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We’re over halfway through 2016 and as with every year, which means in the coming months the trends of 2017 will begin taking over our streams. We’ve been known to make a few of our own in the past. Though, it’s absolutely impossible to truly know what the workforce has in store for HR and recruiting teams around the country, we have a few ideas about the direction your candidates want you heading. Here are our 5 predictions about the hiring process we believe your applicants will expect you to consider.
1. If it isn’t digital, it’s outdated.
Bet you weren’t expecting that. We don’t mean to be facetious, but the truth is embracing technology in your hiring program is no longer an option. We aren’t under the assumption that recruiters and HR practitioners don’t already know this, but we do believe there’s a chance the correct approach might still be fuzzy. As 2017 nears, job seekers, both active and passive, are looking for those companies who are present in the digital world.
Can you agree with these 4 predictions about candidate experience?
Confused on what exactly that means, here’s a synopsis of your basic needs:
- Company Social Pages - That doesn’t mean you need everything down to a SnapChat, but it does mean you should have an updated page or two. If anything, embrace LinkedIn.
- A Claimed Glassdoor Page - Most information on Glassdoor is organic and created by employees, past and present, but your organization should claim or create a page. Provide background on your company and upload pictures of your offices and team so applicants can at least find you, even if there are no available reviews.
- Mobile/Quick Apply - 89% of job seekers believe their mobile device is an important tool in the job search. Your company website might have just become responsive, but the work is not done. Applicants are hoping to at least begin the application process via their mobile device and in as little time as possible.
2. Your brand should be highlighted and will be scrutinized.
Scrutinized is a scary word, but really all potential candidates want is to know who your company is and for what they stand. This is the hiring equivalent of “being yourself.” A 2015 survey found that 62% of today’s candidates across 26 countries rank a company’s reputation as a deciding factor when simply applying for a job. The interest of a candidate may dwindle if their search into your company leads to no or bad information.
62% of today's candidates across 26 countries rank a company's reputation as a deciding factor:
To combat this, use the organization’s social pages for updates on internal events. Encourage your employees to share the goings on in the office. Ask managers to photograph company outings or philanthropic work. If there is not a career page to be spoken of, start working with executives to change that immediately.
3. Relationship building will be a secret weapon.
You may have heard, but today’s hiring game is fairly candidate-driven so those applicants who are looking for jobs are a little more picky about the situation. They may either have suitable careers or they simply don’t want to take a position for which they have no passion. Whatever the case, candidates need a little courting. In the coming months, relationship building and networking will become the secret weapon we all should have been using for years. That personal connection from an internal resource leaves candidates feeling more confident in the potential employer and in turn allows the employer to have a better idea of who the person behind the resume is.
4. Candidates will receive better onboarding programs than ever before.
A 2009 study of senior executives and HR staffing and recruiting functions found that 86% felt their new hires decided to stay with a company long-term within the first 6 months in the job. A 2014 study of employees who left their position within the first 6 months found that 23% of those hires wanted clearer guidelines to their responsibilities while, overall, one-third of all the hires admitted to having barely any or no onboarding.
Thankfully, both studies will be years old in 2017 and their findings will be the exact reason more and more HR teams are adopting onboarding. Even if only a day can be spared, more companies will be willing to sacrifice the time in order to reap the benefits such as higher engagement, better productivity and retention.
How can HR live up to these 4 predictions in candidate experience?
Candidate experience is no longer being ignored, which is good news as we enter 2017. Today’s workforce may be a little unpredictable still, but one trend seems to be emerging as the months go on and that’s how you treat your applicants.
Do you want a better candidate experience, but don’t know where to start? Take a one-on-one demo with the ClearCompany team and we’ll help meet your challenges with award-winning and time-saving software.
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