Business Growth

Impressions matter—deliver a positive recruiting experience

Published On: July 29, 2022 | Categories: Uncategorized |

Have you ever had a negative experience at a restaurant? Or a customer service agent who maybe had their fill of rude customers and took it out on you? These negative experiences might have led you to have a negative association with that business or company.

Most would agree those negative experiences make indelible impressions and make us appreciate positive experiences even more. Making a positive impression is especially important in the recruiting process and all company associates play a role. 

Knowing your organization’s values helps anyone involved in the recruiting process look for desired behaviors that align with the company culture. At SA, we live by the words “find a better way, always.” We actively seek feedback and collaboration to improve processes, strategies and outcomes. Our daily mission to deliver personalized experiences to our clients and provide an environment where our associates can learn and grow is what allows us to find those better ways and stand out among our competition.

We know finding a better way is also about welcoming diverse opinions and taking advantage of the different experiences our associates bring to the table – ones that challenge us to see different perspectives or reveal opportunities we may not have recognized otherwise. Companies must find the value in these unique perspectives to diversify thought processes and continually improve their culture for success. Before a company or team can get to that rush of excitement that comes with adding new talent to their team, they must first provide a top-notch recruiting experience that enhances their reputation and encourages a vested interest on both sides of the interview table.

Most commonly, candidates seek companies or roles through an advertisement for an open position where they click “Apply,” or from hearing about a job opening. This means they are actively choosing to invest time, energy, and resources in hopes of joining your company. While they choose to pursue you, they likely have other choices. As the saying goes, you can’t keep all your eggs in one basket, nor should anyone expect job candidates to do so.

Candidates may initiate interest, but it’s up to recruiters, hiring managers and company associates to close the deal. What they experience during recruitment – including automated bounce back emails after applying, speaking with HR, coming to the office for final rounds of interviews or meeting via Teams – allows them to really learn about the company and hopefully choose to join your company for the next step of their career. These steps – and how they’re managed – indicate to the candidate that they are being taken seriously, their skills are valued and you want them to succeed, whether they sign an offer letter with you or not. They should feel respected, welcomed and comfortable. Whether you know it or not, you make a big difference in helping candidates feel valued.

You may be thinking, I’m not in HR or a hiring manager, how do I contribute to a positive recruiting experience?

As ambassadors for your company, all associates contribute to the recruitment — and retention — of talent passively or actively. Speaking positively about your workplace, telling others when you have open positions, and sharing job postings on social media are all ways to attract top talent to your workplace. Additionally, when candidates come to the office, they’re observing their surroundings. They’re asking themselves; can I see myself working here? Is this where I want to take the next step in my career? Candidates notice and remember friendliness, politeness, smiles and receiving a “hello” when walking by. Those added measures, that require little to no effort, help deliver a great overall experience.   We all should take ownership and hold ourselves accountable for the role we play in the recruiting lifecycle. So, next time you see a candidate in the office, or are part of an interview for a new position, remember you can help contribute to a positive experience. Whether they become your newest associate or not, they will remember the experience and hopefully tell others about you or keep you in mind for future opportunities.

Have you ever had a negative experience at a restaurant? Or a customer service agent who maybe had their fill of rude customers and took it out on you? These negative experiences might have led you to have a negative association with that business or company.

Most would agree those negative experiences make indelible impressions and make us appreciate positive experiences even more. Making a positive impression is especially important in the recruiting process and all company associates play a role. 

Knowing your organization’s values helps anyone involved in the recruiting process look for desired behaviors that align with the company culture. At SA, we live by the words “find a better way, always.” We actively seek feedback and collaboration to improve processes, strategies and outcomes. Our daily mission to deliver personalized experiences to our clients and provide an environment where our associates can learn and grow is what allows us to find those better ways and stand out among our competition.

We know finding a better way is also about welcoming diverse opinions and taking advantage of the different experiences our associates bring to the table – ones that challenge us to see different perspectives or reveal opportunities we may not have recognized otherwise. Companies must find the value in these unique perspectives to diversify thought processes and continually improve their culture for success. Before a company or team can get to that rush of excitement that comes with adding new talent to their team, they must first provide a top-notch recruiting experience that enhances their reputation and encourages a vested interest on both sides of the interview table.

Most commonly, candidates seek companies or roles through an advertisement for an open position where they click “Apply,” or from hearing about a job opening. This means they are actively choosing to invest time, energy, and resources in hopes of joining your company. While they choose to pursue you, they likely have other choices. As the saying goes, you can’t keep all your eggs in one basket, nor should anyone expect job candidates to do so.

Candidates may initiate interest, but it’s up to recruiters, hiring managers and company associates to close the deal. What they experience during recruitment – including automated bounce back emails after applying, speaking with HR, coming to the office for final rounds of interviews or meeting via Teams – allows them to really learn about the company and hopefully choose to join your company for the next step of their career. These steps – and how they’re managed – indicate to the candidate that they are being taken seriously, their skills are valued and you want them to succeed, whether they sign an offer letter with you or not. They should feel respected, welcomed and comfortable. Whether you know it or not, you make a big difference in helping candidates feel valued.

You may be thinking, I’m not in HR or a hiring manager, how do I contribute to a positive recruiting experience?

As ambassadors for your company, all associates contribute to the recruitment — and retention — of talent passively or actively. Speaking positively about your workplace, telling others when you have open positions, and sharing job postings on social media are all ways to attract top talent to your workplace. Additionally, when candidates come to the office, they’re observing their surroundings. They’re asking themselves; can I see myself working here? Is this where I want to take the next step in my career? Candidates notice and remember friendliness, politeness, smiles and receiving a “hello” when walking by. Those added measures, that require little to no effort, help deliver a great overall experience.   We all should take ownership and hold ourselves accountable for the role we play in the recruiting life cycle. So, next time you see a candidate in the office, or are part of an interview for a new position, remember you can help contribute to a positive experience. Whether they become your newest associate or not, they will remember the experience and hopefully tell others about you or keep you in mind for future opportunities.

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