Deliver a Great Candidate Experience
The interview process should be a powerful marketing tool. You want every candidate to walk out of their interview feeling impressed by your team and excited about your company.
Be Personal
It’s remarkable how frequently job candidates aren’t treated with the basic courtesies you’d expect from a stranger at a coffee shop.
Smile.
Shake hands.
Make eye contact.
Return emails promptly.
Let them know what’s next.
Offer a glass of water.
Avoid HR-speak.
Great recruiters make each interaction relevant and personal to candidates. What are their interests, hobbies, passions, life-goals? Get to know the candidates you want to hire, and you’ll be surprised by the things you learn that will help you convince them to join your team. (More on this in a minute.)
Create Interview Kits
Be Prepared for Every Interview
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: There is no quicker way for a candidate to lose faith in a company than having a poor interview experience. Being late for interviews, asking silly questions, or repeating questions from previous interviews will make you seem disorganized, and make them less likely to say yes to your job offer down the line.
On the other hand, interviews that happen on schedule, with thoughtful, thorough questions, reinforce the fact that your organization is a great place to work.
Challenge every candidate
The best candidates want to work with smart people, and appreciate being challenged. Skip the trick questions and brain-teasers, and ask them to weigh in on actual dilemmas you're facing as a company, or get their thoughts on tough, real-world scenarios they’ll encounter on the job.
Don’t leave them hanging
Searching for a job is incredibly stressful, and candidates remember companies that treat them with respect. This means promptly returning emails, following up after interviews and always being honest, direct, and clear with rejections. Let every candidate know when you’ve decided they aren’t a fit for the job and, if possible, why you made that decision. No one likes being rejected, but if you handle the situation professionally and constructively, you’ll build a reputation as a great company to work for in the long run.
Next up
Always Be Selling
