Coming up for air

Richard Doherty, VP Operations at Jobpartners

Coming up for air - how not to drown in an ocean of applications without damaging your employment brand.


Today, with rising unemployment, HR departments may well be overwhelmed with the volume of response received for the few vacancies they do have. So finding the time to reply to every candidate can be difficult, so, how do you drink from the ìfirehoseî without damaging your employer brand?

In HR first impressions count; in the same way that candidates should use their CV and the interview process to promote themselves, businesses should be able to use the recruitment process as an opportunity to promote their employment brand. This is particularly relevant when recruiting graduates or for technical skills where competition for the best-qualified candidate is fierce. A bad application experience could deter an application to that company for years to come. A good candidate experience is also crucial, as potential candidates are often also potential customers.

According to research from Capital Consulting, one in four candidates has had a negative experience when applying for a job. In the current economic climate, where companies can expect many more applications than usual for vacancies, businesses cannot afford to have poor processes that can deter potential talent or reflect badly on the company. Common mistakes include overly complex application forms and assessment procedures or worse still a lack of feedback. For example, if a candidate spends a significant amount of time submitting an assessment form only for it to then disappear into an HR black hole, this is likely to deter them from dealing with the company in the future.

Itís no longer about technology

Traditionally, HR has used paper-based systems to process applications, but e-recruitment software been used for some time to help automate the recruitment process, and begin to reduce the administrative burden facing many HR departments. Second generation e-recruitment improved processes so the HR department was able to improve the feedback process and at the same time build up a database of potential candidates much more effectively.

Technology has helped with back-end HR processes, but it has also played an increasingly influential role at the front-end too. The internet and email have certainly changed how candidates interact with organisations, as paper-based applications are now the exception rather than the rule.

The latest generation of e-recruitment allows organisations to build relationships with candidates before they apply. These very tech-savvy candidates are beginning to expect to be part of an organisationís community so their online recruitment experience must meet candidatesí expectations. For example, with the increase in online video more candidates want to build their personal brand at the application stage by submitting their CVs on video. It is also important to recognise the influence that social networks have in todayís online world, where there is a high possibility that a bad candidate experience can be shared with a number of online communities. This could easily dissuade other talented potential candidates from applying to your organisation.

It doesnít end with the job offer

Recruitment can often be disconnected from a companyís overall talent management function; a major oversight. In order to provide successful candidates with a truly positive experience there should be better integration to ensure that the business has a holistic talent management process. The positive experience of the recruitment process should continue through employment at the company. Once onboard, the challenge is to engage the employee with a development programme, which includes regular appraisals, being set personal objectives, training and pay reviews and so on, all of which can be achieved by having an end-to-end talent management strategy.

This approach can help ensure that companies retain their best talent, rather than simply making every effort to recruit them only for the talent then to leave shortly after employment, as their internal experience did not meet their expectations or match the recruitment experience. An engaged and motivated employee can only benefit an organisation, as it can result in improved business performance and make a positive impact on the bottom line.

The battle for talent is only likely to intensify over the next few years; therefore the onus is on many organisations to ensure that they provide an application experience that reflects the employer brand and starts to engage the best candidates so they donít miss out. Once talent is on board, it is essential that good people management processes are in place to retain them; otherwise organisations stand to get little return on their candidate experience investment.