The One Tip You Need to Improve Your Ability to Attract Quality Candidates

Did you suddenly notice that you’re no longer attracting top-tier candidates despite your usual hiring efforts? Or are you starting to feel disappointed by the humdrum results of the job ads you’ve been putting out there? Worse, has there been a sudden shift of applications to a competing company, leaving you with barely any options in the jobseeker pool? 

By now, you should know that attracting the right people for specific jobs is no easy task. The processes that go on behind hiring a new employee are best considered an investment. You utilise various resources–time, effort, money–even for a single hire. Then there’s the cost of a bad hire, which can affect a company in the long run 

But have you ever considered that maybe you’re losing out because you’re not giving feedback to your candidates? Sounds simple, right? But it’s a common misstep by many companies that rarely comes up.

Job ads come aplenty these days. Wherever one looks, whether through traditional media or via social media, there are hiring posts from various companies looking to attract the most qualified candidates. More job ads mean more choices for jobseekers. That’s good news for anyone looking for employment. But is it also good for companies looking to hire? 

This seeming democratisation of the job-hunting process has made jobseekers more selective. With all the information out there, they can already sift through all the job postings and find one that fits their skills best. Does this mean they’ve become more demanding? Probably, and rightfully so. But this also means companies need to step up their recruitment strategies and meet the candidates’ expectations. 

And that includes receiving feedback. Based on jobseekers’ insights, keeping candidates on the status of their applications is a key recommendation on how to attract quality candidates.

Candidates now seek transparency and timeliness. Whether their application was successful or not, they would prefer to be given feedback on why the results came to be, what aspects they could improve on, and how they can best move forward. 

In a recent survey conducted by SEEK, from the 74% candidates that did not hear back about their applications, 43% of them said that they are unlikely to reapply with the same company. 

Hirers who do not provide feedback may be perceived as: 

• Unreliable, lazy, and untrustworthy; 

• Having an irresponsible culture that does not care for the welfare of their people; 

• Scammers preying on people’s vulnerabilities; 

• Unappreciative by wasting the candidate’s time and effort;

• An overall unfavourable company to join.

In addition, not providing feedback can have significant detrimental impact on the Employer Value Proposition (EVP) and branding. 

The increasing cases of scams in the news have also affected the way jobseekers reach out to companies. These days, candidates are more discerning about job ads and careful of the companies trying to fish for their applications. Because of this, jobseekers who do not receive updates about their applications perceive them as scam jobs or not legit jobs, only trying to get their private information. 

Giving feedback should be timely, just so the jobseeker can take the proper steps to move on. It’s important to extend to jobseekers the simple courtesy of immediately letting them know the results of their application. Don’t keep them waiting, especially if you’re going to reject them after all. 

Candidates have spent effort on their applications to answer a company’s needs so they hope to get some feedback in return. Looking for a job is complicated and it can dissuade many candidates if they feel neglected from the beginning. A simple response can already boost a jobseeker’s confidence and arm them with enough drive to take the next steps. If successful, this will make them extra eager to deliver results from day one.  

If unsuccessful, they will apply for more jobs. Providing them with feedback will better their chances of getting employed. Don’t take that opportunity away from them. And don’t wait for months to reply and tell them what happened during their application, or interview, and how they can improve. Act while the events are still fresh. It might seem like extra work, especially for your hiring team, but you will soon realise that it’s a crucial recruitment strategy that can also help you in the long run. 

Because of the same insights, many companies are now promptly providing feedback within two to three weeks to thank candidates for their applications. This way, they are also told why they are not suitable for the role and given proper action points to improve on. 

Should you do the same? Definitely. Don’t think that taking this initiative will backfire and hurt your company’s chances of attracting good candidates. On the contrary, it will even increase your company’s brand value and better the results of your job ads. 

Providing feedback to jobseekers reflects:

• A company brand and corporate culture that prioritises people; 

• The kind of company values, such as professionalism and transparency, that you promote; 

• Being human and caring in a dog-eat-dog world; 

• An overall positive image that will increase your chances of attracting top candidates. 

A simple effort to update one’s hiring strategy can do wonders for both the jobseeker’s confidence and the company’s reputation. Providing feedback has a cumulative positive effect on the organisation’s image, which is vital in attracting the best candidates in the market. Start the initiative today with the help of Jobstreet, and you’ll be filling job vacancies sooner than expected. 

Find the right candidate for the job today by using Talent Search. Then visit our Inspirations page to get the latest insights on talent recruitment and retention.