Recruitment communication – how to make it clear for everybody

At the start of the recruitment process, every recruitment company needs to manage expectations. The initial expectations are called the employer’s expectations of the candidate. While a strategically managed recruitment process can usually allow these expectations to be set with a high degree of precision, it is equally important to not only understand these expectations, but also to communicate them correctly to the candidate. Here are the 3 most common mistakes in communicating expectations to candidates during recruitment:

The job offer from the candidate’s point of view

Failing to see the recruitment process through the eyes of the candidate involved is perhaps the most common mistake employers make. Unfortunately, the best way to correct this mistake is through experience and analysis of past mistakes. In the initial stages of the recruitment process, the employer tends to identify his expectations with those of the candidates and tends to assume that what is important to him is important to the candidates. In terms of real-life examples of recruitment, there is a common misconception that once a candidate has started the recruitment process, he or she must necessarily complete it. Unfortunately, candidates sometimes refuse to continue their involvement in the search process right in the middle of it. Employers then realise that they could have paid more attention to candidate engagement, but by then it is too late and they have to choose between the remaining candidates.

Expectations of candidates in the recruitment process are taken for granted

When presenting the employer’s expectations to the candidates, another big mistake is often made – assuming that the employer’s expectations are already clear to the candidates. At this stage of the recruitment process, when the employer is presenting its expectations to the candidate, it is very important to understand that the candidate is coming from a different business environment, with different business priorities, a different culture and perhaps similar but different objectives.

This is why an employer should not assume that some of its expectations will be self-evident to the candidate, but should communicate all of them in a clear and detailed manner at the initial stages of the recruitment. This leads to a greater understanding and willingness on the part of candidates to find out what the future role entails, and at the same time to a lower risk of a candidate deciding to leave a new employer because he or she has not understood the specifics of the new position.

Employer preference

This expectation is also known in HR as the egocentric employer habit. Often, without even realising it, the employer behaves as if he/she is the only one who chooses candidates in the recruitment process. Forgetting that candidates often choose between several offers, which they are also willing to compare, leads to fundamental errors in motivating candidates in the recruitment process. The egocentric habit of the employer in the recruitment process is best illustrated by the following and similar questions to candidates:

• Why are you actively looking for a job?
• Why do you think you are the most suitable candidate?
• Why are you interested in our company?

The biggest problem is when a recruitment agency presents candidates who have been hunted and are not actively looking for a job. These and similar questions put them in an awkward situation because they misunderstand their status in the search. This leads to lower motivation and a negative perception of the employer. There are many right questions to ask in the first job interview that will not only reveal a candidate’s suitability but also intrigue him/her to further participate in the recruitment process. It is usually best to consult a recruitment company at this stage.