As the demand for professionals increases employers must get better at managing candidate expectations or risk losing out on great talent. This is the message we are keen to express to our clients. Here at CK Group, we increasingly find that our candidates are juggling more than one job offer at any one time, which can lead to frustration from our clients when someone pulls out of the recruitment process partway through. By treating candidates as you would like to be treated you may help reduce time and money spent on hiring.
Here are our five best tips for talent management:
1. Don’t start actively recruiting until you have the vacancy signed off
It makes sense to wait until you have had the vacancy you’re hoping to recruit for fully signed off. This makes the recruitment process more efficient allowing you to progress quickly should you find the perfect candidate for your vacancy.
2. Give a clear timeline
Be very clear with timescales when speaking with candidates or briefing your recruitment agency. Make it clear when you would like to interview, make a decision and have the person appointed. Candidates want to know how long the process is likely to take and keeping them informed helps to manage their expectations.
3. Don’t be negative about your organisation
During your dealings with the candidate ensure you keep it polite, friendly and professional. Try to focus on why it’s great to work for your company. Your candidate is likely speaking with other organisations who may be selling their organisation in a better light than you are.
4. Provide regular updates
Keep your candidates informed of any progress with their application. If for example, you have an audit that’s going to delay any decisions for 2 weeks, let them know as they will appreciate the update.
5. Provide good quality feedback
Following interviews make sure you provide good quality feedback, in a timely manner, to anyone who has taken time out of their day to meet with you. The candidate may not be quite right for the open vacancy but could be perfect in another role, and by sharing this feedback the candidate can stay engaged with the business.
Managing your candidate’s expectations is good for your business. By keeping the candidate happy throughout the recruitment process and giving them a good impression of your organisation they will speak highly of your company. This will vastly increase the chances that if they have to make a decision between accepting your job offer, and another, they will choose yours. To summarise, treating potential employees correctly will go a long way to helping you hire the very best person for the job.
Click here to read our article on ‘how to recruit in a candidate driven market
