My name is Matt Dade and I am a Recruitment Consultant at Energi People, working in the Structural Engineering and Civil Engineering recruitment team. Have you wondered why you are losing candidates in the hiring process? Getting the right candidate in the role has tremendous business value, similarly the wrong candidate can cost your business time and money.

There are quite a few useful tools that help improve the recruitment process, and here are my top 3 valuable techniques to securing the right candidate for the role.

1. Communication

Why you are losing candidates in the hiring process? Communication is key!

Potentially the most important and yet the simplest tip of them all. Answer the phone. If you can’t answer, then do call back when you get the chance, as time kills all deals. Things can sometimes get lost in translation over constant emails when a 2 minute conversation can get your point across much quicker and more concise. Active communication is fundamental to ensure a smooth and reliable process. Quality, active candidates are not around for long, so securing interviews quickly is vital. If you see a candidate you like, don’t sit on the CV’s as they will have other options on the table.

Whether you like a candidate or not, giving them feedback is also fundamental. Feedback provides a basis for the candidate to improve their interview technique. It also allows the Consultant working with you to understand your requirements a little better.

2. Direct contact

The best recruiters will provide clear feedback, regardless of the outcome.

This tool goes hand in hand with communication. Having direct contact with the hiring manager is of utmost importance. Direct contact ensures direct communication with little chance of requirements being lost along the way. If this isn’t possible then the recruitment contact needs to make it CLEAR to them that if they don’t give robust feedback, they will risk losing the candidate. A good candidate experience is essential and could be a valid reason to why you are losing candidates in the hiring process. Check your processes and ensure you are getting back to candidates whether they are successful or not. Word of mouth is everything when it comes to employer branding.

3. Be open minded in a busy and candidate short market

Don’t lose a good candidate by holding out for the ‘perfect’ Paper Candidate.

If you need to find someone to fill a role and you’re not getting many candidates in, you may need to be a little more open-minded. If you need a very specific type of skill or experience, then okay fair enough. However, it will be rare to find the exact match for an employee that has been doing the exact job. Being too pedantic about the exact number of years’ experience they’ve had or if they’ve not used a software you use, but one that is identical, I would recommend taking a moment of reflection. A CV is a snapshot of their skills and experience but won’t tell you everything or whether they are the right ‘fit’ for your company. Give the candidate a chance – at least to interview, as there is a lot of driven, quality candidates out there with many transferrable skills. Trust me, they might just surprise you!

More from Matt Dade

Further Reading:

• Check out our UK STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING SALARY GUIDES
• Click Here to see Matt’s latest jobs
• Click here to see more Blog Posts from Energi People