Better Recruiting: 5 Ways to Improve Candidate Interviews

You've most likely seen the story of a US man who applied for two jobs every day for a month and only got one interview. That's not a typo: he only received one interview after 60 applications. He also didn't apply for any jobs that required a college diploma or a lot of prior experience. After hearing all of the comments about how people just don't want to work anymore, he decided to launch this experiment.

The topic of today's article isn't whether individuals want to work or not. It's also not a question of whether this individual's experience is reflective of the broader labour market.

However, there is something to be learned from these discussions about hiring and recruiting. Organizations that actually want to hire people – and get fully staffed so they can take care of customers – must examine and improve their hiring processes.

This seems very basic, but you can't hire new employees if you don't interview candidates. Here are a few things to think about when evaluating your hiring process:

Make it as simple as possible for candidates to apply.

When it comes to recruiting, there are numerous options:

Making your application process smartphone-friendly is one that comes to mind right away. Most Malaysians nowadays own smartphones, allowing them to apply for a job as soon as they spot an opening. And
Limit the length of your job application to what is really necessary. Later in the process, organisations can ask candidates to fill out a longer application.

Schedules must be accommodated.

Let's imagine you've found a candidate you'd want to interview. However, you're busy and don't have time to play phone tag in order to schedule a meeting. There are technologies that allow applicants to schedule an interview over the internet.

Simply send them a note expressing your want to speak with them. Then ask them to choose a date from your calendar. Ghosting is less likely because they choose the date and time of the meeting.

Honesty is very important in job interviews.

Be open and honest about your hiring procedure.

You're well-versed in the hiring process. Be honest with potential hires. Tell them how long it will take and what they will be doing. Explain why the method works for your company and how it prepares new hires for success. Candidates may be more involved with the process if they understand it. This is advantageous to both the firm and the candidate.

Maintain contact.

One of the most common concerns I hear from candidates is that they went in for the interview, had a decent chat, and were told they would hear from the employer in a week. There has been no communication for three weeks.

Many candidates mistakenly believe that no news is bad news and begin their search elsewhere. Find a means to keep the candidates informed. Tell the company if they require extra time. Inform them if they are no longer being considered.

Leave the door open.

There's a good chance that your hiring procedure may provide more than one qualified candidate. What a fantastic situation to be in! It's particularly difficult because both candidates are exceptionally qualified, yet you can only hire one of them.

That doesn't rule out the possibility of asking the other candidate to keep in touch in the event you have another opening. Alternatively, they could apply for a different position in which they are similarly competent. The idea is that making a final decision does not necessarily imply closing doors.

Employers that are serious about hiring the best staff are working hard to make the application, interview, and hiring process as simple as possible. That does not imply that the company's standards must be compromised. Just take a close look at your hiring procedure to ensure it isn't getting in the way of your success.

Source: HR Bartender