Have you ever experienced ghosting when recruiting for a role in your business? The fact is, it’s becoming more common for candidates to break off all communication at some stage of the recruitment process; ignoring phone calls and emails and putting you back to square one.
So, in a hiring world where talent shortages in key industries are shifting the balance of power to job seekers, how can you stay “ghost-free”? Our resident recruitment expert, Joy has a few tips.
Communicate
Maintain honest, clear and consistent communication from the start. Make sure candidates know the process timeline and don’t drag the chain, leaving candidates hanging on for days on end – particularly after an interview.
If you use an agency, they typically have the reference checking, skills testing etc… in order for you, so all you need to decide is whether or not the person is a good fit. This means there is no reason to leave people waiting on an answer, even more so, to drag it out over a weekend.
Remember, good people don’t wait around. Good candidates will be proactively looking for a new position and they will be recruited quickly. If you do take your time, you will only have yourself to blame if when you finally get around to making a decision, you find out that “perfect” candidate has already been snapped up.
Address concerns
Address the candidate’s interests and concerns, and scope out what factors are contributing to their decision making. Is it remuneration? How would they rank your opportunity in comparison to others? What questions do they need to be answered before they can decide? Find out and give them the answers they need.
Be responsive
Remember, good candidates will be looking at you just as much as you are looking at them. Interviews are a two-way street and gone are the days where employers hold all of the cards.
Candidates want to see how responsive you are so they can decide whether or not they want to work for you. If you “dilly dally” with your decision making, don’t call them when you say you will and be vague about details such as salary, they won’t be as keen or inspired to work for you. Good candidates don’t want to work with someone who seems disinterested in their staff and who isn’t a good decision maker. Rather, they want an employer of choice, someone who responds positively and enthusiastically, and most of all in a timely manner.
Do you need some recruitment advice? Give Joy a call on (07) 4638 3599.