedback After all Interviews

Send out a brief survey to gather feedback from candidates on the quality of your interviewing and application process. There are free survey programs to accomplish these goals. Use this data as the basis for improving your application methods and interviewing process. Ask candidates to be specific about what they expect, what they liked, and what they didn’t like about learning more about career opportunities with your company.

Use a Staffing Agency to Get Feedback

Another way to streamline the application process and get good feedback on your hiring practices is to work with a staffing agency to handle these initial details. Let the staffing agency work with candidates, only sending those who meet your criteria. This sets up clearer expectations, and you can ask the staffing agents what you can do to improve the way candidates are handled on your end of the hiring process.

Davis Staffing strives to provide excellence in service with personalized attention and gainful employment opportunities to our employees. Contact our great team of recruiters today to work with the top staffing agency in Chicago.