“Nearly 4 in 5 employers globally report difficulty finding the skilled talent they need in 2023…”
– ManpowerGroup
With continuing labor shortages, demographic shifts, and employee turnover, employers are still struggling to attract and keep the talent they need.
To gain traction, hiring organizations must strike the right balance between screening for key competencies required for job success and ensuring that candidates enjoy the process to avoid high abandonment rates.
That’s easier said than done.
If you put too much emphasis on high completion rates at the expense of quality standards, then you’ll be plagued by poor job performance and high turnover. Conversely, if you emphasize the talent assessment process over the candidate experience, then you’ll struggle with high candidate drop-out.
To strike the right balance, these 4 tips can help.
MINIMIZE DROP RATE
While some candidate attrition is to be expected, minimizing the length and complexity of online application forms can help ensure top candidates are completing your process. It is also critical to evaluate your current screening methods to make sure you’re collecting only the information you absolutely need. Even with a smart, simple hiring process, not every candidate will complete it. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some may drop out because they don’t have the right skill set. Others may leave because they learn they’re not a good fit for the job. The goal is to quickly engage the right candidates and ensure both you and the candidate have the information needed to make the right employment decision.
ENGAGE CANDIDATES
Talent assessments don’t have to be stressful or boring. New immersive technologies are using animation and gaming approaches to make talent assessment a positive experience that will enhance your brand and attract today’s top candidates. Also, to keep the best talent in your pipeline, candidates need to see a clear link between your talent assessment and the requirements of the job. Our candidate reaction metrics indicate that candidates have a better overall experience and believe talent assessments are fair, when there is a clear link to the job.
NARROW YOUR FOCUS
Our recent experience tells us that talent assessments which take longer than 30 minutes, unless they’re interactive and engaging, are more likely to be abandoned by job candidates. Yet, you can’t measure every facet of job performance in 30 minutes or less. Instead, focus on the most important facets of job performance that need to be measured in the talent assessment process. Focus on the things that are required for success in the first year of employment, knowing that many employees will grow and develop on the job over time.
TELL YOUR STORY
Most screening processes are still a one-way experience, with candidates providing information but getting nothing back. Let them know who you are, what your expectations are, and what it’s like to work for you. Well-informed candidates have the right to decide if working for you is a good fit for them. Candidates that are knowledgeable and excited about your company are more likely to make a smooth transition to the job and less likely to quit.
Given the new technologies available today, there’s no reason you can’t offer an engaging candidate experience that helps you find and keep the talent you need.
Put Our 30+ Years of Consulting Experience to Work for You!
If we can assist you in charting a compelling candidate experience and optimizing your talent assessment process, contact us here or call 888.332.0648. We’re here to help!