If as recruiters and hiring managers we’re thinking the numbers are stacked in our favour right now, think again. Less jobs / more job seekers may be a recruiter’s dream, but it’s still a candidate driven market and good candidate care is more meaningful right now than ever before.

It’s not an easy time for job searchers. It can be depleting and tiresome at the best of times. As we skim the surface of another potential wave of lockdowns, there are a lot of things about the changing world of work that are more important now than ever. More people today are applying to a fewer number of jobs than before we were impacted by Covid-19. That means more people to connect with.and more people counting on these connections. If we don’t set up smart candidate practices, more people than before will slip through the cracks. Not good for them, or us.

More candidates, more opportunity

With more people relying on new job opportunities and increased flexibility working from home, our talent pools are suddenly far reaching and our networks cardinally wider. Word spreads quickly about new jobs, who to deal with and what candidates’ experiences are like. As hiring managers, we want to be seen as employers of choice and making sure our interactions stand out from the crowd.

People need people

Candidates are job searching in a whole new world and the stakes have never been higher. Treating people with respect as they juggle a new norm will do more for your brand than any amount of mission statements. Think what connects with you when you are job searching and how the real gold is in the conversation.

Inspiring loyalty

By developing engagement, connection and trust, you build the stepping stones to a long-lasting association. Loyal and engaged teams come from trustworthy and engaging leaders. When longer associations are formed we grow and retain talent, expand networks and create alumni groups that strengthen our workplace community.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

The feedback loop

Understand what candidates want. Most of all, they want response. Follow up, feedback, responsiveness that’s both timely and helpful. Lengthy delays in response do nothing to foster trust or goodwill. A sophisticated candidate management system will ask candidates for feedback, tweaking processes along the way to reflect candidate expectations.

Values based recruitment

We may be inundated with expressions of interest, questions and applications right now, but if we are fortunate enough to be currently hiring, we have a duty of care to do it right. Good candidate care is about being clear on selection criteria, timeframes and what’s expected from candidates, so they’re prepared.

Be decisive, be responsive, give honest feedback, share advice that helps people get job ready. When we live the values of our organisation, our action starts when a candidate pings a reply to an ad. By investing in conversations that add real value to candidates, it’s a win-win. 

Lessons from lockdown

Lockdown has shown us it’s possible to take candidates through the selection process virtually. We’ve become adept zoomers, all of us, learning to show our best selves without being face to face. We’ve been saved by our digital capability and have come to rely on providing service online. Sometimes a phone call, a genuine conversation, a check-in call can make all the differences in engendering trust and goodwill. Remember, even though there may be more people to choose from, it’s still an individual choice for a candidate to choose us. So now, more than ever, our people skills and ability to deliver good candidate care must be at the forefront of every selection process.