Do you ever feel as if you cannot find the best people for the roles you are trying to recruit for? Do you get a nagging sense of disappointment when you meet people for interview as they do not have the necessary skills? While there could be several reasons for this, it is possible you are losing out on the best candidates when there is no reason to. It’s easy to think that people who are eager for employment will persevere through the toughest recruitment process, but that isn’t always the case. Some are likely to drop out for certain reasons. The four reasons we give below are among the most popular for losing good candidates. Are you guilty of any of these?
A long-winded application process loses good candidates
The more steps there are, the more confusing it can be. Application forms, a first interview, more questions, more interviews… It’s easy for a candidate to feel they don’t know what’s coming next. You can easily streamline the process by providing convenient online pre-employment testing. This could be for basic skills, specific skills required for that industry or position, or simply to get an idea of personality and team fit. You can also test to see whether the candidate has the desired values and attitude. The results then indicate which people should progress to interview. Quick, simple, yet very effective.
Failing to communicate with candidates
You may know your company or business is offering an excellent employment opportunity. However, your candidates cannot be sure of that. They may have other interviews set up or offers to consider. We’ve all had people tell us that no news is good news. This doesn’t always stand up in recruitment though – sometimes it can be the exact opposite. Many companies don’t bother telling applicants if they have been unsuccessful. Most people have no idea how long the decision-making process is likely to take unless they are told. Communicating with candidates and making sure they know where they are in the process is a good way to hang onto those who may otherwise ditch their application and go elsewhere.
Being unprepared for interviews loses good candidates
There is plenty of information out there on how to prepare when you are the one being interviewed. It’s easy to forget the interviewer should also be prepared. If you aren’t ready, it gives an unprofessional impression. The best candidates are serious about finding the right job. If they feel the interviewer isn’t acting professionally and courteously, they are more likely to go for something else. So, be sure you have a plan. Know which questions you are going to ask and show an interest in the candidate. Know what you are looking for. You can also make interviews more manageable by reducing numbers. Pre-employment testing does this for you, weeding out those who are not right for the role and whittling the selection down to the best people for interview.
Not planning and making the process unclear
A complex recruitment process might not put off the best candidates, but would you want to take the risk? With proper planning, you can be certain of minimising the length of time taken to complete the process. It also makes the procedure clear and logical to you and to your would-be recruits. Few recruiters believe they are putting off the best people before the process has begun. Yet we can see how easy it is to accidentally do just that. Utilising powerful recruitment tools to help find the best candidates makes the process far easier on both sides.
For more information on how to prevent losing good candidates
Find out how our pre-employment tests could change the way you think about recruitment – and maximise the odds of finding the best people every time. Call Skillsarena today on +44 (0)203 693 2201 or send an email to receive further information.
