Candidate Care – Small things your organisation can do to make a big difference!

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We all know that it’s important for a candidate to put their best foot forward in an interview, but are we forgetting that it should go both ways? While the interview process is about the applicant demonstrating that they are right for the role, it is often forgotten that it is also the best way for a candidate to assess an organisation and decide if it’s a place they would want to work. By ‘selling’ both the organisation and the role, you’ll strengthen your employer brand – regardless of whether you hire the candidate.

The battle for candidates in today’s recruitment market is significant, and unlikely to ease anytime soon. The overall workforce is shrinking due to an aging population; continual advances in technology mean that even the most basic roles require more skills; and we are facing increased competition from global employers. With that in mind, it is even more important to ensure the interview process within your organisation is professional and positive from the candidates’ perspectives – as you’re likely fishing in a diminishing pond..

Having recently started at the Employment Office and having gone through their interview process I can share some insight into what works and what doesn’t. I was hired through a Group Assessment Day which was entirely new experience for me. I’ll admit, showing up for a group interview for the first time, being surrounded by people who seem so much more qualified is far more intimidating then normal interview procedure. I walked into the interview room not knowing what to expect, however I was quickly put at ease when I realised that it wasn’t going to be at all like I had thought.

We were given a great introduction to Employment Office and one of the things that really stood out to me is that instead of starting with the role and why they should pick me, they started with why I should choose them. They outlined the benefits of working with the organisation, they let us ask questions, lots of questions. They made it enjoyable, we all knew were being tested and assessed but everything was kept fun and light hearted. Another aspect that really made the decision easy for me was that they bought in someone who was already working in the role they were hiring for and let him speak honestly and openly about what it meant and again let us ask questions.

Being introduced to who you would be directly reporting to and then the manager above that is always a great way for a candidate to gauge how they will fit into a team. There was complete transparency in the process and that’s probably what really sold it to me. I also really liked that we were taken on a tour of the office and got to see firsthand what it was like before I made any decisions. I was completely informed as what the role was and what it required of me before I even reached the stage where I was interviewed separately from the rest of the group. I left that day knowing that this was a place I could be happy in, that I could work hard and know that what I did was making a difference and that’s what was most important to me as a jobseeker. I knew that I had to have that job.

So to sum up my experience in what works –

  • Sell your organisation. Convince the candidate that they want to work for you before they even start trying to convince you to hire them. Make sure they know the benefits of working with you. Once they know what is at stake, it’s an entirely different ballgame.
  • Have respect for the applicant. Don’t keep them waiting, be it before an interview or afterwards. Waiting to find out if you are successful or not is extremely stressful, so don’t draw it out longer than necessary.
  • Don’t act like you’re doing them a favour, because you’re not. Sure there are plenty of people who will take the role but chances are the one who is perfect for it has been offered other roles too. You need their skills, but they can take those skills anywhere.
  • Be transparent. Don’t try to hide the lesser aspects of a role or organisation from a candidate. If they’ve done their homework, they’ll already know about it.

These are such basic things, but they make all the difference when it comes to candidate care. It will ensure that you have the applicant you want accepting the role every time.