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Candidate Experience: THE RULESTime-tested Secrets to Snagging Candidates

Candidate Experience: THE RULES

Time-tested Secrets to Snagging CandidatesNormally we’re not ones to impose rules on other people, but you are a recruiter unlike any other. You are a master of your domain, a highly sought after job matching expert. Guru, ninja, magician, you are all that and then some. And this is exactly why you need The Rules.

Unlike today’s hit-and-miss recruiting tactics, “The Rules” recognizes this particular truth of the Information Age: candidates want an experience when searching out employment. Candidates know what they’re looking for. They are savvy and able to ƒPF�CPUYGTU�VQ�SWGUVKQPU��6JG[�YCPV�C�OGCPKPIHWN�GZRGTKGPEGŲHTQO�[QW��#PF�VJG[�want it now!

Today’s candidate sounds demanding, right? They’re not. They are simply products of the digital age. They know how to connect and are fully aware of the speed and power of digital. Their experience with your brand has to be easy and exciting in order to be grabbing. The more of both, the better chance you have of capturing their hearts and minds.

The Rules are simple, progressive, and they work! If you can apply them whilst accepting occasional defeat (because you are human and it will happen), they will help you CESWKTG� VJG�MPQYNGFIG�CPF�FKUEKRNKPG� VQ� NCPF� VJG�ECPFKFCVGU�[QW�YCPV� VQ� NCPF�� VJG�right ones! The goal? To have you on top of your recruiting game, ready and prepared for any job opening that comes your way.

These rules are cutting edge, but they are also time-tested and proven. And you can implement them today. Right now. Every top recruiter that has gone before you knows them like the back of their hand. A simple list of dos and don’ts, let “The Rules” NGCF�[QW�VQ�YJGTG�[QW�PGGF�VQ�IQ��UYKOOKPI�KP�VQR�VCNGPV�VJCV�ƒVU�[QWT�QTICPK\CVKQP�

Team WePow.

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DOThink Like A Candidate

When you create your hiring process, are you thinking about what would make your NKHG�GCUKGT�QT�[QWT�ECPFKFCVGUŨ�NKHG�GCUKGT!�6JKU�KU�C�ETWEKCN�SWGUVKQP�VQ�QRGPKPI�WR�VJG�door to possibility. If your hiring process is designed for you, chances are it doesn’t cover the needs of candidates. Start with empathy. Put yourself in the candidates’ shoes. In doing so, you’ll design not just a process but an amazing experience.

DON’T Rely on Yourself

Despite your capacity for empathy, you don’t want to simply go off instinct here. Talk to people who are currently actively looking for jobs or those that are passive listeners. Ask what they’d like to see in their job search experience, and what they would want to see in a company they would want to work for. Take notes and study their responses. Be students of the candidates you dream of having. Then consider how you’d attract them. Attraction is the name of the game. Design your process accordingly.

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Rule 1

DODesign a Winning Website Today everyone is online, even your grandma! How’s your career page looking? Is it

good for grandma, or is it incredibly inspiring for candidates? Are your openings

current and completely accurate? Is it inspiring and well thought out or simply an

extension of your corporate site? Get your game on point. Candidates submitting

applications for an old job posting is unacceptable. A career page that is easy to navigate

and use, that is branded to tell real stories and motivate, will do wonders. In fact, it will

work for you while you sleep!

DON’T Neglect the Details They don’t say the devil is in the details without reason! Let your brand voice shine

through in job descriptions, career page copy, visual assets, and all of your candidate

communications. Test links, test the process, test the experience! Let candidates

know exactly what is going to happen and when and what they can expect. Put your

brand mark on every word you say, every image you create, every conversation you

have. Take responsibility and be proud of what you put forward.

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Rule 2

DOBe Social

Being a social recruiter isn’t about tweeting job postings. It never was. If you’ve done this in the past, you know now. Move on. Tweeting job postings is simply promoting. 9JCV� [QW�YCPV� VQ� FQ� KU� EQPPGEV��9KVJ� UQ�OCP[� ECPFKFCVGU� EWTTGPVN[� ƒPFKPI� LQDU�online, social is a necessary touch point to building a killer talent community. Engage your network everywhere you are. Grow your network as a practice. Social is an opportunity to meet new people, engage a network of potential candidates and showcase yourawesome company a.k.a., employment brand.

DON’T Push Your Agenda

Your agenda is boring. But YOU are not. If you’re using Social Media as a publishing tool for your agenda, you’re losing out. Human beings love to connect, so give them something to connect to. That would be you. Give them the floor to express themselves. 1HHGT� JGNRHWN� CFXKEG� HQT� ECPFKFCVGU�� UJQY� [QW� CTG� JWOCP�� CPF� CUM� KPSWKUKVKXGSWGUVKQPU�CDQWV�QVJGT�RGQRNG�CPF�EQORCPKGU��9JGP�[QWŨTG�IGPGTQWU�[QW�OCMG�UQNKF�connections with solid people. Then and only then will people care about your agenda.

