Managing your Brand & Job Seeker Experience- throughout the Recruitment Experience
“95% of consumers talk about poor customer service experiences with other people” – American Express
Brand is all about how you make people feel and the emotive reactions they have when they see, hear or experience your brand.
So the fact this is critical when hiring talented individuals sounds simple enough and important to business success right?
When it comes to one of the most important activities a company undertakes, hiring their people, it is therefore concerning that this is often not reflected in the process and experience that job seekers face.
We receive constant feedback from job seekers about the very poor experiences they have had, often with little to no response from organisations and recruiters, around their applications interest and limited to no feedback post interviews.
Whilst there is absolutely no excuse for not championing your brand or ensuring that people have a positive experience, are treated with courtesy and respect throughout a recruitment/hiring process, this is often due to time pressures on the person recruiting, limited expertise/ knowledge in recruitment, poor systems/ technology support or a combination of all these factors.
So what is the potential damage if this is not done well?
– Your company brand is diminished and people share this with their peers, significant others and on social media platforms. Just think about the last time you booked a trip somewhere and the first thing you did was check ratings for your hotel on Trip Advisor right?
– Your personal brand is affected – if people have an experience which is less than favourable then this will shape their future opinion of both you and the business.
– You do not secure your choice for the role and settle or have to repeat the process and go back to market – with people’s perception that the role is not appealing and there is good reason for this.
– If you do not have the right plan to find talent then you potentially will only see active and available people and do not tap into individuals currently employed who may be your first choice and ideal for the opportunity and role but are not actively in the market.
Plan for Success:
So how can you ensure that when hiring you avoid damage to your brand and that people have a positive experience, regardless of outcomes?
1. Plan – with a clear ‘go to market’ strategy for your opportunity/ role
2. Communicate – clearly with all parties and ensure that timeframes and process are defined
3. Timing & Readiness – make sure timing and appetite is right and that you are ready to hire at this time, without delays and all parties can commit to this. Once you start a process then be ready to see this to fruition with 100% commitment to end result.
4. Expert Advice – speak/ engage with an external professional recruitment advice/ to ensure you understand the market, offset potential barriers to hiring and best position your brand+ agree the right channels to find your desired talent. They are often closer to the market, trends and this is what they do for a profession.
5. Tools – have defined interviewing questions and techniques and use a ranking/benchmarking tool/scale to assist you, take good notes and ensure these are aligned to the company ethos, traits and behavioural understanding and to the key drivers and traits you are looking for to ensure the person is successful in your business and the role.
5. Acknowledge & Empathise – thank people for their time and investment in the journey and remember that looking for your next career move is often a time consuming and challenging task (with lots of associated emotions attached so treat them as you would like to be treated).
6. Review – take away learnings for future application and ask for feedback from those involved in the process.
On- Boarding Experience:
Don’t forget the experience does not stop here and first impressions count (and often determine the retention and engagement from day 1) The on-boarding experience starts before people arrive on day 1 and immediately post offer acceptance. You can do this by:
- Sending a welcome email and check in before they start to let them know what to expect on day 1, week 1 and so on.
- Arranging business cards and tools of trade ready for day 1
- Arranging a welcome and time with key team members ( I have always taken my new starters for breakfast on Day 1 and some icebreakers with their team).
- Allocate time and a buddy for their first few weeks/ months
- If you can – send them some onboarding information to digest and familiarise themselves before they start and accelerate learning and comfort levels
- Arrange formal check ins and review time in advance and a plan for their induction to people and the business.
For more information about the author – Michelle Visser or information around managing your brand, candidate experience and on- boarding for success speak to Co- Directors – Wayne & Michelle at Fusion Partners today or visits us at: www.fusionpartners.co.nz
