Communication throughout the hiring process
Communication is a two-way street and it is vital to have a plan from the beginning of the hiring process. Its effectiveness is phenomenal and comes at no price but it is costly if not given the necessary importance.
From a candidate’s side be mindful of the reason you have applied for the job and be capable of enunciating it during the interview and why the company appeals to you. Look up the people you will be meeting during the interview so you understand their background, this will help you answer questions and place some context too.
When employers ask about your experience and background it’s good to walk them through it in a timeline fashion. Mention your strengths and where you see yourself in the future. It helps if you acquire an understanding of what is lacking in the company, team or management so that you can explain what you can bring to the table. Do your research on the role you have applied for to understand what is your worth within the market and can confidently answer the question ‘what are your salary expectations?’.
It always helps the interviewees to use the S.T.A.R. or C.A.R.L. technique to have a framework for a thorough professional reflection and aids you to answer behavioural interview questions. The acronyms stand for S.T.A.R.; ‘situation’, ‘task’, ‘action’, ‘results’ and C.A.R.L.; ‘context’, ‘action’, ‘result’, ‘learning’. This provides a structure to the way you respond to an interview question. It helps if you create a presentation with visuals as it will reinforce what you are sharing with the interviewers and it increases the chances that what you said during that hour or so keeps resonating.
Last but not least be yourself – you want to be hired for you and for your capabilities. Putting up a fake front will neither benefit you nor the employer especially if you are selected for the position.
Employers need to be conscious that candidates react differently to the recruitment process – some might be confident others might be anxious all throughout, thus they are affected as to how they are treated throughout the hiring process. These emotions can easily turn into frustration if they are ghosted. This impacts their final decision when presented with a job offer and also how they perceive the company even if they are not selected for the role. If the candidates are engaged, they will speak highly of the company and this helps with employer branding.
Despite that recruiters can be inundated with resumes, it is etiquette to revert back to applicants notifying them of the company’s recruitment process and status. This can be done by setting an automatic reply that will not take up anyone’s time. Creating templates saves time but do try to customize to add that personal touch.
Explain the recruitment process or the next steps after each conversation/ interview so that the candidate knows what to expect. When possible provide feedback as to why the candidate was not selected. Do not elongate the process unnecessarily by making timely decisions.
Key talent will probably have more than one job offer on the table so make sure not to leave them hanging – they will take silence as rejection and chances are that they will take up another opportunity.
Communication does not stop at the offer stage but it extends throughout the lifetime of the employee with the company. During the onboarding, it is fit to introduce the person to the whole team and not just mention their job title, reporting lines, and department. Say something interesting about the person; background, experience, hobbies, interests. This will give the other employees grounds to pick up a conversation with the newbie.
After the first working day, catch-up over a coffee and see how the person is feeling. From day one you will get a feeling where the person is at and remember they have a pair of fresh eyes and they can discuss things that the company is lacking which can be enhanced or established, as they are not accustomed to the norm. The first six months of the employment is a testing period from both sides to ensure a good fit with the company, culture, team, and the role. Frequent one-to-ones are highly suggested during this stage of employment.
When you build a connection with the potential employer or with the candidates the chances are that you’ll be remembered. The need for connection is at the core in each and every person so use it wisely and genuinely.