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Rule 3

DOAcknowledge Applications

Do you respond to every application submitted? There’s no excuse these days to not have some sort of communication in place. Automate it if you must, but do let candidates know you’ve received their applications. You’ve heard it said and that’s because it’s true: communication is key. It is a key ingredient to the work we do because we connect over words. Every candidate is a person with a heart and a soul and you owe it to them to let them know what’s up. After all, interviewing is very personal for candidates not simply a process.

DON’T Create A Black Hole of Death

Few things are more disheartening to candidates than going to all the trouble of submitting C�TGUWOG�CPF�EQXGT�NGVVGT�QPN[�VQ�JGCTŲPQVJKPI��%CP�[QW�KOCIKPG�JQY�FKUEQWTCIGF�you’d feel? If that’s not enough to get you to change things up, let’s talk money. Remember that every candidate is either a customer or a potential customer. Would you just not respond to a customer?

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Rule 4

DOTreat Candidates How You’d Want To Be Treated

Remember the Golden Rule? You learned it way back in kindergarten so it was a long time ago. It goes like this: “Do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Apply this timeless wisdom to your hiring process. Treat candidates with respect, attention, and care. Value their time just as much as you value your own. Say “thank you” and follow up. It is even more important if they aren’t moving on in your search. You can stand apart with this simple action.

DON’T Have An Application Process That Sucks

#UMKPI�ECPFKFCVGU�VQ�EQORNGVG�VKOG�EQPUWOKPI�RTQLGEVU�QT�NGPIVJ[�SWGUVKQPPCKTGU�KU�not going to do one thing for you. Well, it will actually. It will irritate candidates. It will especially irritate the high performers who are already very invested in the work that’s in front of them and don’t like having to take a ton of time away to “prove” themselves worthy of your consideration. The burden here falls on you to know how to look at their portfolio of work and be able to determine from that whether or not they are a candidate worthy of pursuing.

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Rule 5

DOGive Feedback To Candidates

Just because you’ve turned down a candidate, doesn’t mean the conversation stops there. Your opinion counts, too, and you thought they’d be good for the job, right? Let them know that. Thank them. Tell them how they can improve or what more you were looking for. Ask them to connect with you on social and keep in touch. Tell them that [QWŨNN�DG�NQQMKPI�HQT�HWVWTG�QRRQTVWPKVKGU�VJCV�OKIJV�DG�C�DGVVGT�ƒV��6JGP��FQ�LWUV�VJCV��

DON’T Give Feedback That Is Cliché or Dishonest

+H�[QW�ECPŨV�IKXG�URGEKƒE�HGGFDCEM�VJCV� KU�TGNGXCPV�VQ�VJG�RCTVKEWNCT�ECPFKFCVG��FQPŨV�bother giving any at all. Candidates see through your cliché reasons as to why they aren’t moving on. You’re not fooling anyone. You want to be of real value to people, right? Be real with them. If there isn’t a helpful reason as to why your candidate isn’t moving on, don’t make one up.

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Rule 6

DOAsk For Feedback From Candidates

You forgot about this one, didn’t you? Perhaps that’s because you’re worried about YJCV�ECPFKFCVGU�JCXG�VQ�UC[��6JCVŨU�IQQF��;QW�UJQWNF�DG��+ŨO�UWTG�VJG[�YKNN�ƒPF�HCWNV�with your process, especially if they weren’t hired on for the job. That’s also okay. You will know what’s true feedback when you read it and then you’ll be able to respond accordingly and get better at what you do.

DON’T Assume You’re Doing Everything Right

Nothing is more unattractive than ego. You want to get better at recruiting? You want to make good hires -- hires that are excited to be at your company and commit to you for the long run? Let go of you. Take on a learner’s mentality. The learner is always learning, always getting better at what they do. You won’t always do everything right because you’re human, but you can learn to be better at what you do. And you can strive for perfection. Striving for perfection is the only thing acceptable for landing the perfect candidate. Remember, you attract what you project!

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Rule 7

Congratulations! You now know “The Rules.” The rest is up to you! Apply them and start winning or ignore them and continue down the road you are on. We want you winning and we’re here to help!

6Q�UGG�JQY�[QWT�QTICPK\CVKQP�EQWNF�DGPGƒV� HTQO�WUKPI�9G2QY�XKFGQ� KPVGTXKGYKPI��visit: www.wepow.com and click Free Demo.

Bridget Webb

vp of marketing WePow, Incbridget@wepow.com

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