With employers seeking new hires after the pandemic, candidates have become far more selective about the jobs they decide to take. While many people believe that people simply don’t want to work anymore, the reality is, the bar is just higher. People want to work… for great companies. And where does the candidates’ first impression start? During the hiring process.
The consensus is that the application process is an overall negative experience. Nobody participates for reasons other than obligation. They are applying because they must, but it doesn’t have to be a completely miserable ordeal.
Your process IS sending a message. Here are some clues as to what that message might be…
Your process: You’re not including the salary in the job description. You may be doing this because you are looking for people that are driven by the fit, not money. You want to avoid wage wars with competitors, and you don’t want to get stuck on one specific salary range. There is a wide variance of who you’re willing to onboard, and as a result, a varied worth.
The message it sends: The company is trying to shoot out offers that are below-market pay. You want to undermine candidates that are unaware of their market value. The company lacks transparency.
Job ads that do display salary are 70% more likely to generate an application. It’s great to keep an open mind, but you should have a candidate profile in mind when you’re searching. After all, if you cast an extremely wide net, you are likely getting quantity over quality.
Your process: Your hiring process takes weeks, sometimes months, to complete. You want to take your time to find the best talent. A 5-interview process is the status quo.
The message it sends: Not a decisive company. Doesn’t necessarily respect the candidate’s time.
If the process takes any longer than four weeks, the risk of losing those A-level candidates to another company rises dramatically. Usually, quality hires are off the market within a couple of weeks. As they say, time is money. In fact, the reason why the majority of candidates drop out last minute is because of the timeline.
Your process: Including a general job description, no specifics. The position hasn’t been fleshed out yet, but you want to cast out a wide net.
The message it sends: The contract terms do not align with expectations.
The lack of clarity and consistency is a red flag for most. It’s also never a good idea, because people may not want the job once they realize the reality.