How to Make Applicants Want to Work for Your Company

Finding applicants to apply for your job posting is one thing, but making the best of those candidates who want to work for your business is a whole other feat. You might meet what seems like the perfect person for an open position by interviewing them on the phone and in your office. You believe this person would be a great asset to your team, but they turn you down.

In a world where many people struggle to get jobs, it can be even more difficult to fill positions, even if you write a great job description. As someone in charge of the hiring process, you might need to take a look at the company itself and see why you’re losing top talent. Here’s how you can make applicants want to work for your company.

Remember They’re Interviewing You, Too

Weeding out the right candidates for a position is easy with HR software, but that software can’t tell you what an applicant is thinking. During the interview, you’re interviewing the candidate, but they’re also considering whether working for you is right for them.

The candidate needs to know that this is a job that is worth their time and can offer them certain benefits that they’re looking for. Every candidate is different, but they all need to know your company can deliver what they need, such as the right benefits, opportunities for growth, and more.

Stop Leaving Candidates Hanging

You should always treat applicants the way that you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. Make sure to stay in close communication with your top picks during the entire process. You should also communicate quickly with those who don’t fit your criteria so that these applicants aren’t waiting on your response to continuing their job hunt.

Remember, anyone that you interview will likely tell their friends, family, and even social media followers about their experience interviewing with your company. If you provide a bad interview experience, then you could be hurting your chances of finding top talent.

Ask the Right Questions

Candidates will pay attention to the questions you ask. If you are hiring for a specialized position and only ask basic questions like why a candidate is looking for a job, then you’re likely going to lose out on the best candidates because it sounds like you’re not an expert on the subject and don’t even know what you’re looking for.

When recruiting, you should make sure that you understand the job position so that when a candidate asks you a question, you know how to answer it.

Similarly, you need to ask the right questions. Ask questions that demonstrate you read their resumes or looked at their portfolios so they know you care about the position you’re hiring for.

Offer a Tour

Let the candidate that you’re interested in, learn more about your company by providing them with an office tour. During this tour, you can introduce them to employees of the company so they can get a feel of what it would be like to work there. Walk candidates around and give them a sneak peek into the environment where they’d be working.

Be Honest About Downsides

While you want to make the job sound great, you should also be honest about the downsides of the job. The more honest you are, the more likely you are to find the right candidate for the job because you told them about these issues beforehand.

Therefore, when you hire someone for the job, they’ll know about these issues allowing them to come up with inventive ways to solve them. If you don’t tell them about the issues beforehand, then they have no idea what they’re up against and will feel as though you misled them into taking a job they don’t actually want.

Offer Benefits

If you don’t offer benefits, then you’re likely losing out on great candidates to your competitor who does offer benefits. According to ShareAble for Hires, “Offering innovative employee perks may help entice new hires and could help keep your business’s current top talent happy and engaged.”

Benefits are one of the main reasons why someone is going to join your company, and lack of benefits can be one of the main reasons why they leave your company. Offering health insurance and other employee perks is a great way to keep your employees satisfied with their job. During the interview process, make sure that you mention any and all benefits that your company provides, especially ones that go above and beyond, such as pet insurance and daycare.

Make your potential employees aware of all possible benefits provided by your company and what you offer outside of just monetary compensation. For example, let them know if you have business or contractor insurance.

Spend Time With the Applicant

Get to know your top candidates so they feel a more personal connection to you and the company. Let them know about the company culture, the type of people that work there, and the great things they can expect upon the hire. By getting to know the candidate, you can make them feel more comfortable accepting the job offer.

Negotiate When Possible

Oftentimes, a top candidate will ask for more money than you’re willing to give them. In some cases, you will have to spend more on more qualified employees. You should expect there to be room for negotiation, especially because you want to show candidates that you care about them.

Offering someone $40,000 when your competitors pay $50,000 is not the way to get someone to want to work for you. Make sure that you do your research to know what each position and candidate is worth so that you can offer them a competitive salary.

Final Thoughts

Your company is not a candidate’s only option, and they know that. When going into interviews, it’s important to remember that you’re being interviewed as well. Make sure that whoever interviews the candidate knows what it takes to be successful in that job position. They should also prepare to answer questions about the daily job functions.

Finally, shine a light on your company and make it stand out from the crowd so that you can hire the best of the best.