In a world of ever-changing ‘norms’ and professional insecurity, it’s becoming even more important for employers to deliver consistently great candidate care. This is to address a growing shift in talent trends, protect and promote their external brand, and of course – ensure that candidates have a really positive experience.
You’re likely already aware. But candidate care is the process of treating candidates, and their time, with the respect and value they deserve. Like humans, because that’s exactly what they are – not just a number or data set in your applicant tracking software (ATS).
Having the right mindset ensures that you deliver a positive candidate experience (CX), before, during, and after any engagement that an individual has with your company.
Now, more than ever, it’s becoming an integral part of many HR and People Operations strategies – for a very good reason.
Why we should focus on candidate care
Candidate care is hugely important because it applies to every person who interacts with your company during the recruitment process, not just those interviewed or hired.
Good candidate experience affects perceptions of your company brand, and job applicants who have a positive experience are more likely to apply again in the future. Poor candidate experience can lead to job offers being rejected, making it key to future recruiting success.
When we start to appreciate this, and couple it with the fact that 80% of people who receive a poor CX will share this with a friend or colleague, it becomes clear why candidate care is critical to business success.
According to a 2019 LinkedIn Survey, only 52% of businesses believe that their candidate experience is positive, and with 78% of candidates believing their experience reflects how an employer values its staff, this can quickly become a costly exercise.
Especially if it damages your brand’s reputation.
But don’t fear! Not all is lost. Delivering great candidate care in a recruiting process can be very simple to achieve. So here, I’ve broken it down into 5 easy steps that you can quickly “learn”:
- Listen
- Empathise
- Act
- Recognise
- Nurture
Listen
Thanks to the work of some very clever people at Harvard University SCANL, we already have proof that there are positive chemical responses in the human brain when we have the chance to talk about ourselves. In an initial conversation with a candidate, we want to create this positive feeling to leave a good impression, but we also want to demonstrate that we genuinely care about their work, their lives, and them as people.
Active listening is the best way to do this and involves allowing the candidate to lead for 60% of the conversation, with the recruiter providing further info or asking probing questions for the other 40%. This allows you to find out if the candidate is suitable for the role, but also gives you the chance to gather key information regarding their circumstances i.e can they relocate, what are their salary expectations, do they want managerial responsibilities, etc.
Empathise
It would be hard to argue that empathy has ever been more important, not just in hiring processes, but across all sections of society. As talent partners or recruiters, appreciating someone’s individual circumstances and finding ways to work with them could be the difference in making the best possible hire for a role, or not.
Empathy is a growing talent trend, highlighted in the LinkedIn 2019 Talent Report. This suggests that by 2055, there’ll be a 24% rise in workers focused on soft skills like candidate experience and employer engagement, with emotional intelligence at the heart of both of these.
In working closely with candidates, try to put yourself in their shoes, find out if they have concerns about the role or its requirements – such as relocation – and be proactive in addressing these.
One great example of this that always springs to my mind, is when I had a candidate who was very interested in a role I was hiring for, but who liked to talk about how much he enjoyed going to see his son’s local football team. When we explored relocation further, I talked to him about his children and whether he really wanted to relocate – and he decided that the time wasn’t right.
He appreciated that level of empathy, however, and this led to him referring a friend who was successful in the hiring process. A simple step like appreciating someone’s circumstances can lead to them becoming a Net Promoter of your brand.
Act
This step really does speak for itself and is all about demonstrating integrity in your work. Words are great, but actions certainly speak louder, and it’s vitally important to remember that in order to build rapport with candidates, gain their trust, and really value their time, we follow up on any assurances we give them.
If a candidate has questions you’re unable to answer, make sure you gather this information from the relevant stakeholder. If a candidate is looking for further feedback on an interview or has concerns regarding a process, take action in addressing these points.
It’s easy to get caught up in thinking that you’re too busy to respond to every email, every call, or every request. But not only is it common courtesy to follow up on candidate questions, but it’s also a crucial step in building a relationship that lasts beyond any hiring process.
Recognise
Maintaining clear, concise, and collaborative communication is fundamental to delivering a great candidate experience, and a sure-fire way to recognise any potential issues that may arise in the process. If a candidate has concerns at any point during the process, maintaining consistent communication is a great way to recognise these and be proactive in coming up with a collaborative solution.
One clear example of this that I often draw on comes from a time when I had established a candidate’s salary expectations, booked a first interview for them, and then had a debrief call within 24 hours of the interview. I noticed that the candidate suddenly seemed less than enthusiastic about the potential package on offer, and recognised this could be an issue.
On exploring further, I was able to get the candidate’s insight on how challenging they felt the role would be and why they felt a more significant package was needed. This allowed me to work closely with the candidate and relevant stakeholders, to ensure that the candidate’s time wasn’t wasted if we were to reach an eventual offer stage.
Nurture
Nurturing your candidates is about getting to know them both as professionals applying for a job, but also as people.
Far too often in the recruitment industry, we see candidates in process for roles they will not accept, and that is often down to the failure of the recruiter when it comes to a genuine appreciation and understanding of their circumstances. You need to find out what the candidate enjoys doing in their spare time:
Do they have a family at home?
Where do they like to travel?
Try to find out one new thing about your candidate’s personality, or what’s important to them, every time you speak – as this will allow you to build and nurture your relationship with them.
Takeaways…
Hopefully, the L.E.A.R.N acronym helps you to remember these 5 key considerations when it comes to great candidate care. Stick it on a post-it note next to your laptop, or set it as a morning reminder in your calendar. At the end of the day, no one wants to be just a number and a poor candidate experience really is inexcusable.
Always remember that changing jobs is a huge decision for an individual and you’re there to mentor and guide them through the process.
As a recruiter, you have an incredibly important role to play and could genuinely change a person’s life. That’s something that sometimes gets forgotten, but to be frank – is a pretty special aspect of what we do day-to-day.
If you’d like to learn more about how Scede could partner with you to deliver world-class candidate care on behalf of your company, feel free to message us via the button below.