Most businesses are less concerned with the candidates experience in the recruitment process and more about having a person in their empty chair.

This is a BIG mistake. Your employees are the heart of your business and what keeps it alive…a recruitment process that deters candidates from applying will hinder your company’s efforts to recruit fresh talent. Eventually, your business may struggle to grow without the necessary talent to take it to the next level. A stagnant business is a dying one.

If a candidate has a positive experience, then even if they didn’t get the job, they are likely to re-apply and spread the word to other job seekers. Word of Mouth is a powerful tool amongst job seekers and their approval is golden.

Using our 5 step guide, you can ensure their process is easy and informative right from the very beginning.When the candidate lands on your careers page, the available roles should be easy to find with a clear button to view its details and apply.

1. On the job description page, ensure you cover all the job details, desired skills and expectations along with salary and any benefits. A clear ‘Apply now’ button should be provided which enables the candidate to apply with their CV and upload a cover letter if required.

2. Once an application has been submitted, an email should be sent to the candidate, acknowledging their application and explaining what happens next, i.e. when they should expect to hear if their application has been successful or not.

3. Throughout the rest of the process, candidates should be kept informed if their application has been successful or not and made aware of the next stages in the process.

4. When you come to make an offer, handle this phase carefully as it’s still possible to you lose the candidate, or, even if the candidate comes aboard, you can start the relationship off on the wrong note. Once you are decided upon a candidate, make the offer immediately. Make sure that you have a standard job offer letter as a template that you can customise and that you clear the template with legal counsel.

5. Lastly, know how to negotiate on salary. Candidates have plenty of access to sites which indicate what level of pay they should expect. Do your own research to be prepared.

For more information on how to make your recruitment process easier, please get in touch with our team today.