4 Effortless Things to Improve Hiring Success

When the pressure’s on and you have more positions to fill than time to fill them, it’s easy to narrow your focus to hiring logistics. However, new research indicates the efforts you make to cultivate your company’s employer brand may be just as important for great hiring results. As part of its Talent Trends 2014 survey, LinkedIn Talent Solutions asked more than 18,000 fully-employed workers in 26 countries for their opinions on job-seeking. When surveyed about the most important factor in considering a new job, 56% of respondents cited the company’s reputation as a great place to work.
So, considering your time is still at a premium, here are four free and easy things any talent acquisition department can do. No project plan, no committee, no budget, no RFP necessary. They’re at your fingertips to employ anytime, like right now.

1. Be Honest

The LinkedIn Talent Trends 2014 survey found that for 33% of Australians, finding more challenging work is a top motivator for a job change. However, overselling the position or the company will create problems from the moment the candidate joins the team. Experienced employees know every position and workplace has its idiosyncrasies. When you acknowledge the challenges and the distinctive team culture, you help candidates make an informed decision.

2. Strive for Transparency

Hiring is a series of games and strategic maneuvers. The candidates play it, and you do, too. Telling it like it is will earn you points with savvy candidates who appreciate the truth. And, consider that straightforward communication wins with your top candidates as well as the many who will not get the job offer. Those finalists often greatly outnumber the winners. The best recruitment departments create a fan base from the many rejected candidates while earning loyalty from the victorious few.

3. Be Punctual

We recently commissioned an independent survey of 200 active job seekers who had gone on an interview in the last six months. We asked if tardiness by an interviewer matters. Eighty percent (80%) agreed that if the interviewer arrives more than 10 minutes late, it creates a negative impression of the company. When you are booked with back-to-back meetings and interviews, just keep this finding in mind. Any interview could lead to the next best hire you make, the next company leader, or the next rainmaker. Make candidates wait and they will likely hold it against you.

4. Know Your Candidates

If you are lucky, your organisation has a lot to offer a new hire; however, perks are not viewed equally by all candidates. The better you know your candidates and their hot buttons, the better you can tailor your delivery. Will the candidate react most positively to the childcare program, gym membership, free lunch once a month, or company-sponsored happy hours? Remember, it’s all about courting top talent. Focus on the right perks to incent your candidate to join the team.
These pieces of advice have a common theme: Treat your job candidate like he or she is the next big catch. Their experience with you personally and with the entire hiring process matters in your hiring results.  For more free and easy ways to improve your hiring, download Montage’s ebook, 10 Free Ways to Boost Your Hiring Success.
Michele Ellner is the Director of Marketing for Montage, the most mature video interviewing solution available, purpose-built to transform the hiring experience one smile at a time. She’s focused her career on talent acquisition technology, contingent staffing, HR services and outsourcing for over 20 years. Reach Michele atmichele.ellner@montagetalent.com or @ellnerellner on Twitter. 
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