Recruitment that doesn’t yield great results is a disappointing outcome for all involved. The investment that organisations make in the recruitment process needs to be carefully managed to ensure that resources aren’t wasted and talent doesn’t slip through the net. If you’re not seeing the results you’d hoped for from your recruitment process, then it may be that you need to handle your recruitment differently in order to come across as more professional.
1. Avoid misleading or ambiguous job descriptions
There is always a benefit in ensuring that a job description is as detailed and enticing as it can be. However, there is also a fine line between upselling a role and misleading candidates. You may attract the best candidates if your job description creates very high expectations. However, the reality is that if that role doesn’t live up to expectations you could find yourself with a resignation on your hands and the entire process to go through again.
2. Make sure your job descriptions are detailed and clear
Candidates today expect to be provided with full information about a potential role from the outset – the best talent simply won’t waste time applying where there is key data absent. So, if your job description is missing a salary figure or information about annual leave you may not even get a decent volume of applications. The best job descriptions show that the business has nothing to hide, they provide the right information so that candidates can see where their interests align with the business meaning you’re much more likely to get a good fit.
3. Remove all obstacles to application
It’s worth bearing in mind that around a third of applicants won’t spend more than 15 minutes on a job application. The harder you make it for applications to get to you, the fewer you are likely to receive. So, it’s worth testing your application process if you want to ensure it is professional and practical. Does clicking on the job ad take a candidate to a clear careers page and a simple applications process – or do they get sidetracked or lost somewhere along the way?
4. Maintain communications with candidates
In this ultra connected world in which we live, candidates expect a lot more communication from the businesses that they apply to. If they feel like they are being “ghosted” i.e. contact is being cut for no reason then candidates will often fall away. Whether you use an agency or communication automation, it’s important to ensure that you keep candidates updated to avoid early attrition.
5. Be ready for interviews
It’s true that the most pressure sits on the shoulders of candidates during interview – however, this is not an entirely one way process. Underprepared hiring managers are unimpressive and tend to result in rejected job offers by candidates who feel they haven’t been taken seriously or the business simply isn’t very professional.
6. Make swift decisions
Delays in recruitment are no good for anyone. Exceptional candidates who are actively looking will be on the market for a matter of days. So, to avoid rejected job offers and continuously repeating the process for the same role, it’s important to ensure decisions are swift.
For more support and guidance on how to make your recruitment processes more efficient contact a member of the 2i Recruit team on 01483 414719 today.
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