You find that perfect candidate. You’re excited about their prospects and the team-building possibilities they bring. Then, surprisingly, they say, “no.” What happened? What deal-breaker prevented you from landing your top candidate?
Sometimes, it doesn’t even come to the point of an offer. The deal-breakers can show up at the job description stage. As a result, you might miss out on your best candidate before they even get a chance to apply.
Employers often assume they have most of the leverage in discussions with candidates. After all, the average open position will receive 250 applications. However, the large volume of choices doesn’t suggest the true power dynamic.
True, it’s easy to get candidates. Hundreds of candidates. But hiring isn’t about volume. It’s about finding that one perfect fit. In other words, it’s harder to get top-flight, qualified candidates.
That’s a bigger trick. A separate Glassdoor survey showed that more than three-quarter (76%) of people making hiring decisions say they have trouble attracting quality candidates. Giving these numbers, it’s obvious how the best talent has more leverage than it seemed at first.
Because of this lack of top-tier prospects, it’s crucial to make your positions and your organization as attractive as possible. You don’t want to do anything to scare off the best applicants.
There are steps you can take. By eliminating as many obvious deal-breakers as possible, you can increase your chances of recruiting the best candidates to your organization. As detailed in our comprehensive eBook about the future of recruiting, a survey conducted by the American Staffing Association identified seven common roadblocks to connecting with candidates:
Inappropriate Interview Questions
Yes, you want to know as much as you can about every candidate. But there are places you shouldn’t go. Personal questions or ones that suggest any kind of bias (you know, the illegal ones) are likely to turn off the best candidates.
Unrealistic Requirements
Wanting a superstar is one thing. Insisting that every candidate needs to have superstar potential can cause problems. Maybe you’ll find a unicorn willing to work 70-hour weeks with no overtime pay. But listing that as a requirement for the job is just going to scare people off.
Misrepresenting Job Duties
Don’t pull a bait-and-switch with your recruiting process. Clearly describe the open position and don’t try to transition a new hire to a different role without discussing it with them beforehand. Doing so will just have them eyeing the door at exactly the time when they should feel a maximum level of optimism and excitement.
Aggressive Recruiting Behavior
Think about the stereotypical used-car salesperson, chasing you around the lot, talking fast, and making unrealistic promises. How would you respond? Well, you’re more likely to head to a different dealership than you are to “get into a car today.” The same principle holds with recruiting. Overdo your pitch, and candidates are likely going to look for another opportunity.
Not Responding to Questions
Recruiting is essentially about making a connection. That process requires communication…the kind of interaction that moves in both directions. Candidates have questions and concerns. In order to pique their interest in your organization, you should be ready to address those queries.
Poor Follow-Up Processes
Finding a job is stressful. You can alleviate some of that anxiety by keeping your candidates informed. Give them approximate timelines related to your hiring process and let them know when their status changes. A robust follow-up process will endear your company to your top applicants. Meanwhile, a lousy follow-up procedure could cause you to lose out on top talent. Your best prospects could get frustrated and move on to other opportunities.
No Face-to-Face Contact During Hiring
A lack of face-to-face contact has become the new normal in the wake of the COVID outbreak. The pandemic has forced companies to rely on remote interviews and other techniques to replace in-person discussions.
However, just because you can’t meet in the same room doesn’t mean the interaction has to be impersonal. It just means you have to put in the extra effort to make a connection. Use video to simulate the in-person feeling. At the same time, ramp up your other communication to compensate.
Building the best team means attracting the best talent. You need to scour your recruitment process for potential deal breakers to make sure you have the inside track to land the top candidates. Partnering with a strong recruiter, like Recruiting In Motion, helps you achieve this goal.
Check out the eBook on the future of recruiting and contact Recruiting In Motion today.
