Recruit and Hire Like You Mean It

Recruit and Hire Like You Mean It

First impressions are telling for a company competing for highly talented candidates in an increasingly competitive environment for talent. That’s why it’s so important that the recruiting/hiring process and onboarding include practices that are responsive to candidates and new hires. This includes all touch points—HR and others who interview the candidate, as well as the recruiter representing the company. Leaving a candidate hanging after each meeting is counterproductive to recruiting and hiring efforts.

Consequences of Silence

Misery loves company, and the folks who experience the “silent treatment” while waiting to hear from a company they’ve earnestly reached out to aren’t shy about sharing their feelings. The repercussions typically mushroom, and pretty soon the company gains a negative reputation—not caring, poor communication, rude treatment.

A candidate who has hasn’t heard a thing for weeks (I’ve heard instances of not at all after a candidate has spent an entire day interviewing with an array of people within the company) after an interview may refuse an offer (occurring more often with the growing talent gap—keep reading) because of the silent treatment. Think about where this candidate could land—at a supply partner, competitor, etc. In today’s business environment, no organization wants to risk this type of oversight going viral and tarnishing its reputation.

And if the candidate chooses to become an employee, the relationship is off to a somewhat rocky start. What are the chances that this new employee will throw his or her whole self into their work?

Avoiding an Uphill Battle for Talent

A negative reputation is particularly dangerous in light of an expanding talent gap. At 78 million people and the largest generation of its time, the Boomer generation has dominated the workforce as the most skilled workforce comprising the most positions of leadership and power for the past 50 years. By contrast, Generation X is a very small workforce (48 million). While Generation Y is 80 million strong, the youngest are still in high school, so it will take 10 years until they are in the workforce in full. The numbers point to a battle for talent.

While executive teams should be considering how to find the talent that will take their organization into the future, they must also ensure that holes in their processes aren’t undermining recruiting efforts:

·   Establish a responsive recruiting process that respects all candidates.

·   Create a communications timeline that keeps candidates informed of their status.

·   Develop onboarding that fully engages new hires and makes them productive more quickly.

Acknowledging each response to a position posting with a personal message may be overwhelming, though ideal. Automated email has become an acceptable alternative. However, once a candidate is screened and interviewed, it is in the organization’s best interest to recognize the value of clear, consistent, regular communication. It is not only the foundation for a successful recruiting/hiring process, but also the groundwork for training, managing and developing employees that want to stay with the organization.

While the economy shifted employers into survival mode, getting back to the future is critical. As the economy continues to rebound, the retirement wave will wipe out a huge percentage of our workforce, and high-performance talent will become a precious commodity. What is your company doing to ensure its reputation attracts the candidates it needs to grow?

We are problem solvers and innovators when it comes to creating the conditions for you to attract and retain key talent.  For strategies that will align with your objectives, reflect your company brand, message and voice call us.

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