What is candidate engagement?

Candidate Engagement means the way a company interacts with people who want to work there. It’s not just about finding the right person for a job, but also about making them feel important and happy throughout the whole process, even after they get the job.

Imagine you’re trying to make a new friend. You’d talk to them, listen to what they say, and try to understand what they like or don’t like. You’d want to make them feel welcome and valued. Well, that’s pretty much what companies should do with job candidates.

So, it’s about being friendly, listening, and making sure candidates know what’s going on at every step – from when they first apply for a job to the moment they start working. It’s like building a good relationship, where both sides are happy and understand each other. That’s what candidate engagement is all about – making sure everyone feels good about the whole hiring process.

How do you engage a candidate post offer?

Engaging a candidate after offering them a job is crucial to ensure they feel welcomed and confident about joining your team. Here are some simple yet effective ways to do it:

1. Clear Communication: Keep the lines of communication open. Send them a warm and friendly email or call to officially welcome them on board. Provide all the necessary details like their start date, work hours, and any paperwork they need to complete.

2. Personal Touch: Make it personal. Share some interesting facts about their future team members or their new workspace. Show them that you’re excited to have them join the team.

3. Stay in Touch: Don’t leave them hanging. Send regular updates or reminders about their upcoming start date. It could be a simple email, a quick call, or even a handwritten note.

4. Answer Questions: Be ready to answer any questions they might have. Whether it’s about their role, the company culture, or where to park their car, ensure they have all the information they need.

5. Introduce Their Buddy: If you have a buddy or mentor program, introduce them to their buddy. This person can help them get acclimated to the new environment and be a friendly face on their first day.

6. Show Appreciation: Express your gratitude for choosing your company. A simple “thank you for choosing us” can go a long way in making them feel valued.

7. Feedback Loop: Let them know you’re open to their feedback. Ask them how they’re feeling about the onboarding process and if there’s anything that could be improved.

Remember, the key is to make them feel comfortable and excited about their new role. Simple gestures and clear communication can make a big difference in engaging a candidate post-offer.

What is the best practice in candidate engagement?

The best practice in candidate engagement involves doing a few key things really well to make sure candidates have a great experience. Here’s how to do it:

1. Treat Candidates Well: Treat candidates like they’re important, just like you treat your employees or customers. This means being respectful and showing you care about them.

2. Personalize Your Interactions: Don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, try to understand each candidate’s unique background, needs, and questions. Then, tailor your communication to them.

3. Respond Quickly: When candidates reach out with questions or concerns, make sure you reply as soon as possible. This shows that you value their time and interest.

4. Be Consistent: Keep the same positive approach and level of care throughout the entire process, from when they first apply to after you make them an offer. Consistency builds trust.

5. Show Empathy: Put yourself in the candidate’s shoes. Understand what they might be worried about or excited about, and address those feelings in your interactions with them.

In a nutshell, the best practice in candidate engagement is about treating candidates with respect, being personal, responding promptly, staying consistent, and showing that you care about their feelings and needs.

How can companies improve their candidate engagement strategies?

1. Listen and Learn: Pay attention to what candidates are saying. Regularly ask for their feedback through surveys or interviews. This way, you’ll understand their needs and preferences better.

2. Use Technology Wisely: Invest in user-friendly software and tools that make communication smoother. This can include email systems, messaging apps, or even social media for connecting with candidates.

3. Train Your Team: Teach your HR and hiring managers the importance of being friendly and approachable. They should be ready to answer questions, provide support, and guide candidates through the process.

4. Create Engaging Content: Develop interesting content like videos or blog posts that give candidates a taste of your company culture. Show them what it’s like to work with you.

5. Stay Active on Social Media: Keep your company’s social media profiles updated with news, events, and stories. Encourage candidates to follow you, so they feel like they’re part of your community.

By following these steps, you can make sure that candidates feel valued and informed throughout their journey with your company. This will not only help you attract top talent but also build a positive reputation in the job market.

Unique candidate engagement ideas to implement

1. Virtual Coffee Chats: Invite candidates for informal virtual coffee chats with team members. It’s a relaxed way for them to get to know your company culture and ask questions.

2. Themed Welcome Kits: Send a welcome kit with a personalized touch. Include company swag, a handwritten note, and maybe even a small surprise related to the candidate’s interests.

3. Interactive Quizzes: Create fun quizzes or trivia related to your industry or company values. Offer small prizes or recognition for top performers.

4. Storytelling Sessions: Host storytelling sessions where current employees share their career journeys within the company. It’s an engaging way for candidates to relate to your workplace.

