Has hiring got you down in the dumps?  You're likely not alone. Just do an internet search and you'll see scores of recruiters saying hiring is getting increasingly difficult.  They claim there's a lack of talent.  They claim there's too much competition.  And at the end of the day, many of these recruiters are likely not looking at the one thing that they can control: their own hiring process.  At GreenJobInterview, we know a thing or two about the hiring process.  We guide many of the Fortune 50 through improving their hiring process on a daily basis.  The one thing we hear time and time again is candidate feedback saying they love a personalized hiring process. So pull up a chair and let's get personal.

Is Your Hiring Process Personal?

It's funny  because you wouldn't think of large corporations as being very good at personal.  But you'd be wrong. Many large corporations are much better at personalizing the hiring process than a company of 6 people.  Why is that?  Perhaps it's because they've got a team of people to think outside of the box for them.  Or maybe they offer the recruiting department more freedom.  We may never know what that spark is but we can all learn a few lessons from the companies who do hiring incredibly well.  Use the following tips to personalize your hiring process:

• Prepare Your Candidate for the Interview Process. It seems like common sense, but the hiring process is very personal to candidates.  So why wouldn't you take the time to communicate what they can expect?  This little bit of effort can really go a long way.  Even companies with thousands of applicants can do this with a paragraph on their careers page. What I've always appreciated was when a recruiter told me how they'll proceed with my application. That way, I felt like I wasn't just a number and the recruiter was on my side. It was encouraging to know that Mary would be talking to Tom about my credentials, and would schedule a follow up interview on Tuesday followed by a panel interview with Ted and Christina.  This kind of preparation felt very personal and kept me involved in the hiring process. Your company could take some notes and learn a lot from these kinds of communications.  Informed and prepared candidates are likely to feel a lot more at ease during the hiring process and therefore have a better candidate experience.
• Get to Know Your Candidate.  We interact with candidates every day.  While our clients provide excellent candidate experiences, there are many employers who do not.  Candidates frequently tell us that interviewers never ask them a thing about themselves personally. Unfortunately, not every remarkable thing about a person can be boiled down into some bullet points on a resume.  For instance, you probably wouldn't know that I used to sing for many years.  And you as an interviewer may not care because it's not relevant to the job.  But this kind of tidbit shows a lot about a person's tenacity, creativity, and boldness.  Recruiters, if you want to improve your hiring process, you've got to take the time to get to know your candidate.
• Be Upfront. Don't String them Along. There are some employers, like bad daters, who don't get the value of giving someone closure.  Sure, you may eventually get around to closing out that job requisition months after you've hired someone.  But don't the candidates who've applied deserve at least an automated email to say thank you for your efforts?  Closure is a good thing and without it, candidates can feel very bitter about the hiring process. Try to be kind and be upfront with your communications.
• Use Video Interviews. If you haven't yet embraced video interviewing, you're missing out. Video interviews offer recruiters excellent opportunities to get up close and personal with candidates even if they're half a world away.  Recruiters get to watch on demand recordable video interviewsinstead of phone screens and share these videos with their colleagues.  Panels of interviewers can log in and conduct live interviews. And they can do it all from a branded environment.  Video interviews offer recruiters a great way to personalize their hiring process.

Think Like a Candidate

It's time to start thinking like a candidate. If you were a candidate, would you be pleased with the way you were being recruited? Often, recruiters are stretched thin with shrinking budgets and rising expectations. But you can still enhance the candidate's experience and improve the hiring process without breaking your budget.  It's time to adjust how you hire candidates.  Remember: personalization is key.  Try the tips we've outlined above to personalize your hiring process today.