Recruitment today can be a little like e-dating. You look at someone’s online profile, scrutinise the description and schedule a time to meet. Then you’ll fire a few questions at the dinner table, only to realise he or she might not be ‘the one’.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but reducing reliance on technology and injecting a human touch might just be what organisations need to hire better. Securing the right hires are some of the biggest decisions for businesses. An organisation can have the best technology, services and clients, but it’s an A team that brings the success to life.
Here are three elements I have noticed in the recruitment process that need a stronger human aspect.
- Treat people how you’d like to be treated
It’s not merely about being polite face-to-face or over e-mails. Anyone recruiting needs to start treating candidates with respect throughout the entire recruitment process. Candidates are themselves assessing a company, and they often have multiple options and a choice to make at the end of the day, just like those who are hiring.
Candidates have busy lives. Giving short notice for interviews during work hours doesn’t work well and it doesn’t help to keep them waiting at interviews, or arrive at interviews unprepared!
Companies can sometimes only paint the best picture, but being upfront and honest about the good, the bad and the ugly helps your candidates make better-informed decisions. Share realistic insights into your company, including the values and culture they can expect. Should they be prepared for late nights in weeks leading up to major events? Are there few training opportunities outside of work projects? What support will they have?
After the interview, don’t leave someone waiting for too long on your decision. As much as possible, provide feedback and let them know why they made the cut or why they weren’t suitable.
- A job description isn’t a job brief
Too many organisations rely on job descriptions, firing it off to recruiters and HR managers without additional information. A brief summary of roles and responsibilities leaves a lot unsaid about a job. There are other important details required to form a complete picture, which can help anyone recruiting find the best fit and allow candidates to better assess a role.
HR managers and recruiters need to start working with companies for more relevant job information. Be it the company culture, the challenges of the role, what you need the individual to achieve in the first three, six and 12 months, key projects throughout the year or the team’s working style. This is when it’s so valuable talking to the hiring manager to understand the full picture – the warts and all.
- Lighten up on the digital
E-mail, mobile recruitment apps and LinkedIn are just some of the reasons that encourage those who are hiring not to add a human touch to the process. Recruitment is much too often carried out behind a screen and keyboard, and there’s little real-life communication. A CV might be very telling of someone’s experience, and a cover note might give you an indication of the candidate’s writing ability, but it isn’t the full picture.
Pick up the phone and speak to your potential candidate. With a few simple key questions related to their experience and competencies you need, you can identify if they might be suitable and whether you need to progress the discussion. Similarly, providing more background about the role and the firm can help them make a better decision. The much-neglected phone call can provide important intelligence to help organisations cut down on unnecessary interviews and, more importantly, show that they care enough about the candidate to make the extra effort.
It’s not difficult for HR practitioners and hiring managers to add incremental human touches to the whole hiring process. If you can hire better candidates, save time from scheduling unsuitable interviews and build on your employer brand, that sounds like a win-win to me! Remember every candidate can also be an advocate or a customer. So how well do you manage your employer brand?
Photo credit: Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor
