As a hiring manager, you want the best candidates to work for you. Although you may not have a problem attracting them, you may have an issue keeping them throughout the recruitment process. This can lead to a longer recruitment cycle and loss of niche skills needed for hard-to-fill positions. Fortunately, you can take steps to retain more candidates through the recruiting process and ultimately to an offer and acceptance.
Discover five tips to keep more candidates engaged throughout the recruitment process.
1. Cultivate Your Employer Brand
Make sure your employer brand clearly demonstrates your company mission, vision, and values. After all, you want to attract candidates who blend with your culture and are likely to be successful. For instance, make sure your website is easy to navigate and apply through. Also, use social media to post employee testimonials, videos of a workday, and other content that provides insight into the work environment, team, and leadership of the company.
2. Demonstrate Your Employer Value Proposition
Show your employer value proposition (EVP) throughout the candidate journey. This demonstrates why candidates want to work for you. For instance, mention the exciting projects with which candidates may be involved. Share how your jobs provide employees both professional as well as personal fulfillment. Additionally, include the “total rewards” – benefits and other perks offered. Review your EVP frequently and at least annually to ensure it is current and market competitive.
3. Establish an Employee Referral Program
Set up a program for employees to refer members of their network and communicate the program frequently! People tend to spend time with others like them, and this facilitates your ability to find high-quality candidates from those you have already hired. Referrals usually know about your company and its culture from talking with the employee referring them. Additionally, employees who have friends within your organization are more inclined to stay long-term. Be sure to compensate adequately, and congratulate employees for successful referrals who remain for a set amount of time.
4. Maintain Communication with Candidates
Stay in regular contact with candidates throughout the recruitment process. For instance, use your applicant tracking system (ATS) to send an email when an application is submitted and subsequent emails defining the main parts of each stage. Also, talk regularly with candidates about the next steps and timing in the process. Additionally, encourage questions about anything that requires clarification.
5. Keep the Interview Process Short
Make sure your interview process is thorough, effective, and not too lengthy. For instance, have no more than three interviews per role with a small interview panel. Ensure your interview questions align with the role requirements. Additionally, include a mix of behavioral and situational questions to gain insight into how the candidate tackled past challenges and determine their hard and soft skills. Focus on determining whether the candidate has the competencies needed for the position and is also aligned to the company’s culture. Be sure to use the same questions in an “Interview Guide” for each job candidate to reduce unconscious bias and evaluate the answers side by side.
Partner with a Recruiter
Retain more candidates by partnering with Corps Team. Our recruiters can match you with highly qualified candidates and assist in managing the interview process to fill your openings. Get in touch with us today.