Recruitment and candidate motivation – how are the two linked?
Recruitment, when conducted on a headhunting basis, depends in particular on the motivation of candidates. Even a vetted large long list of candidates can be meaningless if the candidates are not motivated. At first glance, candidates’ motivation may appear to be a fixed indicator in the recruitment process and cannot be influenced. However, practice shows that candidate motivation can be both increased and decreased during the recruitment process. There are several ways in which candidate motivation can be managed in the recruitment process:
1. Determining the content of the initial message to the candidate in the recruitment process
The initial message in the recruitment process plays a particularly important role in candidate motivation. The initial message is an appeal to a long-listed candidate with a short enquiry about the available position. It is the content of this message that can both reduce and increase a candidate’s motivation to participate in the search. The message can be generic, i.e. the same for all candidates, or personalised, i.e. tailored to each candidate individually. Of course, an individual message leads to a higher level of candidate engagement in the recruitment process, and at the same time makes them more intrigued and more attentive. Knowing that some candidates are interested in career opportunities, others in remuneration, and others in flexibility of work schedule, the initial message can emphasise the values of the job offer that are relevant to that particular candidate.
2. Managing the content of the job offer
After receiving the initial personalised message, the candidate usually takes the time to review the job offer. It is the content of the job offer that can add or detract from a candidate’s motivation to continue with the search. The content of the job offer must be balanced, i.e. comprehensive but also specific, easy to read but not too superficial. In the recruitment process, the job offer plays a significant role in the candidate’s decision to continue participating in the recruitment process. This is why it is worth entrusting the content of the job offer to recruitment professionals who know all the rules for content and can produce a motivating job advert.
3. Optimising the recruitment phases
Often, before agreeing to take part in a recruitment process, a candidate wants to know how many and which recruitment stages are ahead of him. There is always a risk of not being selected, so each candidate weighs up the potential time involved against the likelihood of getting the position. This is why the number of recruitment steps must be optimal and must help both to maintain and increase the motivation of candidates. It is generally recommended to have no more than 3 steps in a specialist level recruitment process and no more than 4 steps in an executive recruitment process. Too many steps in a recruitment project may not only undermine a candidate’s motivation to enter the recruitment process, but may also undermine the motivation of a candidate already involved in the recruitment process.
