7 Ways to Encourage

Candidate Commitment

Recruitment and Staffing Software for Fast-Growing Firms

www.erecruit.com/adapt

www.erecruit.com/adapt

Competition for good quality candidates is fierce. The number of agencies has

increased and more jobs are available for fewer well-qualified candidates. With many

jobs to choose from, the candidate really does hold all the cards in the relationship.

Faced with multiple options, increasingly candidates seem to be suffering from

‘commitment phobia’.

Ten years ago, recruiters could send a candidate for an interview and know that they

would attend. They could place a candidate in a role and know that they would start the

job on the appointed day. More recently, this certainty has broken down. It is common

for candidates to simply fail to attend an interview without warning or good reason. A

third (34%) of UK workers have changed their mind in the last two years after accepting

a job offer, choosing not to go ahead with the new role*.

Worse still, candidates are accepting job offers and failing to show up on day one.

In this eBook we provide real world strategies for

boosting candidate commitment.

7 Ways to Encourage Candidate

Commitment

* http://www.recruitment-international.co.uk/news/a-third-of-workers-admit-to-doing-a-u-turn-after-accepting-a-job-offer-28399.htm

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The Generation Gap

An ageing population will create four-generation offices where staff in their 70s and

80s work alongside those in their 20s, according to a study by the UK Commission for

Employment and Skills*.

These four generations are:

• Generation Z, the digital natives born since the late 1990s who are just entering the

workplace

• Generation Y, born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s

• Generation X, born between the early 1960s and the early 1980s

• Baby Boomers, the generation born between the end of the Second World War and

the early 1960s

* https://www.gov.uk/government/news/four-generation-workplaces-on-the-rise-as-report-reveals-the-future-of-work

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Each generation has a very different approach to the workplace. Younger workers,

some with unrealistic expectations arising from reality TV shows such as The X Factor

and Big Brother, display less loyalty to their employers than previous generations.

The vast majority of Generation Y employees do not plan to stay with any employer for

more than five years and more than a third (37%) plan to stay no more than two years,

according to London Business School’s five-year survey* of participants from its

Emerging Leaders executive education programme.

Each generation is different and has

particular expectations of work. Spend

some time getting up to speed with what

motivates different generations in the

workplace before designing strategies to

build candidate loyalty.

* http://innovation.london.edu/news/121/index.html

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The Communications Chasm

Senior recruiters were brought up using computers but did not grow up with the

always-on social media connectivity that typifies the digital natives of the generation

now entering the workplace. In a well-intentioned effort to meet candidates on their

home turf of Twitter or Facebook, recruiters are adopting social media and digital

communications to reach candidates who may never have encountered a well put

together cover letter or a professional email.

However, one study ‘Gen Y vs. Gen Z Workplace Expectations’*, revealed that contrary

to the assumption younger workers want constant connection to technology, the

personal touch is welcomed:

Generation Z respondents say they prefer:

• in-person communications (51%)

• emailing (16%)

• instant messaging (11%)

* http://millennialbranding.com/2014/geny-genz-global-workplace-

expectations-study/

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This is very likely to be because they are coming to realise that these are the only

methods that will get their attention and cut through the noise of hundreds of tweets

and notifications from WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram.

At the other end of the spectrum, skilled and experienced Baby Boomers – entering

their 50s and 60s still with many years of working life ahead of them – may not

respond well to recruiters contacting them using digital communications.

Choose the most effective channels of communication

for each generation. One size does not fit all and taking

a blanket approach to all communications will alienate

some candidates.

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The Personal Touch

Use social media with care and follow

up connections made over social media

with more personal methods of

communication.

Social media and digital communications now dominate and this trend has had a real

impact on candidate loyalty. Ten years ago a recruiter had to pick up the phone to

speak with a candidate, or have someone come into their office. There was a lot more

personal interaction simply because so many people didn’t have a mobile device.

Now, most people have smart phones, allowing them to not only call and text but also

interact with social media continuously. Recruiters commonly use social media to

communicate with candidates, but the lack of a personal approach is contributing to a

situation where the candidate doesn’t feel uncomfortable with letting the recruiter

down.

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Customise LinkedIn Communications

LinkedIn is a valuable resource for recruiters but it is essential to personalise

communications from the beginning rather than sending out a generic mass mailer.

When contacting people through LinkedIn do it in such a way that demonstrates you

have read the job history and interests listed on their profile. Candidates will only

respond if they feel you have something specific to offer them.

When using LinkedIn to communicate with

potential candidates set a warm and personal

tone to keep the candidate onside

throughout the application process.

Image Credit: GongTo / Shutterstock.com

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Recruiters must build a stable relationship from the outset by communicating with

candidates in a way that builds loyalty. Recruiters texting candidates and asking them

to text back if they are interested in a job have become their own worst enemies.

It is human nature to mirror the nature of communications

you are receiving. So if candidates get a quick throwaway

text they will respond by text, or not at all.

If candidates receive a personal phone call and get to ‘know’ an individual recruiter,

that is the start of a relationship. The next step is to meet the candidate face-to-face,

to consolidate the relationship. That way, candidates will care a little bit more about

letting the recruiter know if they can’t attend an interview.

Getting to know you

Focus on building loyalty with a

warm personal approach that

makes it less easy for candidates

to let you down.

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Add Value to the Placement Process

Another way to foster candidate commitment is to add value to the recruitment

process. Offer free webinars on ‘great interview techniques’ or ‘how to make your CV

stand out above the rest’ and people will later remember that you provided something

they learned from.

This is particularly important for candidates placed on short contracts. To encourage

them to come back to you when it is time to search for their next position, check in to

see how they are getting on at regular intervals.

Adding value to the recruitment

process will enhance your

candidates’ job prospects as well as

build loyalty.

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Offer the Right Package

Low cost personal touches such as

remembering candidates’ birthdays

reap dividends by creating loyal

and committed candidates – but

only if the basic package is right.

If the salary and benefits are inadequate for the role, recruiters are likely to see poor

candidate engagement whatever they do. The recruiter has a role to play in

encouraging the client to ensure they are offering the best package in order to attract

and retain candidates in an ever more competitive marketplace.

Additionally, above and beyond the standard benefits package, the recruiter can

introduce recognition initiatives that set it apart from the competition, such as

remembering candidates’ birthdays with cards and small gifts.

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Mutual Commitment

Candidate commitment, or the lack of it, is a serious issue for recruiters who:

• stand to lose clients as a result of poor candidate performance

• are wasting time and resources on candidates who fail to engage with the

placement process

It is key to communicate effectively and appropriately to keep candidates onside

until the successful conclusion of the placement process and beyond.

If recruiters expect candidates to be loyal and

committed, then recruiters themselves need to

demonstrate commitment to candidates.

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