We all know that first impressions are important, but we need to ensure a positive impression continues through every stage of the recruitment process. Recently, I spoke to a friend who’s been looking for a new opportunity and it reiterated that the candidate needs to be made a priority. This may be when registering with an agency or applying directly to a company, during the interview stage and continuing when an offer is made through to the onboarding process.

 

With the use of technology in our everyday lives, things have become simpler and quicker.  Applying for financing can take less than a week, you may find romance by swiping right, and travel can be booked without stepping into an agency. This simplicity and ‘easy’ experience are now applied to finding a new job.  Gone are the days of vague job advertisements, opaque salary and benefit information and with the advancement of technology available, difficult career sites and portals to navigate may put people off.  

 

There is a rise in career opportunities within specific Jersey Finance sectors and candidates are in high demand, so building a candidate experience has never been more important. Improving a candidate experience may be as simple as making jobs easier to find and apply for on a website. A few simple tweaks to your application process may be all it takes. It’s always good to audit the process and understand firstly, how job seekers find you, what they see before they decide to apply and what the process looks and feels like. During your audit you may ask yourself, would I do all this to apply? 

 

Still most importantly, building a relationship is key. As a Jersey Recruitment agency, we understand the importance of a great experience. Knowing the candidate goes a long way in finding them the right career match. It’s not always just about the type of job, hours and salary someone may be expecting but diving in what type of culture, personality and future they may be seeking. 

 

We also understand that the candidate experience is only half about the candidate and recruiter, the other half is the time you are not in direct communication. The time between applying and receiving a response. The time it takes to schedule an interview and then waiting on feedback. The time it takes to decide to make an offer. Our consultants aren’t just the ‘middleman’, they are the ones that are waiting by the phone with you. We are communicating the information and attempting to tighten up the hiring process or in the least communicating the hiring format, multiple interview stages and time period the process may take. 

 

Keeping clear lines of communication is important. It has been said that most will wait less than two weeks to hear back from a company before moving on to another job opportunity. How long will it be before you send a response to an application? Whether that response is automated or not, it gives additional information so the person knows what they should do or expect next. 

 

At Optimus, we aim to build a positive end-to end candidate experience for you. Why not book an appointment to meet with one of our consultants and discuss your next career move?