FM Broadcast – Summer 2021

FM Broadcast – Summer 2021

6 Ways to Land Your Top Candidate

Even in normal times, recruiting exceptional talent to your company takes skill and effort. Currently, the market for top talent is fierce, and companies must stand out from the crowd to attract stellar executives. Candidates, like all people, want to feel important and valued, and your recruiting process must deliver that feeling. From the first outreach, through the interviews, and finally with the offer, each step of the hiring process shapes candidates’ impressions of your company. Hiring managers who put in the effort to make candidates feel wanted and appreciated have an advantage over the competition.

We continue to emphasize Candidate Experience because it is vital to success. Here are some tips our clients have used to attract amazing talent:

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Candidates appreciate authenticity and transparency. From the first outreach to the end of the search, ensure every applicant knows what is happening with their candidacy. Talk openly about the hiring process and what will happen at each stage. When you communicate frequently and openly with candidates, you demonstrate that transparency is a priority in your organization. As a result, candidates will feel more comfortable being open with you, too. (Note: Your recruiting partner should excel at this aspect of the process, but once a candidate has interviewed with your company, you and your team should start taking over much of the communication with the candidate. It’s more impactful coming directly from you.)
2. As the hiring manager, meet candidates early in the process. The more involved and proactive you are as their future manager, the better. Involvement by their prospective manager communicates that you are serious about bringing in great people. It should not take a candidate more than two interviews before they meet their future boss.
3. Surprise and delight your candidates. If a great candidate is talking to you, they are likely talking to other companies, too. Here are some ideas to stand out from the crowd:
   1. Send a driver or pay for a cab/Uber/Lyft to bring candidates to their onsite interviews.
   2. Assign someone on your team to act as a “candidate concierge” to welcome the candidate, show them around, and ensure they are completely cared for.
   3. Send a follow up gift or card to let them know that you appreciate their time and look forward to continuing the process.
4. Challenge candidates. Top candidates appreciate being challenged with purposeful interviews. Ask questions that are relevant and thoughtful. A thorough interview process emphasizes that your company sets a high bar and that you’re serious about hiring great people. It also let’s candidates know that they will be working with a strong team who went through a similar vetting process.
5. Make the “close” a big deal. Invite your candidate to a nice dinner and present the job offer to them in person. Talk about how they will help you accomplish your corporate objectives in the short and long term. Delivering this message personally instead of through HR or your outside recruiter emphasizes how important the candidate is to you, and that’s ultimately the most crucial message.
6. Follow up immediately after extending the offer. Have everyone who met the candidate reach out as soon as they receive the offer. These notes can be as simple as an email stating their excitement to work with the candidate, or a call/text with a similar message. Also, follow up yourself, emphasizing how excited you would be to have them on your team.

We’re sure you have some additional stories to tell about creating a special candidate experience, and we’d love to hear them!

The FlemingMartin Team

Client Snapshot: Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ)

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