Searching for a new job is a stressful period in anyone’s life. We all know how it affects applicants, but how is the process for employers? While many companies have a high staff turnover rate, some only have to hire new talent on rare occasions.
If hiring isn’t something you regularly have to do, it can be hard to craft a process that makes sure the right candidates have the trust and confidence in you to not only apply for but accept the position. Here are some ways occasional hirers can make sure the best talent thinks highly of them during the application process.
Stay in contact. When you’re an applicant, hearing very little from the company you’ve applied to throughout the process can make you nervous about your chances of getting the job. A great way to assure applicants and create a sense of trust in your business is to stay in contact with all the applicants throughout the many stages of the process.
This doesn’t mean writing them a daily update email about your thoughts, but rather letting them know what’s happening on your end and remaining transparent about the process. Top talent will understand how the process works and appreciate you taking the time out of your day to let them know when they can next expect an update during a stressful time for them.
It’s important you’re confident, yet approachable as a business. If an applicant is scared to get in contact out of the fear of annoying you and losing the job, it can make them question whether this is an environment they really want to work in. Make yourself open to any questions they may have and put their mind at ease.
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Get them to do a task and pay for it. A popular method of finding the right candidate is asking applicants to complete a short task similar to one they’d do in the job. For applicants trying to find a new job, this can take time out of their day and make them feel as if they’re working for free. Any concession you can offer them for taking part in the process will lift their spirits and entice them to show their best.
Offering to pay them for a sample piece of work shows you appreciate their efforts. Treat applicants as you would a freelancer working with your company. If you make the process as similar as possible, you will ease them into the position and show that your company cares about the people that work for it. Use a PDF invoice form identical to one a freelancer would send to you, so they know exactly what you’ve paid them and what for. It may not be necessary, but will make them feel part of the team and show the company respects and rewards hard work.
Build specific recruitment pages. Job advertisement pages are the majority of people’s first exposure to your business and website. This is the first opportunity to make an impression and get applicants to have confidence that your application process is worth the time. If how you present the job doesn’t inspire confidence, you’ll turn away the best talent.
Craft your job description with the aim of putting applicants at ease and giving them as much information as possible. Too often job advertisements offer little to no information about the role of the company offering it, leading applicants to become disengaged from the process and wonder what they’re hiding. A job description needs to represent the tone of your company brand, so add some personality and more importantly complete clarity.
Highlight job progression. When someone applies for a job, they’re not just thinking about that exact position, but their overall career progression. Someone with this kind of drive and ambition is who all employers should want to hire. To build trust amongst the best potential candidates and create the appearance of a business worth investing years into, show that you are concerned with the long term career and progression of your employees throughout the process.
Include examples within the job description of what previous staff members in that position have gone on to do within the role and outside of the company. You need evidence to earn someone’s trust, and to show that the opportunity is there to grow within the role. Top candidates don’t want to see their talents wasted in a stagnant position, they want to know where they could be in a year or two’s time.
Ask for feedback. Turning someone down for a job can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to completely tarnish any trust or confidence you’ve built in yourself throughout the process. Although they may not want anything else to do with you after the process, ask all applicants to fill out a feedback sheet about the process to show you want to improve and learn from the experience.
Ask them how you could be better to candidates and what they would like to see from the process were they to apply next time. It shows you care about your applicants, who will speak among friends about the process and highlight how you are someone worth trusting and having confidence in. If you are unsure of what to ask use a feedback template to help structure your email and look professional.
Hiring someone in an air of untrustworthiness and a lack of confidence in the position will leave you without the top talent you deserve and having to go through the process again in a few months’ time. These are just a few ways you can impress job seeking talent and build a positive perception around your business for potential future applicants.