5. Charity Challenges: Organize a virtual charity event or challenge and invite candidates to participate. It shows your company’s commitment to social responsibility.

6. Online Workshops: Offer free online workshops or training sessions on skills relevant to your industry. Candidates can benefit even before joining.

7. Company Playlist: Share a company playlist created by employees. Candidates can listen to the music that inspires your team.

8. Meet the Leaders: Arrange virtual sessions where candidates can meet and interact with your company’s leadership team. It demonstrates transparency and accessibility.

9. Employee-Hosted Webinars: Have employees host webinars on topics they’re passionate about, even if they’re not directly related to the job. It showcases your team’s diverse interests.

10. Spotlight on Values: Share short, engaging videos highlighting your company’s core values in action. Show how these values impact daily work.

11. Book Club: Start a company-wide book club and invite candidates to join. Discussing books related to personal growth or industry trends can be enlightening.

12. Personalized Growth Plans: Offer candidates personalized growth plans, showing them the potential career path within your organization.

13. Creative Challenges: Organize creative challenges, like logo design or slogan creation, related to your company. It encourages candidates to participate actively.

14. Buddy System: Assign a “buddy” or mentor to candidates during the onboarding process. This personal touch eases the transition into your company.

15. Online Game Night: Host virtual game nights where candidates and employees can relax, play games, and build connections.

These simple yet effective candidate engagement ideas can help your organization stand out and create a lasting positive impression on potential employees. The key is to make candidates feel valued and excited about the prospect of joining your team.

Tools for Candidate Engagement

When it comes to creating a seamless and engaging candidate experience, the right tools can make all the difference. One such tool that stands out in the realm of candidate engagement and onboarding is HireLoop. This innovative platform offers a range of features designed to ensure candidates feel informed, supported, and excited about their journey with your organization.

1. 30-60-90 Day Plans: HireLoop streamlines the onboarding process with customizable 30-60-90 day plans. These plans help candidates understand their responsibilities, goals, and expectations at each stage of their integration into the company. By providing a clear roadmap, candidates can track their progress and align their efforts with organizational objectives.

2. Onboarding Plans: Onboarding is a critical phase in a candidate’s journey, and HireLoop recognizes this importance. With its robust onboarding plans, the tool allows companies to design tailored onboarding experiences for each candidate. Whether it’s a new hire or a seasoned professional, personalized onboarding ensures a smoother transition into the company culture and workflow.

3. Training Journeys: To excel in any role, candidates require the right training. HireLoop facilitates the creation of training journeys, allowing organizations to map out a structured learning path for their candidates. This ensures that candidates receive the knowledge and skills they need to perform effectively in their roles.

4. Custom Onboarding: Every organization has its unique culture and requirements. HireLoop’s custom onboarding feature allows companies to adapt their onboarding processes to align with their specific needs. This customization ensures that candidates experience a tailored onboarding journey that reflects the values and goals of the organization.

5. And More: HireLoop doesn’t stop at the basics. It offers a host of additional features to enhance candidate engagement, such as content creation, feedback channels, and progress tracking. These features not only keep candidates engaged but also provide valuable insights to improve the onboarding experience continually.

Incorporating HireLoop into your candidate engagement strategy can revolutionize the way you onboard new team members. Its user-friendly interface and diverse features empower organizations to create meaningful and personalized onboarding experiences. By utilizing tools like HireLoop, you can ensure that your candidates not only accept the job offer but also thrive in their new roles, becoming valuable assets to your company.

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Candidate engagement tools can help streamline the recruitment process and enhance the candidate experience. This article will discuss seven ways in which HR tools can improve candidate engagement and explain the importance of investing in recruitment tools. By implementing these solutions, companies can attract top talent, stand out in the job market, and achieve their recruitment goals.

Simplifying the application process

Candidates want to feel valued and appreciated during the recruitment process. With candidate management tools, companies can send automated personalised emails to candidates, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the recruitment process. Customised feedback to candidates can also help them improve their future applications, while personalised job recommendations can help them find positions that align with their skills set and experience.

According to a 2022 Jobvite report, attracting top talent has become more challenging for 81% of recruitment managers. This is why simplifying the application process is crucial for enhancing candidate engagement, and HireLoop offers several benefits to streamline this process. With HireLoop’s candidate engagement tools, companies can use mobile-friendly applications that allow candidates to apply for jobs from anywhere, at any time. The automated application process saves candidates time and reduces the risk of human error, ensuring a smooth experience. 

