Candidates are People Too! Invert the Funnel and Humanize the Hiring Cycle

February 11, 2014 at 4:58 AM by Rob Stevenson

divergent-thinkerIn every industry, there are sloppy, poorly prepared individuals whose incompetence drags down the repute of the hard-working, earnestprofessional. Who can think of salesman without conjuring the image of a scheming, dishonest charlatan? Or of a lawyer, without imagining a skeezy, morally bankrupt verbal mercenary?

Sadly, in the field of talent acquisition, this is just as accurate. Months ago, we asked an array of software developers what particular criticisms they had about recruiters. As it turned out, they were more than happy to list their gripes. Recruiters frequently rub talent the wrong way by blasting them with impersonal messaging, failing to understand their direct skillset, or telling them about roles which don’t make sense in the scheme of the candidates’ career. In short, candidates abhor being treated as a mere utility to fill an open position.

At Entelo, it is particularly distressing to hear poor reviews of recruiters, because we happen to know and work with so many remarkable talent acquisition pros. Want to stand above the noise and take back the name of the industrious recruiter? Follow these pointers we sourced from industry pros and tech talent.

Invert Your Funnel

Remember this, recruiters: candidates are people too. They have long-term career goals, personal ambitions, and passions they want to be able to tackle in their work lives. Thinking about talent in terms of their how they might fill one particular open req may severely limit their ability to pursue the goals listed above. Indeed, it is this perspective of people-as-reqs that encourages the impersonal, cold-email mass messaging, which typically remain unopened, and can even turn talent off to your entire organization.

Rather than putting talent in a cookie cutter for one role, seek to build a bond with them and come to learn their passions, most impressive abilities, and goals. As you come to know more about your candidate, you will understand precisely what type of move makes the most sense for them, and can consider them for a variety of roles, even if it isn’t necessarily at your organization. The best recruiters aren’t merely filling reqs, they are building networks and making connections that result in win-win scenarios for both the candidate, as they will find a truly fulfilling role, and the organization, as they have found a high caliber, best-fit employee.

Rather than pitching a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ writing PHP in Sausalito, start with one highly-qualified candidate, reach out to them in a non-pushy, personal manner, and stress your interest in learning more about their personal goals.

Tailor Your Template

While crafting individual emails to every candidate isn’t practical, you can still build a template that lends itself to personalization. Including information about a particular project or interest the candidate has will prove you took the time to do a bit of research and determine their true skill set. Also, work in close conjunction with the hiring manager to have as intimate an understanding of your open positions as possible. This will ensure you don’t waste anytime looking and candidates whose experience may not be directly relevant, and will help you provide crucial, technical details to the candidate.

Involve the team

No matter how much you know about the role and your company culture, nobody is better served to detail the specifics of a position than the individual in that very role. Deputizing employees in your recruiting efforts will give your candidates the clearest idea of the what it’s truly like to have the given position. Additionally, relevant co-workers can provide specific details of current projects and give talent a glimpse into what it’s like to be a member of that team.

In summation:

  • Invert your funnel by learning the goals of top-tier talent
  • Strike a balance between personalization and templated messaging
  • Deputize your hiring managers and employees as much as possible

Have you made strides to humanize your own recruiting process? Share in the comments or tweet @EnteloRob!

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