When looking for the very best talent, the experience a candidate has throughout the entire hiring process is key.
However, the interview stage is especially important.
Whilst interviews provide hiring managers with the chance to assess a candidate’s credentials and their potential fit in to the company’s culture, they are often the time when a candidate makes up their mind about the organisation they are hoping to join.
It’s during an interview the candidate also assesses whether the role and the business is the right option for them.
Making the most of the time together in an interview is therefore crucial for all sides.
1. Setting the Tone for your Employer Brand
A positive interview experience will reflect well on a company’s brand.
Candidates who feel valued and respected are more likely to speak positively about your business and recommend it to others, even if they don’t get the job.
On the flip side, a poor experience can end up with negative reviews on platforms like Glassdoor. Candidates are also more likely to share a negative experience with friends and colleagues. This outcome may well deter future applicants and hamper your recruitment efforts.
Making sure candidates have a good experience doesn’t just happen. It starts in advance of the interview.
A poorly planned interview can completely sway what you think about a candidate, but can equally change what the candidate thinks about you and your business.
Careful planning and good communication will help both the hiring manager or interviewer prepare effectively, and be beneficial for the candidate too.
Sharing the key details of the interview process beforehand, will help everyone prepare well and give a good impression of themselves. Ahead of the first interview, it would also be helpful to send the approved role description, together with further details of the employer value proposition.
Communicating important information with the candidate early, such as when and where the interview is taking place, the number of interview stages, the format of each meeting, and your timescales for making a final decision will create both a positive candidate experience and good impression of the business.
Being upfront with the candidate about who will be conducting the interview, their role(s) in the business, and who will meet them on the day, will be helpful.
Thinking about any additional details the candidate might need, will show a hiring manager’s attention to detail and consideration for the hiring process and future employees.
2. Showcasing your company culture
There is a direct correlation between a company’s culture and their ability to attract the best talent.
Most of what a candidate will have gleaned about the culture of a business, will be from what they have read in advance, on your website and social channels or by word of mouth.
An interview is likely to be the first chance for a hiring manager or interviewer to share the culture and the company’s EVP in person. A valuable opportunity to highlight the true benefits of being part of the team to a candidate.
Whilst talking about a culture is relatively easy, bringing it to life in a short space of time during an interview will require careful planning.
Some businesses might show a slide deck at the interview, outlining the company, its values along with recent work and successful projects. Others might send this out in advance as a Pdf document.
If time and resources permit, offering a tour of the facilities or having a coffee with potential future colleagues can add value. Exposing candidates to as many positive ‘culture touchpoints’ during their interview time, will help create a positive experience for all involved.
3. Enhancing Candidate Engagement, Improving Hiring Quality and DEI
As mentioned above, interviews have the potential to make or break not only how the businesses and hiring managers view candidates, but also how candidates perceive a business.
A well-designed, thoughtful interview process will make candidates feel excited and connected to both the role as well as company as a whole.
Demonstrating inclusivity in the interview process will help attract diverse talent and strengthen the business culture.
Although a standardised format and common interview questions, will help eliminate bias and give every candidate the same opportunity to demonstrate their skills and qualifications, it’s important to ask more personalised questions too.
These will allow for hiring managers to dig into a candidate’s character and find out more about their unique skills and capabilities.
Taking a more individual and tailored approach will result in candidates being more engaged in the process, and give them a better overall experience and impression of the business.
By creating a fair interview format where all sides feel comfortable, candidates are much more likely to showcase their true capabilities and personality. They will also feel respected and judged on merit.
This will help improve the overall quality of hiring, and really uncover a diversity of candidates who will not only fit the company culture, but also add to it.
4. Communicating the Outcome and Providing Constructive Feedback
Once the interview is over, it’s vital not to leave candidates second guessing as to how they performed and whether they have been successful in securing the role. It’s important not to tell candidates they will be progressing to the next stage if a final decision is still to be made. really it is still to be decided.
A key element of creating a positive interview experience is giving timely, constructive feedback and letting all candidates know the outcome of your decision, even those who have not been selected.
Whilst it’s easier to share the good news with the chosen candidate, it’s equally important to advise the unsuccessful candidates of the outcome too. Telling them in an impersonal way or not letting them know at all, will leave a sour taste and a poor impression of the business.
Being transparent and explaining the reasons behind your choice, will help candidates understand their strengths and areas for growth. It may also give the opportunity to discuss other or future roles, where they might be a better fit.
Constructive feedback shows professionalism and care, leaving candidates with a positive impression of the company, even if they’re not selected. This strengthens the company’s reputation, making it easier to attract top talent in the long-run.
Offering feedback often requires reflecting on the evaluation process. This can help hiring managers fine-tune their interview techniques and better define the qualities they’re looking for in future candidates.
Remember to communicate your decision in line with the timescales indicated before the interview. If there’s an unforeseen delay in the decision-making process, inform all the candidates. Don’t leave people to make assumptions.
5. Boosting Long-Term Retention and Reducing Recruitment Costs
Ultimately though, creating a fantastic interview experience for candidates will help a business retain the best talent for the long-term and reduce their overall recruitment costs.
Successful candidates who have experienced empathy, transparency and been given the opportunity to shine at interview, tend to be more committed and loyal to a business after joining.
And whilst a great interview builds a healthy foundation of trust and mutual respect, essential for long-term employee retention, it also reduces costly mis-hires or the need to re-hire due to a poor initial selection process.
A well-defined interview process can also reduce the risk of having to make redundancies in the future, saving hiring managers and businesses valuable time and resources, better deployed elsewhere.
Delivering a great interview experience is down to the business and hiring manager…
But, there’s some final things to remember too, that can make or break the interview experience…
Let candidates do most of the talking.
Delivering a great interview experience is down to the business and hiring manager…
But, there’s some final things to remember too, that can make or break the interview experience…
Let candidates do most of the talking.
Stay engaged in the process.
It can be tempting to glance at an email or be distracted by a message, so switch of your devices. Use a pen and paper to take notes, or better still have a colleague make notes, so you can stay engaged in the discussion.
Ask broad questions
Test the full range of a candidate’s skills and capabilities. Don’t focus too narrowly on soft or hard skills.
In summary, a positive interview experience is crucial for any property businesses looking to attract and retain the very best talent.
It will significantly impact a candidate’s perception of a company and its culture, and influence their decision to join or not, as well as the likelihood of them recommending the business to others.
By creating a thoughtful interview process for candidates to show their true skills and capabilities, companies will not only enhance candidate engagement, but also attract a diverse range of individuals who will fit in to and add to the existing culture.
Ultimately, a well-executed interview process will ensure a strong initial selection, lead to better long-term retention and reduce future recruitment costs by minimising the risk of a mis-hire.
Other insights you might like:
Ten ways to hone your interview skills as a Hiring Manager
FIVE Costs of Hiring the Wrong Person for your Property Business and How to Avoid a Mis-hire
Find out more about our niche knowledge of the property sector and how we find the very best talent for our clients
