Protect your brand – Why is it so important and what are the steps you need to take?
The market has shifted over the last few months. With higher levels of unemployment across the whole of the UK and less jobs being advertised (although this is increasing week by week!), it’s never been more important to protect your brand when it comes to recruiting.
We’ve been here before, albeit under different circumstances. But we remember the last time it was an employers market. It was a really interesting journey. Let us share our knowledge and experience with you. We can help make sure that you protect your brand now that the control has shifted.
Firstly, working with a recruiter will help ensure some of these areas are handled for you. However, it’s still important to remember that there are some things a recruiter can’t control for you. This is where you come in.
Create an accurate job description
In this market, it’s important to really know what you are looking for in order for your recruiter to find the very best candidate. There’s more to a job description than just a list of duties. As well as this, make a clear list of what skills and experience you need to candidate to have so that shortlisting becomes a quicker process. What about person fit? Is there a particular type of person who does well in your company? Getting this right at the start will help ensure a smoother and quicker recruitment process for all.
Be timely with CV feedback to protect your brand
Communication is vital right now – more so than ever. You want every single candidate who interacts with your brand – either directly, or via an agency, to have the best candidate experience possible. Even if the candidate isn’t suitable, it’s important that they are left with a positive feeling as it’s likely that they will share their experience with friends and family. Regardless if you are providing feedback directly, or via an agency, anything more than 24 hours after submitting a CV can create a bad feeling for the candidate.
Explain the interview process
This is a key step that a lot of companies miss. Whether you are working with a recruiter or not, it’s important to explain the interview process to your candidates. How many stages are there? Who are they going to meet? What is the timescale for feedback? Why is this important? Not only will the candidate be prepared to the best of their ability, they will also gain an insight into you as an employer. How you manage this will give candidates an indication of how the business treats its employees. Is the business well organised. How professional is the process. All this forms part of the candidates decision if offered the job.
Be prepared for the interview
Just like a candidate prepares, you should also prepare for the interview. Prepare questions that are relevant to the role. Although you may also want to go ‘freelance’ on a couple of questions depending on the candidate. But, try to stay away from the ‘tell me a bit about yourself’ question as this could be misunderstood as lack of preparation. Also, if it’s been a while since you last did an interview, there are questions you can and can’t ask. Talk to your recruiter for advice on this. Make notes at each interview too as this will help you remember key points when shortlisting further.
And finally, the time it takes for feedback following an interview says a lot about your company. Make sure to use this to your advantage and give feedback within an agreed timescale.
If you would like help with any of these areas, Charterhouse can help. Whether it be writing a job description, helping with interview preparation or shortlisting. With over 20 years’ experience, we know how to get the best results for our clients! We’ve been here before and can help you navigate the ‘new’ way of recruiting.
Get in touch with one of our expert recruiters today!
