After watching the 2020 Olympic Games over the past few days, we’ve been amazed by the talent and strength displayed by athletes from around the world. But all of these perfect performances got us thinking…sure, synchronized diving and competitive canoeing are hard, but have you ever tried recruiting?
In honor of the 2020 Olympics, we’ve put together a definitive list of recruiting tasks that aren’t considered Olympic sports but should be. Mastering these duties can enable recruiters to win talent acquisition gold, an award that unfortunately is not yet recognized by the International Olympic Committee.
All jokes aside, check out the top five recruiting tasks that we believe require Olympic-level talent acquisition skills.
Scheduling a Candidate for a Sixth Interview
Scheduling a candidate for a series of interviews can feel like hurdle jumping. How do you keep a candidate engaged during a long interview process? How do you stop internal stakeholders from scheduling other meetings over interviews with qualified candidates?
Practice makes perfect! And when that doesn’t work, we recommend using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) that allows you to easily schedule and reschedule interviews as needed. Sometimes things come up for either the applicant or the interviewer. When those challenges are placed before you it’s important to have a tool that can help you accommodate everyone’s needs and cross that hiring finish line!
Re-engaging a Qualified Candidate Who Has Ghosted
Ghosting occurs when a candidate stops responding to calls and emails during the hiring process for no apparent reason. What’s even harder than coping with the loss of a great candidate to ghosting? Figuring out how to re-engage the candidate and bring them back into the flow of your company’s interview process.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reviving a candidate who has ghosted, we recommend trying out unique subject lines, personalizing your outreach, and when all else fails, watching the 2020 Olympics women’s skateboarding event, which will give you the inspiration to get up and try again.
Grabbing Candidates’ Attention
Due to the ongoing labor shortage—one of the effects of the COVID-19 crisis—it’s definitely a candidate’s job market. This means it’s harder than ever to cut through the noise and attract candidates to apply to your company specifically.
One of the best strategies to take for this Olympic-level recruiting sport is to focus on building a strong employer brand. In fact, a study conducted by the Harvard Business Review reported that a bad reputation costs a company 10% more per hire, on average. This means it’s time to work with your marketing team to build an employer brand that sets you apart from the competition.
Handling Picky Hiring Managers
One of the most challenging parts of the recruitment process can be managing the expectations of hiring managers. Have you ever dealt with a hiring manager who’s looking for a candidate with five years of experience for an entry-level role? How about a hiring manager who is just generally dissatisfied with all of the candidates you send their way? These situations require patience and observation, not dissimilar to the skills required for Olympic-level shooting.
Take time to meet with hiring managers and ask them questions that help you understand what they’re really looking for in a candidate. Once you’ve gotten to the bottom of it, ready, aim, and fire a great candidate their way!
Time Management
With so many varied tasks, it can be tricky for talent acquisition professionals to get everything done in a day’s work. When it comes to time management be sure to implement an ATS, like Fountain, that streamlines the hiring process and allows you to hire more employees faster. Staying on top of scheduling and organization can help you hone record-breaking time management skills and crush your hiring goals.
Being a recruiter is a balancing act of a ton of different skills. But, with a few talent acquisition leaps, twists, and jumps, you can win the recruiting all-around gold medal!
