Don’t Let Candidates Slip Through The Cracks
Don't Let Your Next Employee Slip Through The Cracks
What would you do if you found out your sales team was waiting several days before following up with a prospect? I imagine this would not make you very happy. Well, the same mindset should be taken when it comes to candidates applying for a job with your company. Your recruiting department is losing candidates if they are not attending to applications promptly.
With unemployment still hovering around 3.6% (as of May 2022), the labor market remains tight. As you and your team continue your recruiting efforts, it is important that you are not leaving good candidates on the table.
Below I will share a few tips to help you streamline your candidate acquisition process and ensure you are not missing out on candidates who are interested in working for your company
Contacting Applicants
Recruiting new employees can be overwhelming. Whether it is the large number of applications, or what seems like constant voicemail messages, recruiting can be exhausting. That is why you must be patient, resilient, and STRATEGIC.
Our team has found that for every hour you delay contacting a candidate, the odds of successfully connecting with the candidate shrinks. That is why we recommend being strategic about your recruiting strategy.
Below are a few examples to increase your success rate:
- Schedule recruiting blocks throughout the day to ensure all new candidates are reviewed promptly.
- Only advertise positions when your team has the bandwidth to contact the candidates who apply.
- If a candidate is working, reach out to them at times when your odds of reaching them are higher (lunch time and evenings).
Scheduling Interviews
It may make sense to schedule interviews when it is convenient for you, but we challenge you to be more flexible with your calendar. When you and your team are reaching out to applicants, it is critical that you settle on an interview time that works for the candidate. Depending on the position, there is a good chance that the applicant has other interviews scheduled and you do not want them to ghost you.
Here are a few tips our team lives by:
- Schedule interviews for the next day. On day 3, the probability of the candidate ghosting you goes up nearly 47%. (This is based on internal interview statistics at our Candidate Source offices)
- Try to schedule interviews on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Our team sees the highest number of no shows on Mondays and Fridays. This is especially true around holiday weekends.
Offer Letters
This may seem straightforward, but do not drag your feet if you interview a candidate you like. While it may not be realistic in all scenarios, we recommend being ready to make an offer upon completion of an interview.
If you interviewing a candidate and feel like they are the one, DO NOT DELAY. If they leave your office without a job, there is a good chance they get another position before you make your offer.
We recommend having an offer letter ready to go or, at the very least, let the candidate know they can expect an offer letter later that day.
Technology & Expertise
If you are looking to maximize your recruiting team’s success, we recommend incorporating additional technology and expertise into your process:
Texting:
- People flat out don’t answer the phone at the same rate as they did just a few years ago. Our team utilizes a texting system to follow up with candidates who we do not reach by phone. This gives candidates the chance to research who we are, and call us back at a more convenient time.
- Our team also utilizes texting to schedule interview reminders, schedule changes, important updates, and other important messages. These days, phones are nearly glued to people’s hands and a text has become a critical tool for relaying important info.
- We recommend https://www.textrequest.com
ChatBots:
- Many times, applicants hear about your business and want to learn more about your employment opportunities. By having a Chatbot on your website, you can capture these curious visitors and encourage them to apply. This is a proactive way to attract talent even if you are not actively hiring.
Staffing:
- By outsourcing you’re recruiting to a staffing firm you can ensure that your applicants are being contacted promptly, and no one is slipping through the cracks. Staffing firms have robust recruiting teams that are in constant communication with candidates.
- You can dedicate a few hours per week to interviews and the staffing firm will do the rest.
Interested in learning more? Candidate Source is based in Richmond, VA and provides temporary staffing, direct hire recruiting and consulting services to companies is Charlottesville, Richmond, Norfolk, and the Tri-Cities area.