What makes a candidate notice your company?

Ambro@freedigitalphotos.net

Attracting quality candidates can be difficult and the last thing you want when you do find one is for them to get poached by a competitor. When you’re in the process of recruiting, what can you do to not only get good candidates to notice you but also choose your company over one that may be able to offer better pay for example?

Take time with your job descriptions

75% of job seekers say that the look and feel of a job posting influences their decision about whether or not to apply for a role. Typically, a candidate will spend less than 30 seconds reviewing a post so make sure that your advert stands out and also ensure that you highlight the benefits of working for your company.

Also make sure that your job postings accurately reflect your brand. Despite the importance of this, 51% of companies don’t offer clear employment branding messages.

Embrace social media

The majority of job seekers will now turn to social media to find vacancies. In a recent survey of people looking for a new role, 56% said that they would use Facebook and 69% said they would use LinkedIn to search and apply for jobs.

More and more companies are also starting to utilise other social media platforms. Amongst those who were surveyed, 47% said that they use Twitter for recruitment, 16% use blogging and 12% use YouTube. 40% of respondents said that they use an impressive three or more of these sites for recruitment.

Stay in touch

Just because a candidate isn’t suitable for the role you’re advertising now, it doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be a great asset to your team in the future. Even if someone is unsuccessful in their application, make sure that you thank them for their time and let them know that you won’t be inviting them in for an interview.

It’s also crucial to keep in touch with candidates who you are considering for the role. A whopping 77% of job applicants receive absolutely no communication from organisations after submitting their CV. Good candidates will get snapped up quickly so if they don’t hear from you while you’re finalising your list of interviewees, they will more than likely move on.

If this alone isn’t enough to convince you, bear in mind that an unbelievable 90% of job seekers who are treated with courtesy and given a personal touch say that they would encourage others to join the company in the future.

Survey candidates

Regardless of whether they have been successful or not, don’t be afraid to ask candidates for feedback about your hiring process. This can help you to highlight the recruiting practices that are working as well as those that need improvement.

When surveyed, 34% of job candidates strongly agreed that their experience during the hiring process affects their decision about whether or not to accept a job. 32% also said that they are less likely to purchase products or use the services of organisations that didn’t respond to their job application.

If you would like help with your recruitment process, please feel free to contact Choralis Consulting and we will be more than happy to help.