Good manners are free but a poor customer service will cost your agency dear.
Reputation
is a truly valuable commodity for recruiters which is why negative
press brought on by an avoidably poor candidate experience, can tarnish
an agency and lose you future business.
In a recent
survey by Shortlister.com, 80% of candidates who experience an
unsatisfactory recruitment process revealed that they openly tell people
about their experience, with a third proactively doing so.
Social
media now acts as a shopfront for disgruntled customers to very
publicly plaster their experiences with an agency on, and according to
visual content marketers Visual.ly, 70% of candidates take to social
networks with their gripes.
Alternatively, a good
candidate experience is one of the best forms of free marketing you have
available to you, as word of mouth referrals and a glowing reputation
will drive traffic to your agency equally as much as complainants will
bat it away.
So what makes a good candidate experience?
The right role for the right candidate
Time
is valuable in business which is why nobody wants to waste their time
chasing a role that is either not suitable to them or they’re not
qualified for, and the last thing a candidate wants to experience is
finding this out later rather than sooner.
Clearly
define the role your advertising so that candidates are clear on the
necessary qualities they need and whether they are the right fit – this
also means recruiters vetting processes need to be thorough from the
start.
Simple application process
A
drawn out ten page form where the answer to one question is dangerously
similar to another, and all comes to a loss when it refuses to submit
on the last page, is going to infuriate candidates. Keep it simple and
keep it relevant.
Maintain the lines of communication
No
news is certainly not good news, which is why a candidate will
thank-you for regular feedback on how the process is going. If a
candidate does not get the role then make sure you don’t leave them in
the dark over the outcome, as they could be better dedicating their time
searching for another role.
Follow-up and feedback
Taking
the time to feedback on the recruitment process, regardless of whether a
candidate gets the role or not, it will allow recruiters to better
tailor their candidate experience moving forward.
About:
Peter O'Donnell is responsible for Business Development for
Sonovate,
contract finance provider for recruitment agencies placing contractors,
that was set-up by recruiters for recruitment. It guarantees 100%
weekly profit with the technology to eliminate the administration of
running contractors.
