Present on the web!

In the era of hyperconnectivity , we learn that more than a third of candidates do online research on the company before starting a recruitment process (see box).

Your online presence must therefore provide authentic information about your organization, your culture, your values, your professional challenges, your advantages as well as your living environment.

Think about what makes you stand out as an employer and not about copying and pasting your competitor’s job page. Add employee testimonials to your career section by including videos like Raufoss Technologies does for example. Create your YouTube channel and prepare a video montage of a guided tour of your work areas by involving your employees. Nothing is stronger than honest and factual employee stories!

An attractive job offer!

Without reinventing the job offer, it is possible to keep it simple and short, while still being attractive. If you can, add visuals: photo of the team in action, products manufactured, etc. Talk about the work team in which the new person will integrate as well as the projects to be carried out. Put yourself in the shoes of a candidate and ask yourself what would capture their attention (the company's latest achievements, its distinctions, the list of its major clients, etc.) In general, I advise against putting an endless list of qualifications and required skills at the risk of scaring away your potential candidates.

Why not create a video capsule presenting your job offer and ask your employees to share it via their social media? The visual will appeal more to the potential candidate, as seen in this eye-catching job offer from SEPAQ. Be creative while remaining authentic! To give you some ideas, here are two examples that stand out: Bain magique , which reviewed its employer brand image, and BRP and its interactive recruitment campaign.

Recruitment and technology

We are in the age of chat and texting. So, adapt your recruitment processes to these technologies. At the very least, you can easily integrate a real-time chatbox into your career section so that future candidates can quickly get answers to their questions. By greeting them by their first name, answering questions directly and signing messages, make sure to personalize your messages to build relationships with your future candidates.

Little attentions that change everything

A personalized email invitation can really make a difference in the candidate experience. How? When you take the time to specify the names of the people who will be meeting and share their LinkedIn profiles to allow the candidate to prepare. When you provide all the details about the specifics of the office location, parking areas or nearby public transportation. I find that a call to the candidate the day before to confirm their presence at the interview is most appreciated. Also, maximize the first interview, to avoid making the candidate travel repeatedly to no avail.

Source: 2018 North American Experience Benmark Research from Talent Board, 2018

The face-to-face meeting

An interview is first and foremost a time for discussion to get to know each other better. Make sure to warmly welcome the candidate and be respectful of the initial time that was set aside for this meeting. Take a few minutes at the beginning of the interview to lighten the mood. Show empathy and courtesy and involve a member of your team who can describe the challenges of the position in concrete terms.

If you can, show the workplace and take advantage of this moment to show off your main attractions, whether it's the cafeteria you just revamped, your relaxation areas or your beautiful terrace. The candidate will then be able to better immerse themselves in the environment and the work climate. Before concluding, give the candidate time to answer their questions and inform them about the rest of the process. The more they know about the position, the challenges and the work environment, the better equipped they will be to make their decision.

Feedback and action!

Take a few minutes the day after the meetings to take the pulse of the candidates of interest in a courteous call. This way, you will have a good idea of his interest and if there are any concerns, you can inform him right away and perhaps reassure him while remaining honest in your answers.

During the process, keep in touch with all candidates and update them verbally as soon as possible on the progress of the process, whether positive or not.

Finally, to make the candidate experience even more exceptional, survey your candidates and consult your employees in order to develop distinctive practices that reflect your image and are adapted to the needs of your future talents.

Do you have inspiring candidate experience ideas in place? Feel free to share them with us!