Our legal division recently placed a Senior Commercial Lawyer who specifically accepted our client’s offer, over others that he’d received, due to the speed in which they work. The lead time between sending his CV and offer acceptance was just one week, AND that included a two-interview process!
When asked why this influenced his decision so much, his answer was simple: “they made me feel wanted and their board are obviously decisive and that aligns with how I work myself”.
No matter the size of your organisation, a slick recruitment process is essential to ensure you hire the best people for the job, and also maintain a superb brand perception across the market. A successful recruitment process can be the difference between finding the right person for the job or missing out on the perfect candidate, especially in this competitive market.
So how do you do this?
Before you even consider advertising the role and/or instructing your trusted Recruitment Partners, have agreement/sign off at board level. Be clear about what you want. This includes a clear vision of what you are looking for (skill set, background and culture) as well as budgets.
Block out time in the Hiring Manager’s diary for both CV reviews AND interviews. If the Hiring Manager is not available for any reason (holiday, sickness etc.), is there anyone else who can meet candidates?
Be flexible in your interview process. Candidates are Kings in this market and therefore they may request out of hours interviews or virtual interviews. If you can meet their requests, at least for the first stage interview, do it! (Of course, you may insist that a second stage would be on-site – and we would actively encourage this so you can all meet face to face).
Don’t always wait for that comparison. If you meet someone and they are a perfect fit, don’t hang around, because you can guarantee that your competitor will also be looking for a similar superstar.
Get the offer out quickly – once you’ve made the decision, make the offer as soon as you can. Candidates are statistically much more likely to accept a new role if an offer is made within 24-48 hours post interview.
Be transparent throughout the process – even if you can’t act quickly, Candidates should be kept informed of the progress of their application and given clear guidelines on what is expected of them throughout the process at all times. This will help to build a trusting relationship between the organisation and potential hires, creating an environment of mutual respect.
Whether you are currently using other Recruitment Agencies or doing your own recruitment in-house, find out how the Gerrard White team can help you.
Gerrard White is a specialist recruiter providing transformational talent solutions and helping our clients navigate their recruitment challenges. With specialist teams working in Legal recruitment as well as within the Insurance and Technology market, we have the expertise to match you with the top talent in the market.
Get in touch today! 01892 553355 | info@gerrardwhite.com
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