It’s hard finding any help these days let alone good help. We know that most jobs are experiencing talent shortages these days for a variety of reasons. But one reason you may not be attracting the talent you need is because you are inadvertently scaring away these candidates. How could that happen? What are you doing wrong?
Common Mistakes in the Candidate Application Process
The first question we have is a simple one. What kinds of hoops do your candidates have to go through to apply for the job? For example:
- Can the candidate click a link on your webpage and upload their resume?
- Are jobs only listed on a careers page and not on your website?
- When a candidate uploads their resume, does the form fail to self-populate information from that document?
- Does the candidate have to laboriously type in the same information from their resume into your site?
- How does your job appear on a cell phone?
Today’s candidates want a fast, easy application process. Anything less and they may walk away. Most candidates apply from their mobile device these days so if you do not offer them a positive experience on the small screen then they also may walk away.
But we haven’t even gotten to the interview process yet.
We know interviews are tricky. There are many rules related to what you can and can’t ask a candidate and you have a lot riding on getting this right. Some of the most common interview mistakes we see include:
- Asking the candidate an illegal question. Did you know in some states you can’t even ask questions about their current salary? Other states have rules related to inquiring about criminal history on a background check. So not only do you have to worry about what you can ask locally, if you have candidates in other locations or other states, you must tread lightly over the rules for interview questions.
- Expressing your personal biases to candidates is a big no-no. Stay away from issues surrounding religion and politics, race, gender, or any other topic deemed “tricky.” Stick to strong behavioral questions about the candidate and you’ll be fine.
- Do talk about company culture. It’s increasingly important to candidates. Given that most employers don’t offer a very positive candidate experience, it’s critical that you take the time to treat every candidate experience as a kind of a sales job. The reality is that the candidate is also interviewing you so you want to talk knowledgeably about the culture of your organization and why it is a great place to work.
Finally, to improve the candidate experience, keep them warm. Don’t ghost your candidate or your reputation will begin to suffer! Instead, nurture each candidate in a way that makes them feel respected—even if you can’t hire them.
PrideStaff Thousand Oaks is devoted to helping you achieve a better candidate experience. We do this by partnering with clients and candidates to build a seamless bridge and a very positive experience for everyone. Find out how we can help your business today.
