Should You Treat Candidates as Customers?

As a business professional in any sort of leadership role, you often get the chance to supervise a number of people throughout your career. That may also means sitting in on dozens — if not hundreds — of interviews, as well as wading through myriads of resumes. This can prove exhausting for both you and potential candidates. Make it a more enjoyable experience by treating job applicants the same way you would customers.

Customer service experts refer to a customer experience as the overall interaction a customer has with a company and the emotions he goes through because of it. In much the same way, a candidate experience entails how a potential employee interacts with the people responsible for hiring him. An applicant can come away from the experience with a good or bad impression. Even if a prospective hire doesn't get the job, his perception of the employer can still be positive.

To make every candidate experience worthwhile, you must stop treating people as if they have to sell themselves completely to get the job. Instead, aim for a combination of a vendor-like relationship, wherein a company tries to sign on with the larger firm, and a great customer relationship, in which you make the candidate feel good about applying for a job. You cannot treat applicants precisely like customers because, in that sort of situation, a new hire has all of the power in the transaction. However, firms should strive to give prospective employees a good perception of the job search process.

Relationship-Driven Hiring

Employers should strive for relationship-driven hiring, which means every person who has contact with candidates should try to build relationships with them. People who want a job spend time building connections through a network, and the same is also true of companies looking for top talent. A second-place applicant who was very strong in a previous interview may prove to be a valuable asset later when a similar position opens. Reaching out to that person and making an offer based on a previous candidate experience can save time, money and effort versus going through another exhaustive job search.

Therefore, employers should try to maintain relationships with qualified applicants after hiring the best possible person. Managers and supervisors can work with HR to maintain contact with people who have personal connections to the firm. Does this candidate exhibit the values of the company? Does this person still have an interest in working there?

Strategies

Several strategies can improve the candidate experience. Start with a database of pre-established applicants. This creates a short list of people who may qualify for a future job opening. Keep in contact with prospective hires through social media, LinkedIn and email. Current contact information can lead to a quick hire.

During an interview, sell the applicant on the company — leave no doubt that your firm is a top choice for future employment. Why should the candidate choose this business over a competitor? The same thing happens in the mind of an applicant; he has to convince you that he's the best compared to the other candidates.

The best candidate experience boils down to effective communication before and after the interview. Leaving an applicant with a positive perception of the hiring process can open future possibilities.

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