As the economy is waking up at pace, we are seeing many sectors are finding themselves challenged by navigating a candidate-driven market. Rather than expecting employees to fit the criteria of a job requirement, employers are increasingly attempting to attract candidates and pull out all the stops to get the workforce they need to meet demand.
Key to this is building a positive, engaging and seamless candidate experience that leaves a lasting impression. A great experience goes a long way in improving a company’s employer brand, meaning talent acquisition (TA) teams will have greater success recruiting the best people in the future. Additionally, it increases the likelihood of returning applicants.
On the flip side, a negative experience can directly impact a company’s bottom line, especially now that it’s easier than ever to share them online via social media or review sites. In this blog, we look at some of the factors that can cause the candidate experience to fail and how employers can avoid making these mistakes.
Not only are today’s candidates talented, tech-savvy and well-informed, but they are also in high demand (and know it!). They have inflated expectations regarding experience and won’t tolerate being made to wait, whether that’s due to a multi-stage process, long lead times or a lack of communication.
Employers must strike a balance between taking enough time to effectively screen candidates and managing expectations without taking so long that they miss out on the best people. It’s, therefore, crucial to identify any bottlenecks in the recruitment process and address them immediately.
There’s rising concern that virtual hiring processes are negatively impacting candidate engagement. While it’s more convenient for both employers and candidates, it’s also easier for candidates to withdraw Additionally, an online hiring process can prevent candidates from getting a real feel for your company culture and working environment, which, in turn, weakens the early bond between you and potential employees.
For virtual processes to be a success, TA teams need to be in near-constant communication with candidates. They should be giving regular updates throughout, inform of any delays and giving the opportunity for candidates to ask questions. Preferably, ‘in-person’, whether that’s over the phone or via video conferencing, rather than email.
Well-planned and structured selection processes are also crucial here. If candidates feel that you’re grappling to make offers or cutting corners to conduct interviews and speed up the process, it can affect the perceived validity or value of the role and potentially lead them to withdraw from the process.
When it comes to virtual onboarding, extra effort should be made to integrate new hires into your company. You can do this by introducing them to employees outside of their immediate team or department and facilitating opportunities to connect on more of a personal level.
Investing in the wrong tech to recruit and onboard risks a lot more than wasted money. It wastes time and energy, plus the goodwill of the people on your team who have been asked to adapt to the technology. Crucially, candidate experience will suffer, making talent attraction much harder.
Mistakes commonly made include:
Omni works with tech providers at all stages within the resourcing process, and each customers need and requirement comes with a different recommended solution. We recommend gaining a clear scope and understanding of the outcomes and objectives you’re hoping to achieve from recruitment technology, rather than looking at the latest trends elsewhere.
An external talent partner is a specialist in cultivating relationships with candidates. That’s why today’s organisations are increasingly tapping into their expertise to help them build rapport and establish the connections that lead to quality hires and recruiting success. Resourcing partners have the right technology, digital tools and hiring strategies to deliver high-quality experiences that ensure candidates feel valued from the initial point of contact through to onboarding.
In our guide, ‘The Talent Acquisition Odyssey: Key Challenges in the Road Ahead’, we delve into some of the main pain points and areas of focus for TA teams right now. We also explore why there is now an increased reliance on external recruitment partners and the significant value they can add to organisations looking to grow and thrive in 2021 and beyond.
Absolutely. Omni’s development centres are specifically designed to unlock the potential of your existing employees. Our structured assessments, aligned to your internal frameworks, are designed to identify individuals’ strengths, skills gaps, and areas for improvement, informing targeted developmental activities that drive real impact on individual and organisational performance.
Our assessment solutions are designed to elevate your hiring process by identifying the best candidates based on their skills, potential, and fit for the role. We help you define the critical competencies required for success, develop tailored assessments that accurately evaluate these competencies, and provide deep insights into candidates’ aptitude and personality traits. This evidence-based approach improves productivity, reduces turnover, and ensures a positive candidate experience. There are several benefits that personality profiling can bring to the recruitment process, such as supporting inclusive hiring, improved decision making, and increased efficiency.
Omni enhances your Employer Brand by presenting your organisation in a way that resonates with different candidate personas. By identifying these personas through rigorous market research and engaging them where they spend time online, Omni ensures that your recruitment marketing is relevant and broadens your access to talent. This approach pulls on relevant levers that are important to candidates’ values and drivers. Enhancing the employer brand to attract and retain talent remains one of the top key trends in recruitment and Omni’s Talent Strategy team can help your organisation do so.
The Resourcing Effectiveness Assessment (REA) is a rapid and flexible audit of an organisation’s resourcing maturity. The REA takes an integrated approach with key data derived from surveying recent hires, regretted candidates, and hiring managers; focus groups with strategic leaders, hiring managers and HR/TA teams; align with desktop research. Evaluation uses Omni’s four-level maturity index across five key areas: Strategy, People & Experience, Process, Tech & Data and EDI, with a further 20 sub-categories.
