With the urge for new technologies that help recruitment processes to be more effective we need to keep our conversations towards people, processes and products, and think about the role that technology plays in our jobs. William Tincup, has written over 250 HR articles, spoken at over 350 HR & recruiting conferences and conducted over 1300 HR podcasts & webinars and today he shares with us his thoughts about the importance of a candidate-centric recruitment process.
By: Admin Ramirez
Candidate experience is gaining more and more importance within recruiting, as it not only helps recruiting the best talent, but also shapes an organization’s employer brand. In the process of creating a good experience, William suggests studying and analyzing luxury brands since they are specialists in making their clients feel special and in recruiting. The recruiter must learn to make their candidates feel special.
Academically, the candidate experience is defined as the perception and reaction that candidates have on all points of contact with a company, from social networks, selection process, post-interview experience, etc. All this makes the candidate define an appreciation based on their experience and that directly affects the employer brand.
We are in a turning point where the focus of recruitment should be on customizing the process to identify and meet the candidate’s needs. Now is the time when companies have to aim on allying with technology to create a much more attractive, rewarding and interactive candidate experience for candidates. Which will also help recruiters to identify more effectively, quickly and efficiently the workers who best suit their company. It is time to select beyond the generic.
Going beyond generic implies the creation of a new recruiting manual. The recruiter now requires a new skills set including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, negotiation and technological competencies such as being an advanced user of social networks such as LinkedIn or Twitter. Different technological solutions will focus on automating the most cumbersome tasks in order to make the recruitment team more efficient.
To use technology as a strategic partner in the recruitment process, we must start by defining the criteria that allows us to predict good performance, such as behaviors or skills required for the position. William invites us to put fear aside and rely on technology to improve the candidate experience. “The future is today”, he says, “it is already common to do an interview through a video call, present psychological tests online in a few minutes or upload personal presentation videos to the companies’ web pages”.
The need for automation has led companies to develop predictive algorithms for performance and turn over or artificial intelligence that allows analyzing facial characteristics through video interviews. William recommends not to fall in love with technology just because it is shiny and new.
“Make sure it solves a real problem. Talk to your peers about technology, what works and what doesn’t. Do you know what you do? What are you struggling with? What doesn’t work? Request a demo to be sure. Let´s be informed consumers and interact with another professionals in the field”, states Tincup.
A few important benefits of having a great candidate experiences are the increased mentions and acceptance of the brand by candidates and reduction in the cost of hiring. Thanks to tasks automation and CVs filtering, the time is reduced between 50% and 70% and the conversion rates improved by up to 40%.
The candidate experience has to be understood as a fundamental part of the selection process and intervenes in three distinct phases: before the candidate is considered as such, during the selection process and once it is finished, whether or not the candidate is hired. Every interaction that a candidate has in any of these phases affects their experience and, therefore, their opinion about the company.
The relationship between a candidate and a recruiter is delicate, but achieving a transparent, well-communicated and accessible process can transform the candidate experience and lead to better hiring results.
WILLIAM TINCUP | President, Editor-at-Large at RecruitingDaily.com
