The insurance industry at its core is centered around people. Creating connections, managing relationships, and providing the best experience to customers is critical for the success of every agency and brokerage. While this approach does not come as a surprise in client relationships, extending this concept to the hiring process and creating a better candidate experience may be less common. Nearly 60% of job seekers have had a poor candidate experience and 72% have shared their experience on online employer review sites such as Glassdoor.com.1
Focusing on the importance of creating the ideal candidate experience can not only help with talent acquisition but can also help create brand awareness, maintain a high reputation as a firm and create a positive company culture. A potential hire’s experience with a firm during the recruitment process creates their first opinion of a firm and, should they be hired, begins to instill the culture of that firm.
Creating a meaningful, positive candidate experience may seem simple, but it can have a large, long-lasting impact, but expert strategic planning can aid with this. Below are important steps in creating an ideal candidate experience.
Identify Your Ideal Candidate
Targeting specific candidates based on attributes such as experience, soft skills, attitude, and cultural fit can help narrow down candidates to focus on those most likely to succeed in the position and company. Identifying important traits can lead to better decision-making and allow you to weed out misaligned candidates efficiently. This starts with accurate job descriptions and extends to using personality and skills assessments for interested qualified candidates.
Develop a Clear and Engaging Employer Brand
Come to all interviews prepared with all key players on the same page. Present the value propositions and opportunities the company offers for high-level candidates. When necessary, discuss concerns about positions and candidates early on. Clearly and continuously communicate the timeline and steps with the candidate and recruiting team.
Create Actionable Steps During the Interview
Do not be vague or disingenuous. Honest communication, using clear and concise language, sets clear expectations. Describe in detail what is expected and needed to progress through the hiring process.
Communicate Regularly with Candidates
Keep everyone informed throughout the process, from the recruitment team to interviewers to candidates. Companies who communicate in a transparent and professional manner ensures everyone is on the same page with similar expectations. A recent study found 53% of respondents that had abandoned a recruitment process did so due to poor communication by an employer or recruiter. Ongoing and timely communication demonstrates a company’s interest and best practices.
Provide a Positive Interview Experience
Be flexible and accommodating. Make it easy to schedule and reschedule interviews. Consolidate interview steps to minimize the time candidates take away from their current job. Prepare all key players with information on the individuals, their role, and the benefits the company offers them. While creating time to listen to the candidates questions about the company and the role as well.
Using modern recruiting technology to simplify and speed up the process can benefit firms and candidates. Clunky, older applications that require candidates to create accounts to apply for a job may discourage highly qualified candidates from applying, especially when your competitors make it easier for candidates to apply quickly.
Equal Opportunity Hiring
Creating a candidate recruitment process centered on equality and equal opportunity can benefit your firm by attracting a wider range of candidates and strengthening the talent within your team, as diverse ideas and backgrounds create better outcomes. Utilizing rigorous and objective evaluative tools can assist firms in recruiting and hiring from diverse talent pools.
Navigating the complexities of the recruitment and interview process can be stressful for firms and candidates. With so much riding on the candidate process, evaluating your processes thoroughly and frequently is important. Small changes now can have a lasting impact on a firm for years to come.
If you have questions about Today’s ViewPoint, or about creating a seamless recruiting experience for candidates, please email or call Bryan Lake, Vice President, at 616.214.3335.
Recruiter Academy – Reserve Your Spot in Nashville!
MarshBerry’s Recruiter Academy helps firms create a meaningful and positive candidate experience. The expertise and guidance found in this program can help transform and adapt candidate experiences to best serve and reflect a company’s values and culture. Now is your chance to take advantage of the benefits of creating an ideal candidate experience. This course goes beyond the fundamentals of attracting, sourcing, hiring and onboarding new talent. Learn more and register today! Space is limited for this 1 ½ day session that begins on November 1. Register for Recruiter Academy today!
