Why Your Hiring Experience Is Hurting Your Business!
Bad interviews are not like some crazy scene out of a movie - bad interviews happen all the time. And it’s hurting your brand more than you know.
On average your business loses 3-6 months of productivity when you need to replace an employee through the hiring and training process. Additionally, there is consequent pressure placed on other team members who need to assume those responsibilities which can have a knock-on effect to team morale.
With job boards and LinkedIn strategies in a recruitment process - the amount of people moving through your hiring process has grown exponentially – give them a negative experience and the chances are they will tell their friends how it was. And bad news travels fast!
More and more candidates are noticing roles that are sat open for quite some time, and they naturally ask themselves why?
Lets not forget particularly for fashion and retail businesses your ideal employee is quite often your customer too. Give them a bad experience and you could have also given them a reason not to shop with you.
The good news? Your hiring process can be improved rapidly. Except for a few bad apples – no one sets out intending to deliver a bad experience – most often it comes down to a lack of planning and/or training when hiring
Read on as I take you through proven tips that help you get the most of out of your hiring strategy and improve candidate experience.
Plan - planning out the requirements of your role doesn’t sound very exciting but before you hit play on that job ad you need to think about what you need from that role right now and for where you want to go. Ask yourself questions like: what does the role look like NOW compared to when you last hired it? What additional skills are required or what skills did you NEED then that you could be flexible with now? What does the surrounding team look like now in terms of skillset and do you need the same level of experience as the departing employee? Is the salary competitive? What feedback have you received from your leaving employee?
Get clear on what high performance looks like – most decision makers are not on the same page when it comes to this and its crucial. What background is ideal? What skills are essential? What process will you follow?
Communicate - what will a new starter love about working for you? What might they find less enjoyable? Honestly, what does the first 3 months look like? How might it feel? And most importantly what are the next steps and when?
It’s not you it’s us – sigh the old culture fit feedback! it’s not rejection that candidates can't handle, it’s the not knowing why. Quantifiable feedback is so crucial so that a candidate knows what they can work on for next time. And candidates are 4 times more likely to recommend your company if they receive constructive feedback about why they weren’t successful.
Come together – the most successful hires are ones where all decision makers agree, any conflict of opinions results in further pressure added to your new hire when they don’t meet everyone’s expectations.
the most successful hires in my experience are ones where all decision makers agree
Review – if you have interviewed extensively above and below your salary bracket, you may want to reflect on why you haven’t found the “right candidate” – revisit the requirements of your role and offset the consequences of an extended period without someone in that job and how that might flow on to your team. Or whether taking on someone who needs more development but aces the cultural fit is the right step for your business.
What lessons have you learnt from your recruitment process or interview experience? Hit me up I would love to hear them!
Ange x
Are you ready to find your dream job?
