Employer guide: Are candidates engaged throughout your hiring and onboarding process?

As an employer, it is important to keep applicants engaged throughout the hiring and onboarding process to ensure that you are attracting and retaining the best candidates. This can be a challenging task, especially if you have many applicants or a lengthy hiring process. However, there are a few ways that you can stay in touch with applicants and keep them engaged throughout the entire process.

1. Communication is key

 

Keeping candidates informed while also being transparent with them is one of the most important ways to keep candidates engaged. Letting them know what the timeline is for the hiring process, when they can expect to hear back from you, and what the next steps will be. This will give candidates a sense of what to expect and will help them to feel more engaged in the process.

For example, having a welcome email at the start of the application process can set a positive tone for the recruitment process. Putting in the time and effort to establish a personal connection can go a long way.

2. Provide feedback

 

It’s no secret that not providing feedback is one of the biggest frustrations for job seekers, we at Stellar Select strive to always provide feedback to our candidates throughout each stage of the hiring process.

Providing constructive feedback can also help unsuccessful candidates understand what they need to work to get to that next stage in the future. Have a strategy for what you do with unsuccessful candidates is vital as they could become future prospects for your company. Taking too long or not providing genuine feedback to candidates can make them disengaged about the job or your business, leading them to withdraw from the application process or have them looking elsewhere.

3. Streamline your interview process

 

A streamlined interview process doesn’t just allow companies to keep things organised internally, but it also gives a great impression to the applicants who are actively taking part or thinking about applying for a particular job role with your company.

Making it easier for candidates to attend interviews by:

Doing online interviews – At the earlier stages this could help you get through the process quicker as candidates are more likely to be free sooner than having to schedule time off to attend an interview, saving on potential costs such as travel. As the client, you also save time on trying to schedule meeting rooms and coordinating hiring managers to be free at a particular time.

Train your interviewers – One of the best ways to train interviewers is to give them practice so they have a consistent frame of reference for what is a great, mediocre, or poor interview. Calibration across interviewers is one of the most important ways to ensure candidates have a great process and helps the business to ensure there is a consistent approach to selecting suitable candidates.

4. Consider how you use technology

 

ChatGPT and AI have been a hot topic in the news recently, using technology and AI automation is great and many companies across different industries are trying to embed this to streamline their processes and the recruitment industry is no different, but you need to find the right balance. Using AI or pre-recorded interview processes may lead to missing out on that ‘human touch’. Candidates may feel that they are not being taken seriously or that their skills and abilities are not being fully assessed. This can be detrimental to the recruitment process, as it can result in losing out on top talent or not finding the right fit for the company culture.

5. Treat candidates like prospects

 

It is crucial to treat candidates like prospects during the recruitment process as they represent the future of your business. A positive recruitment experience can make a significant impact on a candidate’s perception of your company, their willingness to accept the job offer, and their future engagement with your business.

This approach also increases the likelihood of attracting and retaining high-quality candidates who are a good fit for your company. Additionally, treating candidates like prospects can help build a strong employer brand, improve your company’s reputation, and create a more engaged and satisfied workforce.

And don’t forget! You’re still at risk even after they accept the job offer.

Failure to effectively welcome a new employee could result in you forfeiting you’re your top talent. If you lose their interest, you could lose them. Some companies do have other prospects lined up and ready to take the first person’s place. But that has become less and less likely in today’s market. It is more probable that you will have to hire a less suitable candidate, or even worse, you will be forced to start all over again.

People don’t generally feel committed to companies, especially if their only interaction has been through an interview process. Job losses during the pandemic, shifts in the job market and most recently with talks to do with a recession have changed things. You may have offered a job, and someone may have accepted, but that doesn’t mean it is a done deal. Keeping in touch with them even after they’ve accepted the role and continuing to reinforce your business’s proposition will mitigate any chance for candidates to go cold or have doubts about joining your company.

In conclusion, keeping candidates engaged throughout the hiring process is crucial to attracting and retaining the best candidates for your company. Providing timely and transparent communication, constructive feedback, streamlining the interview process and balancing the use of technology are all essential steps towards achieving this goal.

At Stellar Select, we understand the importance of keeping candidates engaged and can take care of the entire recruitment process for you, ensuring that we attract the best candidates for your business. See why many businesses choose us to manage their recruitment needs. You can get in touch with our talented team and learn more about the services we offer here.