Korn Ferry’s talent acquisition services recommends following our “CARE” model as a proven talent acquisition process. This model ensures that every candidate experience is fair, consistent and engaging. This model consists of four steps:
1. Configure your talent acquisition machine: Caring for candidates means you need the right people, processes and technology on your talent acquisition team. It ensures you have the right members on your team with the right skills, that those team members are doing the right work and that you’ve given your team the tools and technology they need to make their job less manual and more efficient.
2. Adapt your hiring process to each candidate: No two candidates are alike: they have different needs, preferences and expectations, depending on the role they’re applying for and the stage of life they’re in. That’s why it’s important to tailor the hiring experience to each candidate’s journey, specifically what you want them to think, know and feel at each stage. Candidate personas can inform how you design the candidate experience, including which channels you select, what messages you include in job postings, how you assess candidates and what technology you use. A persona should include the person’s age, personal circumstances, family commitments, current role, career background, motivations and aspirations at work, job search status, preferred communication channels, and expectations of the recruitment process.
3. Refine your candidate hiring technology: Talent acquisition technology, such as always-on chatbots and digital assessment solutions, can help you provide a best-in-class candidate experience. But you can’t rely 100% on technology; it has to complement your people and the way they work. The right technology will depend on the role and its specific needs. For example, high-volume roles may be appropriate for an auto-responder email, but executive roles will require a more personal approach.
4. Elevate candidates to employees: Treat candidates as if they’re already working for you and you’ll improve their hiring and onboarding experience. Look for ways to engage them throughout their journey. Embed your brand and values in every step of the hiring process. Share information about your company culture and values and ensure they feel included at every stage. This way, even unsuccessful candidates will leave with a positive impression of your company that they can share with potential employees and customers.