Is Your Hiring Process Scaring Away IT Talent?
Attracting top IT talent in today’s market is no easy feat. But when your hiring process is complex, disorganized or long and drawn out, it can cost you top candidates. Is your hiring process scaring away IT talent?
Poor Job Descriptions
A job posting should give a potential applicant a good feel for the job, but you have to walk a fine line. The description should be compelling, but it should not be too vague, nor should it be so complex that potential candidates feel overwhelmed by all of the information.
List the most important requirements and responsibilities and incorporate information about your company culture. Include pertinent details like salary, benefits and perks, as well as links to your website and social media profiles. Give candidates a reason to want to apply by answering their most important questions.
A Complex Application Process
A long, complex, and clunky application process will lead to abandoned applications. Candidates do not want to jump through tons of hoops or spend hours applying to a single job.
Walk through your application process yourself. Time it. Note the areas where you feel frustrated. Can you save your application and come back to it later? Are you asking questions that could be handled in a phone screen? Do you ask for highly personal data like a social security number? If you feel frustrated or uncomfortable, odds are high that potential candidates feel the same, and it could be costing you talent.
Poor Communication
Candidates who do not hear from you in a reasonable amount of time will assume they are out of contention and will focus their attention elsewhere. Add an auto responder to notify applicants that their documents have been received and include a disclaimer like, “only qualified candidates will be contacted,” and/or provide information on next steps.
If after interviewing a candidate you determine they will not move on to the next step, let them know. If a candidate is in consideration, communicate your timeline and reach out if things are taking longer than expected. Poor communication sends the message you do not value the candidate, so take a few minutes to keep them in the loop.
The Offer Does Not Match Expectations Set in the Hiring Process
IT candidates will reject an offer if it does not align with the expectations you set in the job posting and throughout the interview process. This includes responsibilities, expectations, salary and benefits. Surprises in the offer stage will raise red flags and could cost you your ideal IT candidate.
Are You Hiring IT Talent?
At PEAK Technical Consulting, we have a proven track record of helping employers overcome some of their biggest IT hiring challenges. If you are ready to streamline your hiring process to attract the best and brightest, we invite you to contact us today to learn more about how we can find the skilled professionals you need.
