As I have helped hiring managers all across the United States fulfill their hiring needs, I have also borne witness to the repeated tragedy of losing a top-quality candidate in the midst of the hiring process.

The Greatest Tragedy in Hiring is Losing your Ideal Candidate.

You may be thinking to yourself, “Is that really a tragedy?” Yes! A tragedy is defined as a lamentable event, calamity or disaster. While the extent of the tragedy may not be immediately apparent, losing the right hire ultimately leads to making the wrong hire. Hiring the wrong candidate can be costly in more ways than just financially. New hires that end up being a poor fit in a practice can become actively disengaged employees, which can lead to poor patient experiences, demoralization of other employees, and, ultimately, resignation after the costly onboarding process. Plus, some other company will now reap the benefits of your ideal candidate’s skill set – and your company will not.

Competition for good candidates can be fierce. In competitive markets, you must actively work to keep viable candidates engaged, and get them hired before another practice beats you to the punch! Here are a few tips I’ve picked up during my experience as a professional recruiter that you can incorporate into your hiring process to help you do just that.

Use These Tips to Avoid the Greatest Tragedy in Hiring – Losing Your Ideal Candidate!

Tip #1: Quickly Communicate with Candidates Who Interest You

When you know you are interested in interviewing a candidate, contact them right away. If you are unable to reach the job seeker via one contact method, try another. Candidates live in the same fast-paced world that you do, so communicating them in a manner that reflects this can help increase responsiveness. Consider sending a text message, or following up with an email.

Limiting your communication early can actually drive great candidates to your competitors’ doorstep.

Contact candidates with 24-48 hours, and if you do not succeed in reaching them – try, try again!

Tip #2: Use Technology to Maintain Communication During the Interview Process

You have a candidate you would like to interview. Great! Traditionally, you would call and schedule an interview. But, what you do after you have the interview set is just as important.

What can you do to set yourself apart in the candidate’s eyes?

There are several tools out there that can not only help you stand out but also keep you and your candidate more organized. For instance, sending a simple calendar invitation is a great way to give you and the candidate a reminder of the time and place to which you both agreed. It will ensure you are both on the same page, and show the candidate that you are well organized. An added benefit is that you can typically set a calendar invitation to automatically send a reminder or notify event attendees prior to the interview. Consider setting a reminder for the day before, and a second reminder for a few hours beforehand.

Tip #3: Automated Communication Has Its Limits

While automated calendar notifications can supplement your communication with the candidate, you should be mindful not to “set it and forget it.” The best candidates in competitive markets often have multiple opportunities in which they may be interested. Personalized communication can help emphasize to the candidate that you are interested in their skill set, and invested in exploring their fit within your organization.

On the day of the interview, send a quick text message stating that you are excited to speak with them. This is another great way to keep a candidate engaged, and avoid a no-show.

Tip #4: Personalize Your Communication

Working for TalentCare, I have reached out to tens of thousands of qualified candidates in several different industries via email, phone call, and text message. Our team continually A/B tests messaging to understand what best engages candidates and maximizes responses.

If there is one kernel of wisdom that I can impart from my experience, it is that the more personal you can make your message, the better.

One effective way that I have found to do that is by using the candidate’s name throughout any dialogue. It is easy to fall into the habit of saying the same thing in a conversation or an email, but many candidates notice the difference between a template response and a genuine, personal message. Help the candidate see that the message is just for them.

Tip #5: Be Approachable

Approachability is beneficial in a variety of ways during the job interview process. First and foremost, down-to-earth conversations help both parties explore whether there is a true, long-term fit between the candidate and the organization. Genuine compatibility between the career aspirations and capabilities of a candidate, and the needs of an organization, will set the stage for mutual success.

Additionally, the best candidates these days want a workplace where they can contribute with more than just their skill set. Job seekers are seriously invested in making a difference. When you open the door for a candidate to understand the challenges you face, you are giving them an early opportunity to consider how they can make a difference for your organization. By picturing themselves in real-life scenarios, candidates already start to problem-solve, and become intrigued by what the outcome of their contributions might be.

Finally, the more comfortable a candidate is with you during the interview, the more likely you will also be able to identify that a candidate does not fit. In these down-to-earth conversations, be sure to listen for red flags and ask questions to further understand.

Tip #6: Explore Beyond the Resume and the Interview

Every hiring manager I know has lain awake at night wondering if a recent or planned hire was the right decision. Hiring is not a perfect science, and it never will be. Even a thorough hiring process can leave a lot of questions unanswered; but, there are ways to cast a little more light on the tough hiring decisions you will have to make.

A candidate may claim to have that perfect skill set and they may even speak as if they truly understand the concepts of how to apply their skill set. But how do you really know?

One way to further vet your candidates is to utilize skills and personality assessments to hone in on the best hires. These tests can help provide hiring managers with better insights that may not come from interviews or by studying resumes. The more information you have about your potential hires, the better decision you will be able to make for the future of your organization.

And remember – great hires can make great managers look even better!
Keep Calm and Hire On

While no hiring process is simple or worry free, I hope that these tips and tricks will help you in your mission to find the best hires for your organization. At TalentCare, we have a variety of services available to make your hiring as fast and easy as possible. Take a look at TalentCare in the Vision Source Insight portal to learn more about what we can do to help you get an edge in finding those great candidates before your competition!