5 Top Tips on How NOT to Lose the ‘Perfect Candidate’
Whether you’re hiring internally, advertising for new staff locally or relying on a recruitment company like The SmartList to find the right candidates for you, it’s important to hire the right people. It can take a lot of time and effort to sift through CVs and settle on an applicant, so if you come across someone that’s perfect for the job in hand – how can you avoid them slipping through the net?
Well, while it’s not always easy to hold onto ideal candidates, there are things you can do to make your organisation seem more attractive to busy job hunters.
- Make the application process simple
Those looking for work want to maximise their chance of being hired and therefore tend to apply for multiple roles at the same time. For this reason, it’s essential to make the process as easy as possible to encourage them to send a CV and cover letter your way. Avoid lengthy application forms if you can and don’t use any overcomplicated jargon that might make people doubt their skills.
- Acknowledge all responses
Once you’ve placed a job advert either in the local paper or online, be sure to acknowledge all responses from interested parties. This might mean sending out a generic email to say their application has been received, or it might mean writing a personal message explaining whether the candidate has been selected for an interview or not.
- Don’t overcomplicate interviews
While many companies are notoriously difficult to interview for,it’s wise to keep your interview process relatively straightforward so as not to put candidates off. Of course, prospective employers will expect a first interview and maybe a second, but anymore meetings and they might start to get interview fatigue, especially if they have to travel a long way each time or have to take days off their current job to attend.
- Make a good first impression
Top candidates are looking to work for respectable companies, so if you want to attract the crème de la crème, be sure to make a good impression from the off. Keep all communication professional and on point and instruct everyone partaking in the interview process to look smart. What’s more, you should also be well prepared, know the questions you want to ask and be eloquent and concise when faced with questions from employees.
- Don’t mislead candidates
If you decide to take on the recruitment process yourself, you must learn how to write a clear job advert that’s not at all misleading. If you’re looking for a photocopying assistant, for instance, don’t state that you need an,”IT specialist looking to climb the career ladder quickly”, as those with impeccable IT skills will be likely to pull out of the recruitment process once they know what the role entails.
Losing the perfect candidate can be extremely disappointing for businesses, but the above tips should prevent this from happening.
