Given the fact that we live in the age of information and technology, it should come as no surprise that the old adage that the ‘employer knows best’ is no longer applicable, and as result, there are a lot of recruitment practices that need to be realigned with the modern candidate’s expectations.

It is a fairly well established fact that today’s candidate has high standards owing to the information available to him about his various options and the varying levels of success he sees himself achieving in consequence to choosing one of those options. To that effect, it is only fair to expect him to be vocal about his experience if he has a bad one at a particular establishment, and what’s more, this is made easier than ever owing to the fact that we live in times where social media is already an indispensible part of everyone’s lives. As a result, conducting recruitment practices poorly can harm one’s brand now more than ever, not that it is ever an acceptable practice. Read on to learn some of the key aspects of what a candidate expects from a recruiter.

1. Communication :

Applicants value communication a lot. They like to know where they stand, and it is only fair to keep them in the loop about the same in real time. For a reasonable candidate, that’s all that’s needed for his expectations regarding communication to be filled.

2. A Transparent Process :

The candidate’s intent is never to badger the recruiter with questions. All they are looking for is information on the process. Make information such as how many more steps left in the process, when the next interview is to take place, and things like when the final decision is to be made readily available, and the candidate’s mind shall be put at ease about following up or simply awaiting your next communication.

3. Automated Acknowledgement :

Automated confirmations informing a candidate that their application has been received are now an industry norm, to the extent that a candidate might assume he’s already out of the running if he doesn’t receive one from the recruiter. To that end, ensure that automated communication is set up to avoid any misinterpretations about a lack of response altogether.

4. Brief Applicant Forms :

Application forms should be kept brief. All the necessary and relevant information about a candidate can still be gauged without designing an extensive form that goes on forever. Keeping it simple works wonders both ways when it comes to application forms.

5. A Comprehensible JD :

Candidates don’t know the inner workings of an establishment they are applying to. They are not supposed to. The job description needs to simple enough for just about anyone to understand, and not merely those who are familiar with the style of the particular company. The job description is the first stage where the candidate is either enticed, or discouraged from applying for a particular job.

Based in the City of London, Recruitment SMART is a HR tech startup on a mission to bring disruptive technology to the recruitment industry. They are developing Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based sourcing solutions. Team includes veterans from both the recruitment and tech industries and has client globally in UK, US and APAC. Feel Free to Write to us at info@recruitmentsmart.com