It’s an intriguing question, and one that any recruiter serious about the profession should be asking themselves. On average, staffing recruiters successfully place a mere 2% of the candidates they speak to. That means that what you’re offering 98% of your candidates is not a job, but simply an impression of how you treated them. So what sort of candidate experience are you driving? Is it positive or negative? How is it affecting your reputation as a recruiter?
Here are 5 surefire ways to create a great candidate experience; leave a lasting, positive impression; and secure your reputation as a GREAT Recruiter.
Be Genuine.
Put the candidate’s agenda above your own. Beyond understanding the candidate’s skills and compensation requirements, learn who they are as a person. Make it a point to understand their MDVP: Motivators, Differentiators, Value, and Perspective. Doing so will start the conversation—and the candidate experience overall—on the right foot and differentiate you from job matchers simply trying to fill a submittal quota.
Be Responsive.
Put yourself in a candidate’s shoes. Even though they could potentially find jobs themselves in today’s candidate-driven job market, they’re still waiting to hear back from you about the life-changing opportunity you could find them. Responsiveness is crucial if you want to become a sought-after recruiter. Set up a communication plan with your candidates to keep in regular contact, and always responds to queries in a timely manner. Make it a point to contact every candidate you submitted by the end of each week to give a status update.
Demonstrate Experience.
Become an invaluable resource to your candidates. No candidate wants their career to be in the hands of someone whom they do not feel understands what they do as a professional. Make an investment in research. Gaining a deep understanding of the job marketplace makes a you a valuable resource to your candidates. Conduct your own research on hiring trends and industry standards specific to the types of jobs for which you recruit. Speak with hiring teams to absorb their needs and culture whenever possible. Listen to your job seekers; their experiences in the job-hunting trenches provide important insight into how you can improve your service to them.
Be an Advisor.
Your knowledge will make you an ideal touchpoint for advice on everything job search-related. Make it a point to provide advice and guidance in every interaction. Even if you do not have the perfect job for a candidate, if you’re the go-to source for tips on interviewing, best job-seeking practices, requesting a raise, or writing a resignation letter, you’ll find high-quality candidates flocking to you.
Be Transparent.
Explain the process to the candidate and constantly update them on what is or isn’t happening, creating a feeling of partnership with them. Always advise a candidate on when they can expect your next call. Even if you have nothing new to report, call them when you said you would. Don’t sugarcoat a closed door, but ensure feedback is delivered in a tactful, straightforward and consistent way.
The bottom line? The most successful recruiters build long-term, trusting relationship with their candidates. Even though your success as a recruiter will be judged internally by your placement and retention numbers, your reputation externally will be judged by the candidates you interact with, based on the candidate experience you provide. The recruiting marketplace is becoming more candidate-centric by the day, which means that candidates have more options on which recruiters they work with. When a candidate is ready to make a move, you want them calling you first, not the competition.
Greatrecruiters.com provides a simple way for recruiters to manage their reputation.
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