Hiring managers, I know you've got a tough gig. I know you have to go through tons of resumes, cover letters and application materials in order to find the perfect fit. I know the headache of trying to acquire someone who'll stick around for the long run. These notions aside, there is always room for improvement, especially if those improvements are coming at the request of your main audience -- job seekers.
Recent studies indicate most job seekers run into a myriad of communication problems during their search. These issues lead them to think less of an organization: 42 percent of job seekers claim they'd never seek employment at the company again, 22 percent would tell others not to work there, and 9 percent say they'd tell others not to purchase products or services from the company.
Here's the deal: You don't need to overhaul your entire recruiting process. You just need to tweak your strategy, be more attentive and actually understand the other side of the hiring table. Here's how:
Be a positive face for your organization
As a hiring manager, you're the first point of contact many job seekers will ever have. However, 34 percent of job seekers found a company representative didn't present a positive work experience, and an additional 30 percent found the representative wasn't very knowledgeable.
Remember, a candidate scorned can wreak havoc on your organization's reputation. If you were a job seeker, how would you want to be treated? With respect and openness. With that in mind, you should never assume job seekers know everything about the organization or give them a reason to think negatively of a position or company.Overall, you should try to be as positive and transparent as possible. How you act now influences how others will view your organization in the future.
Create more detailed job descriptions
About 43 percent of job seekers say a position did not match the description once they got an interview. So, if your organization looks like it didn't take the time to do its own homework, what does it say about your workplace overall?
Take the time to create more detailed job descriptions. Include examples of company culture, salary ranges, day-to-day duties, perks, time off, even pictures of the office and current employee testimonials if you're so inclined. This way, the candidate is fully informed and won't be surprised once they sit down with you.
Actually follow up
Here's a shocking statistic for you: 75 percent of workers who applied to jobs using various resources in the last year said they never heard back from the employer. Seventy-five percent! Though you may be pummeled with tons of applications, ignoring those who took the time to do research, tailor their application materials and reach out to your organization is not only rude, it's bad company practice.
You need to follow up with candidates at each step of the hiring process. Even if it has to be canned or generic due to high application volume, shoot candidates an email whenever you receive their application, consider them for an interview, or if you decide to go in another direction. Even if the news is bad, it will still keep job seekers from wondering whether or not you're actually considering them for the role and will show them you appreciate their interest.
Use alternative methods
Maybe you're sourcing and hiring candidates, but they don't stay for long. Or perhaps you're having problems locating the ideal employee. When these scenarios constantly happen, it may not be that candidates just aren't trying these days. Your hiring methods could be stale and failing to reach the modern-day job seeker.
Instead of posting positions on a mega job board, think about social recruiting. LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ offer a mecca of information that can help you to scour and reach out to qualified candidates. If your choices don't seem to fit in with your company culture, go the referral route. If you want someone with a certain educational background, get on the ground and use university career centers. While these aren't new strategies, changing it up once in awhile could lead you to better candidates who fit the organization more than if you were to keep going down the same path.
Finding the right employees for the job is an incredibly difficult job. If you want to truly optimize your role, try using the above strategies to source and hire those remarkable workers you've been looking for.
What do you think? What are some other ways to be the perfect hiring manager for candidates?
Val Matta is the vice president of business development at CareerShift, a comprehensive job hunting and career management solution for university career centers that gives students and alumni complete control over their job search. Connect with Val and CareerShift on LinkedIn.