Welcome to the recruitment party! Connection from the start!

Have you ever walked into a party where you didn’t know anyone? Maybe everyone knew each other and they were not very welcoming? Maybe you had to prove you belonged?

How did that feel?

Now think about going to a friend's party where you were welcomed, comfortable, and you were able to be yourself.

How did that feel? Which party would you want to attend again?

A candidate's first contact with Human Resources is like walking into a party.

Below are some best practices in recruitment implemented at a high growth tech company that helped drive hiring success.

· Recruitment preparation

· Sourcing and attracting candidates

· Structure behavior interviewing

· Keeping the process as short and easy as possible

· Preparing and calibrating the hiring team

· Using data to drive decisions

The magic in the process, however, is the connection between the candidate and Human Resources because the recruiter welcomes them to the process and sets the stage and the tone. That is the competitive advantage.

So how does connection work in practice?

The candidate experience is one of the most important factors for attracting talent. Creating a sense of belonging, safety and communicating with respect and transparency builds the connection. The candidates perceive that Human Resources/the company cares about them not just filling the position.

20 STEPS FOR HUMAN RESOURCES TO CREATE CONNECTION

1. Create a warm, inclusive, and exciting job posting

2. Make it easy for candidates to apply

3. Keep the process moving by using phone calls or tools to schedule interviews instead of emailing back and forth. (example, Calendry)

4. Pronounce the candidate's name correctly (https://www.howtopronounce.com)

5. Smile, be welcoming and friendly- make it a conversation not an inquisition

6. Bring your authentic best self to the interaction, and the candidate will likely also be real

7. Be respectful, verify the scheduled date and time still works for them

8. Express gratitude -Thank the candidate for applying

9. Share with candidate the agenda of the HR screening interview

• Share company overview/story

• Share what is special about the job, manager and team

• Find out what’s important to candidate- what they are looking for?

• Share the hiring process and next steps. This removes the uncertainty and sets the candidate up for success.

10. While asking prepared behavioral questions, mine for success stories

11. Schedule next step immediately with the candidate at the end of the HR interview

12. Close with why people like working at the company and the unique benefits/perks

13. Follow up with email and calendar invite

• Include a link to the job posting and the video meeting , information on the interviewer/hiring manager, and outline of the hiring process and what to expect.

• Make the HR contact information easy to find

• Personalize with something discussed with the candidate (weather, location, news)

14. Communicate with candidate throughout the process. The number one dissatisfier reported by candidates is being ghosted or not receiving updates.

15. Coach the candidate- logistics (what to wear, where to park), and provide feedback (speak slower, highlight your AWS experience, be prepared to…)

16. Ensure the hiring team show up on time and give full attention to the interview

17. Each touchpoint should include telling the company story from a personal perspective

• Interviewer shares their unique experience- why they like working at the company, their connection to the mission, and their personal development at the company

• It is okay, and creates trust to share the challenges the company is facing, the steps being taken to overcome and how the candidate's skills and experience can add immediate value.

18. Document what is important to candidate and align throughout the process and tie it all together when an offer is extended.

19. Notify candidates as soon as possible if the company is no longer considering them or the position is on hold. Reject with respect and express gratitude for the candidate's time sharing their skills and experience with the team. If at all possible call on the phone or send a personalized email.

20. Be open to receiving feedback of the recruitment process. At this company, the Applicant Tracking System( ATS) had a built in candidate survey and feedback was gathered from new hires in the onboarding process and with the 90 day new hire survey. A great candidate experience might make them eager to share their good feelings with others, helping with company reputation.

WHY THIS WORKS

It brings out the best version of the candidate

Making a connection and making the process easier allows candidates to shine so the company can understand their relevant skills and experiences. Without connection, candidates are nervous and can perform poorly in interviews. In most cases we are not hiring for interviewing skills.

When the candidate feels a connection to the recruiter or hiring team members, they are more likely share their authentic self and be transparent in what they want, what they have done and what's important to them in their job search.

Transparency allows both parties to share information to make informed decisions. The candidate feels safe in telling their truth not just what they think the company may want to hear. This produces the best match for the company and candidate.

When both sides hold back information, bad matches can result. This leads to problems down the road with both parties' expectations not being met due to ill informed assumptions.

Past behavior predicts future behavior

Ha! Gotcha! I am not talking about the candidate's behavior. I am talking about how the candidate will translate how they are treated in the interview process to how they will be treated as an employee at the company. I have had several candidate tell me they chose the opportunity over others because of the connections they made with HR and the hiring team.

Connection is virtual!

In the virtual world we currently live in, companies can no longer bedazzle candidates with cool campuses, cereal bars, sushi lunches, nap rooms and fitness centers. Real human connection transcends the virtual remote hiring experience.

Connection is the magic in the candidate experience!