Personalise your communication

Simplifying the application process is a key best practice for candidate engagement. Mobile-friendly applications that allow candidates to apply for jobs from anywhere, at any time, are an excellent start. Automated recruiting tools save candidates time and reduce the risk of human error in the application process. 

Candidates want to feel valued and appreciated during the recruitment process. Candidate management tools allow companies to send automated personalized emails to candidates, keeping them informed and engaged throughout the recruitment process. HireLoop also offers integration with social media platforms like LinkedIn, making the process even more seamless. Candidate experience surveys can help them improve their future applications, while personalized job recommendations can simplify their job hunting.

Utilizing chatbots

Chatbots can provide candidates with immediate responses to their inquiries, answering frequently asked questions, providing information about the company and the recruitment process, and even scheduling interviews. With 24/7 availability, candidates can engage with the company at their convenience.

HR tools like HireLoop utilize chatbots to provide candidates with immediate responses to their inquiries. Chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, provide information about the company and the recruitment process, and even schedule interviews.

Chatbots are not only beneficial for candidates, but they can also help property managers being one of the benefits of a property management software. Property management software with chatbot capabilities can provide property managers with a 24/7 digital assistant to help them manage their properties more efficiently. Chatbots can handle tenant inquiries, maintenance requests, and even rent payments, freeing up property managers’ time to focus on more pressing matters.

Incorporating gamification

Incorporating gamification elements is a new trend in candidate engagement that is gaining popularity among companies looking to stand out in the recruitment process. With HireLoop’s gamification features, companies can create a fun and interactive experience for candidates. These elements can be added to various stages of the recruitment and onboarding process, such as skill assessments, quizzes, and challenges, and can be customized to suit the company’s needs. 

Gamification helps candidates engage more deeply with the company and its values, leading to a stronger connection between the candidate and the employer brand. Additionally, gamification in hiring tools for managers can also help assess candidate skills in a more interactive and memorable way, creating a better overall candidate experience. With HireLoop’s gamification features, companies can stay ahead of the competition and attract top talent with a unique and engaging recruitment process.

Ensuring candidate data privacy

Data privacy is critical in the recruitment process, and recruitment tools in HR can help ensure candidate data is protected. Complying with data protection laws enables companies to enhance candidate trust in the company and reduce the risk of data breaches.

HR tools are designed to comply with data protection laws, ensuring that candidate data is protected from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. HireLoop’s security measures include encrypted data transmission, secure cloud storage, and regular data backups. The platform also allows companies to configure access controls and permissions, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data. 

Offering remote interviews

With the rise of remote work, offering remote interviews is becoming increasingly popular. HR tools allow recruiters to conduct remote video interviews, which helps further enhance the candidate experience. Remote interviews also reduce costs for both the company and candidates, making recruitment more efficient. HR tools like HireLoop offer video interviewing capabilities, making the interview process more accessible for candidates. 

Suppose you’re a hotel manager conducting a remote interview. You can ask the candidate to research and find the best hotel management software, testing their ability to analyze and evaluate software solutions. With remote interviews, property managers can effectively assess candidates’ skills and qualifications without being limited by physical barriers, ultimately leading to more informed hiring decisions.

Leverage HR tools to Boost Candidate Experience

Investing in candidate engagement tools is critical for enhancing the recruitment process and attracting top talent. With simplified application processes, personalized communication, chatbots, gamification, data privacy, and remote interviewing capabilities, HR tools like HireLoop can streamline the recruitment process and create a positive candidate experience. Companies that invest in these recruitment tools in HR will have a competitive edge in the job market and attract top talent.

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The Importance of Onboarding Process for Employees

As per the research conducted by Glassdoor, a successful onboarding process can increase new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. Additionally, a study by the Aberdeen Group found that companies with an effective onboarding process have a 54% greater new hire productivity and a 50% greater new hire retention. Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into a company’s culture and workflow. The process includes providing new employees with the necessary tools, training, and resources to be productive in their new roles. A well-designed onboarding process has several benefits for both the employer and the employee.

“You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” – Will Rogers

The Four Phases of Onboarding Process

There are four distinct phases in the onboarding process. They are pre-onboarding, orientation, training, and development.

1. Pre-boarding

Pre-boarding is the initial phase of the onboarding process. It involves preparing new employees for their first day of work before they begin. During this phase, new employees are provided with a welcome package, including company policies and procedures, as well as any necessary forms or paperwork. Companies should focus on candidate engagement and experience to avoid early dropouts.

