3 tips to engage & retain the best candidates in the recruitment process

Are you tired of hearing about the skill shortage in the STEM sector? Do you want to be able to have your best pick of skilled candidates and set yourself up to blow your competition out of the water? Having a great Employer Value Proposition (EVP) - and most importantly communicating it well - is the answer to turning the best candidates in the market into prized employees.

Here are our top tips to keep candidates engaged throughout your recruitment process and stop them slipping through the net. 

1. Treat your candidates like customers

Candidates in skills short markets are aware of their value and know they can afford to be picky in their job search. This means you have to try harder to win them over and hold their attention. To do this, it helps to think of candidates like you think of your customers and treat them in the same way; after all, they can be just as valuable to your business. Providing an excellent candidate experience throughout the recruitment process will make candidates feel valued and, ultimately, help to retain them.

2. Keep up the communication

Long waiting times and poor communication during the recruitment process is a real pain point for candidates. 52% cite slow feedback as one of their biggest frustrations, while 44% said that poor communication about the next steps of the process was a pain point (Glassdoor). 

Kerry Jones, Head of Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing Services at Gattaca stresses the importance of timely communication during the hiring process: 

“Companies often tell us they struggle with candidates quitting during the application process. Letting candidates wait to hear about their application due to disorganised processes could be a costly mistake. Not only can it lead to a longer recruitment cycle, it could also lose you candidates with niche skills and potentially cause damage to the employer brand as frustrated candidates share their experiences online. 

Making sure you are communicating with candidates throughout the recruitment process, whether they are successful or not, will keep them engaged and provide them with a positive view of your company.”  

3. Sell yourself as an employer

As well as regular, timely communication, companies must communicate their employer value proposition (EVP) consistently throughout the candidate journey, right the way from attraction through to on-boarding. 

Karen explains the importance of defining your EVP and showcasing it throughout the recruitment process:

“Understanding why people might want to work for you, being able to communicate the benefits you offer as an employer and also sell the exciting projects you are offering candidates to get involved in, is crucial to attracting and engaging talent. Building a toolkit of marketing materials like emails, careers microsites, brochures and on-boarding packs is a great way of doing this and will help prevent candidates from dropping out midway through the recruitment process.”

By implementing a clear and strong EVP strategy and operationally turning it into reality, you can lessen the worry and fanfare associated to a skill short markets. Hiring engineering and technology talent can be ‘easier’ if you invest in a long-term candidate attraction strategy, helping you to win the candidates you want for your business now and in the future.

Find out how we can help you with your Employer Value Proposition and employer brand here or get in touch with our specialists using the form below.