At greytHR, we value our HR recruitment partners. As a token of our appreciation for their contribution towards the growth of greytHR, we brought together our recruitment partners on 26 March, 2017. At this meet, they shared ‘candidate attraction’ secrets.
The meet was aimed at recognizing their efforts and sharing our collective knowledge. Towards the latter objective, a discussion was held on ‘The War for Talent in a Candidate-Driven Market’.
A quick but vibrant session ensued, the highlights of which we have captured below. Read on to find out about the state of affairs in the recruitment market, straight from the horse’s mouth.
Chandrasekhar, our HR Head, facilitated the 30-minute Q&A session.
Q: Why do candidates drop off after receiving an offer letter?
A: It is not a concrete job search, but a quest to determine his/ her own market value that often drives the candidate in such cases. The candidate is in the habit of comparing his salary with that of his peers in similar profiles and stages in their career. Once he is in possession of this information, he is in a position to come back and negotiate for a better salary.
With regard to the challenges that the market in Bangalore poses, locational constraints are the most pressing. Female candidates are seen to back off in the absence of a cab facility - sometimes even when the distance in question is as little as 2kms! Male candidates too display an unwillingness to move around too much in the city. Rotational, 24/7 shifts are another aspect that does not go down well with candidates.
Two other factors that they seek in the tech market are: a strong brand name and on-site opportunities. Even companies with strong brands struggle with the retention of candidates post rolling out the offer. Some companies overcome this through post-offer candidate engagement initiatives.
Q: What are some of the best practices around candidate engagement seen in the industry?
A: Through the recruitment process, we only have an overview of the job description (JD). Candidates feel connected to the company if they receive a direct mail from the organization they have applied to. For instance, if the company is rolling out new products or facilities, the candidate is kept informed. Sometimes, a meeting of pre-joinees is also held.
Buddy programs too are seen, wherein the organization assigns an employee to guide the potential joinee. Information regarding what kind of work is being done at the organization, the potential for the candidate’s growth within the company, etc., are shared with the candidate here.
Closing notes
Chandrasekhar thanked our HR Recruitment partners, “You, our resource partners, are in constant touch with the market and its challenges. As we enhance and invest in our relationship, we invite you to share your recommendations on how to improve recruitment practices, enhance candidate experience and our partnership.”
The Q&A session was followed by the felicitation of our recruitment partners. We thank all our HR partners for taking time out to attend the event - on a Saturday, no less!
Key takeaways from the Q&A session
- Office transport is becoming essential for both female and male candidates, sometimes even for short distances.
- Rotational shifts are not favored by candidates.
- On-site/overseas assignments are still an attraction.
- Brand names attract but without follow-up engagement, even that may fail.
- Company touch points, through technology such as Recruiterbox, create personalized experience and build trust.
- Post-offer engagement ensures a continuous flow of information from the company about new launches or facilities, event invitations and facilitates interaction with buddies.
- Agencies should avoid presenting offers to candidates, who have multiple offers in hand and should counsel them instead.
- In some cases, candidates only want to know their market value and not take up a job.
