The past 18 months have been a whirlwind for a multitude of reasons, to be sure. Pre-COVID, employers were faced with one of the most powerful candidate-led markets in decades.
Then, once the pandemic hit, the tides suddenly shifted a bit. With millions of Americans out of work, suddenly it was workers who were struggling to find jobs (at least in a variety of industries).
Some of our core industries here at SSi People; however, didn’t vary much – particularly healthcare/clinical, pharma, and IT/engineering. In fact, competition for top talent in these specialties has only intensified.
How to navigate this candidate-driven market
Getting the attention of and attracting candidates today relies on these powerful fundamentals:
Gathering consultant and candidate feedback
There has rarely been a more powerful tool for employers than consultant and candidate feedback. With candidate ghosting at an all-time high both pre-interview or worse, between accepting the offer and starting a job, feedback is especially critical.
Collecting feedback is one part of the process. Here at SSi People, we leverage ClearlyRated to gather candidate and consultant feedback throughout the year. We are extremely proud that our ratings for both consultants/candidates and clients is exceptional, placing us in the top 25% of all staffing firms (we are also Best of Staffing Diamond Award winners for both talent and client satisfaction).
Taking action on consultant and candidate feedback
But what’s even more important than gathering feedback is taking action on that feedback. Asking for regular feedback means you’ll regularly hear good, bad, and neutral feedback. ALL OF IT is important. In fact, we’d argue that the negative feedback is the most important!
While some negative feedback may be due to uncontrollable circumstances (eg. someone wasn’t hired because they weren’t the best fit), oftentimes negative feedback has a ring of truth to it. Rather than viewing that negative feedback as a harsh criticism or something to be ignored, it should be viewed as a gift and an opportunity. That’s because fixing whatever caused that negative feedback could mean the difference between getting ghosted or blown off by talent in the future, and hiring your next great superstar.
Continuously improve your hiring process
With the previous points in mind, we can share that many candidates and consultants have shared that other employers have frustrated them with their hiring processes. It’s always appreciated when we receive compliments on the professionalism and efficiency of our own hiring process, but we also welcome insights into the frustrations talent finds with other employers.
Understanding the negative experiences candidates are having elsewhere provide an excellent opportunity to keep our own experiences positive — we encourage all employers to do the same!
A drawn-out hiring process is chief among the complaints talent share about other employers. Even if a position is interesting and relevant to candidates, taking weeks (or even months!) to go through the hiring process is never appreciated. More often than not, that candidate is in demand and if you don’t make an offer quickly. someone else will.
For MSPs in particular, this is where it’s essential to choose the right suppliers. If your team (or worse, your client’s team) is getting negative feedback on the hiring process from consultants, this could have a negative impact on your client retention or sales down the line. Choosing the right suppliers is essential.
Which brings us back to that feedback we mentioned above and most notably, net promoter scores. A high NPS is one of the easiest-to-find and powerful indicators of a strong potential supplier. When your suppliers have a refined, candidate-friendly hiring process, it dramatically increases the likelihood of your clients getting the best possible talent. Plus, that talent is starting with a positive outlook, rather than a “bad taste in their mouth” from a poor candidate experience. It’s a win for you, and a win for your clients.
We’re proud to deliver exceptional experiences for talent and clients.
Here at SSi People, our NPS is among the highest in the staffing & recruiting industry. We gather feedback and monitor our scores throughout the year, not just once a year for recognition. That’s because delivering an exceptional experience is our highest priority.
To see for yourself how a high NPS and happy talent lead to better results, contact us today.
