The Importance of Candidate Care in 2023

Have you ever been left hanging by a recruiter with little to no feedback as to where you stand in the process? I certainly have. It is very important to not lose sight of the fact that our roles, as recruiters or hiring managers, play with individuals’ livelihoods. We must always respect everyone’s time and efforts in the recruitment process, or even better yet, take the extra steps to ensure that the process is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible for the candidates involved.

Thankfully, I was introduced to the Recruitment industry by ensuring empathy is at the forefront and that a candidate could end up being a future client. I was taught to always treat each candidate with the utmost respect and transparency every step of the way. Not only this but building a relationship with each candidate and making that little extra investment into their career journey.

Following someone’s growth and development has always been a factor in recruitment for me – whether I’ve planned this for my former roles or if I recruit for others. If a client has no growth plans for someone, then it makes it very difficult to sell the opportunity. This also makes the two-way investment in a long-term relationship tricky. People are the sustainable competitive advantage of your business. Why? Because ultimately the people delivering for your business are your business. If they meet and exceed expectations then there must be rewards by way of opportunity.

There are some questionable examples of recruitment methods out there (and no – I’m not using this opportunity to call them all out!) which I have heard from candidates, such as having their resumes sent out for viewing without their knowledge. Regardless of your end reward, integrity is everything and one must keep open, yet transparent channels of communication as a form of ultimate respect for candidates. The same thing goes with transparent feedback – being “left hanging” on where you stand in the process is not a good feeling and we should always aim to give feedback right away, whether good or constructive.

Transparency is not the only technique needed in the current employment market. Acting on a sense of urgency is paramount. If you act quickly on talent, you are much more likely to recruit them successfully rather than waiting for the “perfect fit”.  It is important to have a rigorous recruitment process to identify candidates who are most suitable for the role. Once you have this down pat, you’ll have your shortlist candidates to engage, interview, vet, and check for a cultural fit. Never skipping key steps in the process or make a snap hiring decision at the risk of choosing the wrong fit, leading to further implications down the line. Dragging out a process can be exhausting for a candidate too and make them second guess the value placed on them by their prospective employer. Relieving the anticipation sooner makes for a better experience for all. Since the beginning of the year, we have found that there are plenty of jobs out there but unless employers move fast, you could lose out to other employers who act quick.

The candidate experience doesn’t end once someone has been placed in a role. We also play a large part in the communication piece post-placement, checking in with candidates throughout their employment journey to gain some valuable insight into their experience throughout the onboarding, integration, and general cultural fit.