Providing a positive candidate experience is essential to attracting great talent in today’s tight labor market. Yet, a positive interview experience alone may not translate into a hire. Companies must go above and beyond to not only secure a ‘yes’ from a candidate but also ensure that ‘yes’ is lasting.
The happiness and engagement of current employees can play an important role. When interviewing for a job, candidates want a positive connection. The authenticity and genuineness of the people they meet plays an important role in developing camaraderie with a firm, according to 61 percent of job seekers recently surveyed by Indeed.
Job candidates want to know what it’s like to work for your company and to picture themselves there. Our survey also found that 65 percent of job seekers feel most connected to a company whose mission or vision resonates with their values and what they believe in. I find that’s also true of employees who are fully engaged.
Passion for the firm’s mission helps ensure a high level of engagement among employees. What’s more, current employees with positive insights into company culture can act as evangelists, helping to turn candidates into hires.
Here are three tips for turning candidates into hires:
-
Encourage employees to actively engage with candidates. By sharing authentic insights about what it’s like to work for your firm, candidates can develop relationships through the interview process and on social media. 55 percent of job seekers say that having the people they interact with at an interview show familiarity and an active interest in their story builds trust.
-
Enhance the recruiting experience. Give an overview of what to expect, including topics to prepare. Foster engagement by asking specific questions about a candidate’s interest in the firm. Find a balance between structured, skill-based interviews and less structured, empathy-driven conversations.
- Help candidates develop connections within your company. Encourage strong, unstructured relationships with current employees. Keep in touch during the interview process and beyond. 46 percent of candidates say it’s important that recruiters keep in touch after they’ve been hired and started working at the company.
The intersection of candidate experience and employee evangelism is the hiring sweet spot. Create a continuous cycle by turning employees into evangelists. That way you can not only find a great fit for your open role, but also develop an advocate to help attract additional new talent.
Paul Wolfe is SVP of Human Resources at Indeed. He oversees all global human resource functions, including talent acquisition, employee retention, compensation, benefits, and employee development.
Mr. Wolfe has over 15 years of experience as a human resources executive having served as a VP and SVP at number of well-known companies, including Match.com, Orbitz, Conde Nast and Ticketmaster. His specialties include talent acquisition and management, succession planning, performance management, and leadership development.
- 1
- 494 views
Add new comment