A poll of 2000 UK candidates has found that a massive 56% of those jobseekers don’t trust recruiters to add value to their job search. A third of those surveyed thought that recruiters were simply wanted to maximise their commission and push as many candidates through as possible, regardless of their suitability for the job. And, a quarter of candidates felt that recruiters suggested jobs that didn’t match their needs. Even more worryingly for the industry, most candidates thought they could have sourced the same jobs without a recruitment agency.
The problem may be that many recruiters aren’t reacting to changes in the recruitment market. Right now, it is a jobseeker’s market. With half of the millennials planning to move job within two years, what can recruiters do to regain the trust of candidates who see recruitment agencies as slow and requiring too much time and effort?
Improving the candidate experience
In 2019, many recruitment experts believe the answer to that is for recruiters to focus on improving the candidate experience wherever they can. Since hirers are unable to attract candidates because of a lack of trust, recruiters and agencies have to revisit their own policies and procedures to make sure that candidates don’t go away unhappy. After that, it’s a matter of strengthening employer branding and investing in targeted marketing so the best recruiters stand out to the best candidates.
One of the best ways for recruiters to improve candidate experience is to put themselves in the shoes of the candidate. For instance, how do candidates feel when they apply to a job, receive a confirmation and then don’t hear anything for weeks on end? Candidates simply aren’t going to trust a recruiter that doesn’t engage with them or respect the time and effort they put into their job hunt.
Communication is key
Not getting back to candidates simply isn’t an option anymore. Recruiters have to communicate at every stage of the recruitment process in a timely and efficient manner. If the candidate has to contact you a week after a job interview for an update, you’re doing it wrong. They don’t want to do that and they shouldn’t have to do that. It can be highly frustrating for candidates to get ‘ghosted’ by recruiters and gives a bad overall impression on the recruitment company themselves.
The other thing they don’t want to do is wade through complex forms and applications. Simplify the registration and application process the best you can. Make job descriptions clear and as detailed as possible. If online, make everything available on as many browsers and device formats as possible. Your goal is to make as quick and straightforward for candidates to work with you. Complicated applications and unwieldy bureaucracy will just put them off.
77% of candidates base their final decision on the interview experience. Make a positive impact. Let them know what to expect before the meeting and ensure that interviewers are fully trained and able to give candidates a thorough knowledge of the company, the role, and opportunities for progression – along with an accurate timeline for feedback. Always follow up – even if they haven’t been successful.
Improve your employer branding
Ultimately, your job is to add value to the candidate experience. Share your knowledge and give them tips on how to improve their chances when it comes to their CV, selection processes and the job interview. By doing so, they’re more likely to come back to you in future, more likely to leave a good review on employer/recruitment sites and more likely to refer you to similar candidates.