As a hiring manager, when you’re looking to hire top talent for your business, it can often become a numbers game. That means getting as many candidates through the door as possible, on phone screens, and in front of hiring managers. However, while that may be successful in securing many potential interviews, it can also eliminate one of the most important parts of the process: the human element. This, in turn, can also have the reverse effect of making your recruiting efforts less efficient and effective in the long run.
The candidate experience during the interview process can strongly influence whether they will accept a position. This shows just how important treating candidates well throughout the process can be when trying to woo star talent to your organization.
To help you balance efficiency with humanity when recruiting, here are some tips you can follow to achieve success:
1. Make communication crucial during the recruiting process. If a candidate is taking the time to interview with your company, it’s best to keep them in the loop on how they’re performing throughout the process. Be transparent about how the process works and even what they can expect going forward.
Communication strengthens recruiting efficiency. Failed communication patterns can cause candidates to consider themselves “out of the running” and free to start focusing their attention on a role with another organization. Because they’re a strong candidate, they may even be rushed through another interview process and, ultimately, offered a job at a rival company. Keeping in touch can help avoid this fate.
2. Make interviews personal, enjoyable, and effective at illustrating company culture. The interview process is revealing of a company’s work culture. Therefore, it’s important that everyone involved in the recruiting process is trained on how to conduct a strong interview with prospective candidates.
This can take many forms, such as having interviewers share and ask for personal stories or simply getting to know them as a person. Additionally, the interview is a powerful tool to discuss work culture highlights, work-life balance opportunities, and other aspects of the job beyond just what’s needed on a day-to-day performance basis.
In sum, candidates today are looking for much more than a cut-and-dry interview process. They want to be courted, receive a clear glimpse into their prospective company culture, and receive consistent communication about where they stand, in order to feel like the organization is a desirable place to work. In doing so, you’ll also be able to more efficiently run your recruiting efforts and find stronger candidates to potentially join your company.