You come across all types of candidates as you conduct interviews and search for the right person for a role. Naturally, some candidates are clear fits while others aren’t. The more challenging part of this assessment is when candidates fall somewhere in between.
Sourcers and recruiters are typically the first to engage with candidates, and it is their responsibility to decide if a candidate will move forward or not. Regardless of the decision, how we engage with candidates is critical to the experience and your employer brand. In this case, we’ll look at subjective timeframes to identify three types of candidates and how to best communicate with them.
No — at least not now
Good cultural fit but underqualified? Skilled but not a team player? Blatantly rude and unskilled? Whatever the reason, there are candidates we know are definite “nos” at this point in time. Regardless, the best recruiting organizations are transparent with their feedback. They demonstrate kindness, understanding that any form of rejection is hard and that their provided feedback could help candidates improve as they continue their job search.
Even though you have no intention of hiring your “not now” candidates, these may not be your final interactions with them. It’s important to consider that these candidates could very well become clients one day.
More immediately, they will likely speak about their experience, so you want to protect your brand. You also don’t want to lose out on future, qualified candidates based on what they hear from your “not now” candidates. Even if their future is not at your company, you can promote a positive, authentic brand experience.
Here are some tips for connecting with your “not now” candidates:
- Listen respectfully. You don’t need to fake interest, but you can politely listen to what a candidate shares with you.
- Acknowledge positives. Again, you don’t need to fake anything here, but a small affirmation related to a candidate’s strengths or skills can go a long way in making the candidate feel seen and heard.
- Communicate clearly. Thank them for their time and interest, but don’t give them false hope about the position or other roles with your company. Deliver the news matter-of-factly. Communicating transparently often includes providing feedback on why they weren’t selected and what they may want to do to have a better shot at landing a similar job somewhere else.
- Respond promptly. Waiting for an answer on a role can be daunting and stressful for candidates, even if they aren’t sure which way it’s going to go. Show these candidates respect by giving them the “no” promptly. Provide them with closure, and don’t ghost them!
Use your best judgment to determine how much information should be shared with these candidates, and know that maintaining neutrality is often the best course of action. Some candidates press for additional feedback, and while we may want to be constructive, we should be careful about how much we share.
Right now
These are the candidates we all get excited about, the ones we want to hire RIGHT NOW. This is when your candidate experience will be put to the test, as it is likely other companies are equally interested. Bring your energy and excitement to your interactions without going over the top. We want these candidates to know we’re very interested in them, but we don’t want our enthusiasm to scare them off or to unintentionally suggest desperation.
Remember that interviews are not one-sided; we’re not the only ones doing the evaluating. Just because we want these candidates now doesn’t mean they necessarily feel the same way, although we hope so!
In your interactions with these candidates, paint a picture of company culture. Cull your resources to help them visualize a “day in the life,” whether that’s sharing a video with an office tour and current employee testimonials or organizing a lunch to connect the candidate with their future team.
Here are a few more ideas for how you can engage these must-have candidates:
- Show them how they’ll thrive. Go beyond the company perks and help them understand how they will succeed in the position. Emphasize how their experiences and qualifications directly relate to the role. Gain understanding of their career goals, then show them the growth opportunities and rewarding work found within your company.
- Maintain regular communication. Send simple follow-ups and confirmation emails. Keep them up-to-date on the application and hiring process, providing specific dates and notifying them of their status. Tell them about relevant company initiatives and how they reflect your mission and values.
- Answer questions. As much as we want to tell these candidates how great we are, be sure to allow space for them to ask questions too. Listen to what matters to them. Be transparent as they seek to learn more, and encourage questions to help them find clarity and confidence around the position and your company.
If you’re interacting with candidates that you for sure want to hire, keep your best foot forward and deliver an elite experience. Hopefully they feel similarly about becoming your now employee! 😉
Someday
Maybe you connected with a skilled professional but aren’t currently hiring. Maybe you interviewed someone who isn’t a fit for this role but who may be a fit for that role. Or maybe you interacted with a passive candidate, someone who is employed and not looking but who may be interested in a new role they don’t yet know about.
These are the people we’re not hiring today but maybe someday, and they become our pipeline candidates.
Building your talent pipeline is the number one way to improve hiring outcomes. This proactive strategy leads to best-fit hires, not to mention time and cost savings.
To build and maintain a strong talent pipeline, we need to keep these “someday” candidates warm. Be curious. Stay in touch authentically and organically.
Here are a few ways we can connect and stay engaged with “someday” candidates:
- Assess interest and future opportunities. Chat with these candidates about the traits and skills related to relevant, prospective positions. Find out what interests them and aligns with their career aspirations. This not only provides you insight but can also bring them clarity and inspire new ideas for future opportunities.
- Provide value. Share helpful articles and webinars. Send quick notes about important company news. Recommend educational opportunities that could help them improve their skills or bridge any gaps to support their success in future positions.
- Remember when they share life events. Take note of upcoming graduations, weddings, or births that they have shared with you, and extend your congratulations when the time comes. Thoughtfully respond when a candidate is vulnerable about tougher life circumstances. (For example: When a candidate shared that her dad was terminally ill, a Beacon Lane sourcer later sent an article about caring for elderly parents.)
Nurturing “someday” candidates can feel like playing the long game at times, but prioritizing these connections can be a game-changer in giving you a steady stream of qualified candidates, especially when someday becomes today.
Communicating with all types of candidates
All candidates need to be engaged, whether they fall within the not now, right now, or someday category. That’s what makes sourcing so important!
Do you have the right people in place to regularly and consistently engage with these types of candidates?
We’ve found that this is most effective with a dedicated sourcing partner. Beacon Lane’s sourcers are experts at connecting with all types of candidates. We build and nurture relationships to ensure you have a solid pipeline of qualified, interested talent.
Plus, our contract sourcing service makes it easy to scale up or down, adapting quickly based on the market and your specific hiring needs. Lean on us more or less at any given time.
If you are curious about how a sourcing partner could enhance your hiring outcomes and manage candidate connections, we’d love to have a conversation with you. Or, if you simply have a question about the tactics we’ve outlined here, we’d be happy to connect with you and hear your thoughts.
