Richard Solomon explains the journey of a jobseeker

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In their shoes: Richard Solomon explains the journey of a jobseeker

Reading time:  3 Minutes

Recruiters are the first port of call for building a company’s relationships with top talent. Richard Solomon, Global Recruitment Director for Regus, explains why

 

When you think about it, an employee’s relationship with a company begins the moment they first read a job advertisement. If they choose to apply, they are expected to match their experience and skills to the role, and put their best foot forward. But similarly, top recruiters treat the hiring process as a chance to create a positive first impression on behalf of their clients. In fact, failing to do so could cost them.

Richard Solomon, Global Recruitment Director for Regus, says: “Nearly everyone has been a candidate searching for a job. A good experience not only makes you keen to work for the company, you will pass this view on to others. However, people are six times more likely to pass feedback on to friends and their personal network after a bad experience compared to a good one.”

He adds: “For a B2C company, this has an obvious negative impact on the brand. So the candidate experience is key. Companies spend a lot of time trying to improve it, but there is still lots of room for improvement.”

According to a report from Clutch, 91% of people say that the interview process influences their opinion of a company (40% say it strongly impacts their perception). Showing an awareness of this throughout the recruitment process is vital for representing a company in the best light, but also for securing the very best talent. By nurturing the initial relationship – when the journey of a jobseeker first begins – recruiters ensure a competitive edge.

So, what can recruiters do to improve this journey? “Put themselves in the candidate’s shoes,” says Solomon. “Is it clear to them what the job involves and what it is like to work at the company? Is it easy to apply for a job? Are candidates being responded to quickly enough? Are recruiters giving them clear feedback? We should look for how we can improve every step of the process.”

It’s also just as important to think about the journey of unsuccessful candidates as it is for successful ones. “The biggest change we can make is to be clear with people why they did not get the job,” says Solomon. “The majority of candidates who apply for a job are unsuccessful and too often they do not understand why. Offering simple and clear feedback makes a big difference and gives people the opportunity to reflect and learn.”

Removing some of the frustrations – such as the time it takes to complete an application via a dodgy online portal – and opening up a clear channel of communication between the recruiter and the candidate can make a huge difference. Showing respect for a candidate’s time by sticking to agreed arrangements for phone calls and updates – even to tell them they’ve been unsuccessful rather than ghosting them as soon as they’re out of the running – are easy wins.

Just as candidates ask for feedback, recruiters may consider doing the same, to pinpoint any areas for improvement. Making this as easy and integrated into the process as possible, via the right technology, is also important to avoid creating yet more work for candidates – but completely worth the investment if it highlights any off-putting issues recruiters may have overlooked.

Finally, recruiters can streamline the jobseeker’s journey by choosing an interview location that’s convenient for the interviewee. Not only does it appear accommodating to cut down a candidate’s travel time but the space within which an interview takes place forms the first physical impression of a company. With Regus, recruiters can make use of private, high-quality meeting rooms at multiple locations (rather than a rushed exchange in a busy coffee shop). And they can easily book a room last minute, depending on where a candidate is. It instantly shows a willingness to be flexible and a level of professionalism – two qualities today’s top talent all appreciate in the company they’re looking to join. And something they will hopefully reciprocate later on down the line.

 

Want to improve the experience for your candidates? Book an interview space with Regus