Struggling to Get Applicants? Why You Need to Examine Your Hiring Process and How Long It Takes to Hear Back

Like many employers, you may be having difficulty filling your job openings. One of the reasons may be that you take too long to respond to candidates.

Regular follow-up throughout your hiring process is important. This may include letting candidates know you received their application, would like to schedule an interview or are considering offering them a job. It also involves what the next steps in the process are and when the candidate should expect to hear from you.

Discover why regular communication throughout your hiring process is an effective way to hire the best applicants.

Respect

Responding to each candidate shows you respect their time. Applying for a job takes a significant amount of research and decision-making. Expressing interest in working for your company says a great deal about your organization. Showing appreciation is important.

Realistically, you may be unable to personally respond to each candidate. As a result, you might want to automate your responses with your applicant tracking system (ATS). This helps provide a positive candidate experience.

Candidate Engagement

Top candidates have many employment options. Following up with them throughout your hiring process helps keep them engaged. This increases the odds that your best candidates will accept potential job offers from you.

Be sure to let each candidate know when they should expect to hear from you. Also, fulfill these expectations as much as possible. If you need to extend a timeframe, let each candidate know as soon as possible.

Candidate Experience

Effectively following up throughout your hiring process improves the candidate experience. This helps set your company apart from the competition. It also helps you hire more high-quality candidates.

Even if you’re not ready to provide a job offer, share with your most desirable candidates feedback on their interviews. This encourages them to want to work for your organization.

Talent Pipelines

The more you keep in contact with candidates, the more your talent pipelines remain filled. A candidate who has a positive experience with your company but isn’t offered a job may apply for a role in the future. They also might refer other candidates to your organization.

Employer Brand

Regular follow-up with each candidate enhances your employer brand. The more you communicate with candidates, the more positive your company’s reputation remains.

Many candidates post reviews on Glassdoor and other employer review sites. They’re likely to share positive reviews when you follow up on an ongoing basis. This encourages other candidates to apply to your organization.

Want Help Hiring?

If you’re not regularly following up with candidates, you may be having trouble filling your jobs. Ongoing communication with candidates promotes respect for their time, engagement in the hiring process, and a positive candidate experience. It also helps keep your talent pipeline full and your employer brand positive.

If you need help hiring, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can match you with qualified candidates to fill your business needs. Learn more today.

Where Did All the Candidates Go? What to do In a Candidate-Driven Marketplace

Finding the right candidates for your company’s available positions can be difficult enough in a normal marketplace. But, when the marketplace is driven by candidates, the search can be downright challenging. In a candidate driven marketplace, you will find that the pool of qualified employees shrinks very quickly. When this happens, you need to have a plan in place to find an employee for your open job.

Here’s how to find and recruit the best employees in a candidate-driven job market.

Appeal to the Candidate’s Lifestyle

An excellent way to compete in a candidate-driven marketplace is to appeal to the lifestyle of the candidate. Aside from offering an excellent compensation package, offer an employee incentive program that rewards employees for their hard work and dedication to help them achieve their dreams. Also consider offering flexible scheduling so your employees are better able to balance their life outside of the office.

Become a Desired Employer

In order to compete in a candidate-driven marketplace, you will need to become a desired employer. This can be done by promising your employees a place that allows them the chance to build a long-term career. Do not become a company that is just a stop-over for employees as they move up the corporate ladder. Instead, become a company that encourages employees to stay the length of their careers, finishing up in top leadership positions.  Provide mentorship and training opportunities to develop your employees.

Focus on an Attractive Culture

The culture at your company needs to be as positive as possible if you want to compete for the best candidates in a candidate driven marketplace. Candidates from Generation Y want to work in an office setting that has a positive culture. They thrive off the atmosphere and want to have co-workers with whom they can get along with and have great interactions with while working together.  When you develop an attractive culture, you will be able to bring in some of the most talented candidates in the marketplace.

Look Outside the Box

When you are really struggling to find candidates in a candidate-driven marketplace, consider looking outside the box. Think about hiring entrepreneurs who might be looking to come back to a corporate setting, parents who took time off to raise children, or people who took time off to earn a second or third degree. They will be just as eager to succeed and will bring a wealth of knowledge to your company.

Find Out What Candidates REALLY Want

When interviewing candidates for open jobs, you need to find out what it is they are looking for in their career. Place emphasis on the career goals of the candidates and what their individual ambitions are. When you find this out, you can do your best to make their career dreams attainable.

In a candidate-driven marketplace, a company needs to put in an 110 percent effort in order to find qualified employees for open jobs. If your company uses the information from this post, then finding a strong candidate should not be an issue.

Casey Resources provides a number of services for clients and candidates to be successful in their job search. Contact a leading staffing firm in Chicago to learn more  today.