Finding the perfect candidate (when you can’t actually meet them)

The way recruiters are meeting and interviewing a candidate has changed. We find out the best way to move with the times. 

While recruiters have been finding excellent candidates remotely for some time now, physical distancing requirements have really stepped this up a notch. 

So as a recruiter, what do you need to do differently in these pretty unusual times when matching the right candidate for a job? We sat down with Kate Larkin from Beaumont People to find out. 

Hey Kate. What do recruiters need to do differently at the moment to secure the right candidate for their clients? 

You’ll need to spend a lot longer on the phone speaking to the candidate to understand their motivation for applying for the job. It’s also really important for recruiters to be clear with the candidate about the opportunity available and whether there is stability in the role. I think that’s the question a lot of candidates are asking at the moment. 

Depending on what the role is, we’ve actually been getting candidates to do an activity or an exercise that’s related to the job as part of the interview process. Setting them up to do a project to demonstrate the work they can produce from a remote location without much interaction with the manager is really important. 

Is it important to be aware of talent gaps in the recruitment process?

Absolutely. I think we’ve been saying that to clients more than ever before. When you’re going into the recruitment process, you need to be really, really clear on what the induction process is going to look like. We’ve had people be offered jobs and then it’ll take a month for the contract to come through because the company doesn’t know how to on-board the candidate.

Arranging online training is easy enough nowadays because you can share screens and so on, but what you can’t do is get that cultural engagement. You’ve got to put a lot more effort into the induction and the engagement of the person than you have before. So it’s all very well to try to find the person, but then you’ve actually got to keep them on board and get them up and running quite quickly. 

Recruiters are dealing with a lot of applications at the moment for not that many jobs, any extra tips on spotting a stand-out candidate? 

You’ve got to look at why somebody is looking for the job. I don’t think that’s changed. I think you’ve got to look at the person’s motivations. Are they applying for the job because they really want the job or are they applying for the job because they just need some money? Because I think what’s important is to not fall into the trap of hiring people that are wrong for the role just because circumstances are different.