“I’ve lost a candidate and I don’t know why. What went wrong?”
This is still a phrase we hear all too often in the world of recruitment. Many companies forget to roll out the red-carpet treatment from the very first engagement in the interview process.
The result?
The candidate walks away.
So, what are the ways companies keep losing candidates? Let’s have a look:
Ways Companies Loose Candidates
- Ghosting – engaging with a candidate for part of the process then dropping all contact.
- Time – taking too long to review CVs, book interviews, or provide feedback.
- Disinterest – showing no interest in candidates personally – only what they can give back to the company.
- Disengagement – no commitment to the process, or willingness to engage with the candidate outside of the interview.
- Under offering – trying to get a deal so offering the lowest possible, with the hopes of the candidate accepting.
- Culture – a toxic culture easily drives away prospective employees.
- Underselling – the job, the company, the opportunity!
- Aggressive interviews – outdated interrogation-style interview techniques.
- Longwinded process – multiple drawn-out interview stages and additional interview tasks/tests to complete.
- Poor reputation – word of mouth, online reviews, and other channels – a bad reputation spreads!
There are some simple ways to stop losing candidates and to wow them instead.
Ways to Keep Candidates
- Ghosting – just don’t do it! If you don’t like a candidate or have decided to stop the recruitment process altogether, then communicate it! It only takes 5 mins out of your day, but your reputation remains intact.
- Time – set strict deadlines for reviewing CVs and providing feedback. The whole process should be a 5-7 day turnaround, with CV feedback within the first 2 hours.
- Disinterest – ask about the candidate at the interview stage. Get to know them and build a rapport. Remember, they are choosing you as much as you them.
- Disengagement – commit to the interview process, and before you start hiring, ensure you have set aside adequate time.
- Under offering – offer what the candidate wants and deserves – it’s more likely they’ll accept the first time.
- Culture – look inwardly at your culture – make sure it is an inclusive workplace that encourages staff, rather than undermines them. A toxic culture will put people off.
- Underselling – from the first point of contact, you need to sell to potential employees – sell the opportunity, the working environment, and the long-term prospects. You need to show them why it’s so amazing to work for your organisation.
- Aggressive interviews – no one wants to experience “The Apprentice” style interviewing. It’s unnecessary – you want to put candidates at ease during the interview so they can really excel and show you what they’re capable of.
- Longwinded process – keep the process to 2 stages (or less!) where possible. The longer the process, the higher chance of a candidate being snapped up elsewhere, or just losing interest altogether.
- Poor reputation – things like Glassdoor reviews can feel unreversible, but there is something you can do to combat a poor reputation. Firstly, start implementing the changes internally to remove the toxic culture and things that led to these negative reviews. Secondly, be upfront about them from the start. Be the one to draw the candidate’s attention to it, but explain how you’re already changing it, and the successes you’ve seen so far. They will appreciate your honesty, rather than discovering for themselves the negative reviews further into the interview process.
Be the company that stands out from others, by giving candidates the best experience from the start.
If you’re not sure how or where to implement changes, then get in touch with us. We provide a free Recruitment Healthcheck, to help you get the most out of your hiring process.
