By Lucy Allen of Trifecta Consulting Services
In Part 1 of this article, I talk about the psychology of interviewing? I talk about preparation, an approach to questioning and the need to change the method of interviewing in order to increase the positivity of the experience for both the candidate and interviewer alike. Why? Because a bad experience will not be confined to the interview room, but on the flip side, neither will a positive one.
Managing Candidates
So why is the candidate experience so important and how do you achieve it? There are a variety of elements which contribute to a good experience, but I hope these suggestions will make it great! Your influence over the candidate journey starts with the selection process, whether you are using a recruiter or sifting candidates from an advertisement.
Have a clear vision of your expectations of what you’re looking for, not just from a skills perspective, but the person overall. Once you have assessed the skills, check out any information which may be provided which outlines any personal achievements or interests which will help the steer. What you are trying to achieve is to reduce the number of candidates until you have your top 3 or 4 max. There really is no point in interviewing more than this for any given role, because the process will quickly become unmanageable (I will explain why later). You have to be decisive and choose the eventual new hire from this group. If the sifting and selection process is right, this should be the successful outcome every time.
After the first round of interviewing, if someone isn’t making the grade, tell them! It’s important for the candidate to get feedback and be informed if they have made it through the process or not, especially if they are keen to join your organisation. Explain to them what your thoughts are and why the other candidates gained preference. They will appreciate your feedback and time. It helps them improve their interview skills and may highlight something you’ve missed.
Here’s the time saver…keep the lines of communication with the candidate open, DO NOT BURN BRIDGES! If they were selected in the first place, they have something you need and although this position wasn’t the one, there may be others you could consider them for. By doing this not only do you protect your brand as an employer from bad candidate press, you also save an enormous amount of time if you can approach this candidate again? Manage the process. Show them you care and you see them as an individual, it will go a long way, promise!
Another time saver to consider is just how much your time is worth. I’m not talking about ‘cost per hire’, I’m talking about your time, what it means to you. Most recruitment is done outside of your daily responsibilities, so when you put a calculation on it, it demonstrates the need to increase your skill set to make the changes I’ve outlined to make that time worthwhile. If you’ve ever been exasperated when recruiting, you probably have too many in the mix.
The reason you take a decisive stance and keep the candidates to 3-4 is so you have the time to manage the process with the care and attention it deserves. It reduces the potential to panic recruit. It protects the candidate experience, which can affect your brand, just like the company I found during my research (see previous article). It allows you to focus on the process and by design, ensures the image of your business remains intact. You’re protecting your brand, increasing your efficiency and saving that most valuable commodity, time.
Again, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I have so much more to say. The bottom line is training/upskilling in the following areas is an immediate need and essential:
Candidate selection/sifting?
Preparation?
Interviewing techniques to include skills, character and behavioural questions?
Effective Candidate management?
Brand protection and future planning?
Process management?
Effective Onboarding?
My methodology and skills in recruitment and psychology can help improve your recruitment process and future proof your business for the coming recession. Contact Lucy Allen at Trifecta Consulting Services to start the conversation.
Contact Lucy Allen @Trifectaconsultingservices or fill out the enquiry form on the GCR website.
