As demand for good IT candidates increases, more and more Hiring Managers are expressing difficulties in attracting top talent.
Employer branding is pivotal.
Unfortunately process issues on the employer side can have a negative impact on the company brand leading perfect hires to lose interest.
Let me tell you about a scenario I see all too often….
A client was looking to hire a new Cloud Solutions Architect and decided to interview our candidate (Lisa) for the role. Lisa had all the necessary qualifications and experience for the job, and the hiring manager was impressed with her during the initial interview.
However, as the recruitment process continued, the client failed to communicate effectively with feedback on Lisa’s progress. Despite repeated attempts to follow up with the Hiring Manager and the company’s HR department, we never received any response. After weeks of waiting without any update from the company, Lisa became frustrated and disengaged from the process.
By the time the client finally came back to say they would like to proceed with Lisa for the role, she’d received an offer from another company . They had communicated with her regularly and kept her informed of the timeline for the next stages of the process. Lisa accepted the offer from the other company, and our client lost a highly qualified candidate due to their disorganized recruitment process.
4 Causes of Candidate Disengagement
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Bad communication – Keeping open channels of communication is key. Taking the time to keep the candidate in the loop pays dividends in attracting top talent.
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Slow decision-making – Great candidates will likely be snapped up elsewhere if your internal recruitment process takes too long.
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Lack of feedback – Nothing disengages candidates more than silence. Both parties have given up their time to engage in the recruitment process and deserve the courtesy of timely feedback.
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Unrealistic expectations – Certain factors may impact the recruitment process. For example, does the technical experience required match the minimum years’ experience stipulated for the role? Or perhaps you’re trying to combine two roles into one? While we all want to find the perfect candidate match for the role, make sure you talk to your recruiter about the differentiators that may impact the search.
Months later, the company reached out to us about a new job opportunity that was a good fit for Lisa’s skills and experience. Lisa was hesitant to apply for the job due to her previous negative experience with the company’s recruitment process and ultimately decided not to apply.
Losing a candidate due to internal process issues is deflating for all parties; everyone has invested time in the process and the outcome is often a long-term negative impression of the employer brand. Yes, there will be times when the candidate is not the best fit for the role, but with care and communication, they should come out of the process with a positive experience of the client brand.
My advice if you are losing candidates?
Use your recruiter effectively. Experience shows that the best partnerships are built when there is a cohesive relationship between the client and the recruiter. If we are aware of internal matters, we can keep the candidate in the loop effectively and ensure your company brand remains intact.