Additionally, pre-boarding involves assigning a mentor or buddy to the new employee. This mentor or buddy will help the new employee get acclimated to the company culture and assist with any questions they may have.

2. Orientation

Orientation is the second phase of the onboarding process. It typically occurs on the first day of work and involves introducing the new employee to the company culture, policies, and procedures. During orientation, new employees may also receive an overview of the company’s mission, vision, and values.

3. Training

The third phase of the onboarding process is training. During this phase, new employees receive the necessary training to perform their job duties effectively. This training may include job-specific training, as well as any necessary safety or compliance training.

Zig Ziglar famously said, “The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is to not train them and keep them.” Make sure that you invest in your employees from day one to ensure their success and ultimately your organization’s.

4. Development

The final phase of the onboarding process is development. This phase involves providing new employees with ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge. This phase may also involve goal setting and performance evaluations.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

Here is a video that is relevant and helpful to improve your onboarding process:

Best Practices for Onboarding Process

To ensure a successful onboarding process for employees, it’s essential to follow best practices. Some of the best practices for onboarding include:

1. Starting the process early: Onboarding process for new employees should start immediately after the candidate accepts the offer letter. This will help ensure they are well-prepared and excited to start their new role.
2. Assigning a mentor or buddy: A mentor or buddy will help new employees acclimate to the company culture and answer any questions they may have.
3. Providing ongoing training and development: Ongoing training and development opportunities are required to help new employees enhance their skills and knowledge.
4. Conducting regular check-ins: Regular check-ins with new employees will help you understand whether they are adjusting well to their new role and address any concerns they may have.

According to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management, 50% of employees who quit their jobs do so because of a poor relationship with their manager. By setting clear expectations and providing regular feedback, managers can help foster a positive relationship with new hires and prevent turnover.

One effective way to set clear expectations and goals is to establish a performance management system that includes regular check-ins and goal setting. This provides an opportunity for managers and employees to discuss progress, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for the future.

Peter Drucker famously said goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” By establishing a performance management system, organizations can better manage employee performance and ensure that new hires are set up for success.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the onboarding process for new employees is a critical component of any organization’s talent management strategy. By providing new employees with a mentor or buddy, the necessary training and resources, setting clear expectations and goals, and establishing a performance management system, organizations can improve new hire retention, productivity, and overall success.

Richard Branson once quoted, “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” By investing in your employees and providing them with a positive onboarding experience, you can help build a strong and loyal workforce that will drive the success of your organization for years to come.

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What is Candidate Engagement?

Candidate engagement refers to the process of building and maintaining a relationship with a job seeker throughout the recruitment process. It involves creating a positive experience for the candidate and keeping them informed and engaged throughout the hiring process. The goal of candidate engagement is to create a positive impression of the employer brand, even if the candidate is not ultimately hired. Implement the nine candidate engagement best practices listed in this article to make your hiring more effective.

Also read: Why Onboarding Gamification is the Future of Candidate Engagement

The Importance of Employer Branding

Employer branding refers to the reputation and image of an organisation as an employer. It encompasses the company culture, values, mission, and the overall experience that employees have while working for the company. Having a strong employer brand can help companies attract top talent, increase employee retention, and improve overall business performance.

9 Candidate Engagement Best Practices to Boost Employer Branding

1: Craft a Compelling Employer Value Proposition

An employer value proposition or EVP, is the set of benefits and rewards that an employer offers to employees in exchange for their skills and expertise. A compelling EVP can help differentiate the company from competitors and attract top talent. When crafting an EVP, consider what sets your company apart and what motivates employees to join and stay with the organisation.

2: Optimise the Career Page

The career page is often the first point of contact between the candidate and the employer. Provide clear and concise overview of the company culture, values, and mission on this page or make it easily accessible from careers page. Also make it easier for candidates to navigate and apply for open roles. It is better to minimise the number of rows and decrease the friction for applicants.

3: Utilise Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with candidates and promoting the employer brand. Companies should use social media platforms to share company news, showcase employee accomplishments, and highlight the company culture. Social media can also be used to reach out to passive candidates and build relationships with them.

4: Leverage Employee Advocacy

Employees can be powerful advocates for the company and the employer brand. Encourage employees to share their experiences on social media and review sites like Glassdoor. Employees can also participate in employer branding campaigns and serve as ambassadors at job fairs and recruiting events.

5: Personalise the Candidate Experience

Candidates expect a personalised experience throughout the recruitment process. This includes personalised communication, customised job recommendations, and tailored interview processes. Companies should use data and analytics to personalise the candidate experience and create a positive impression of the employer brand.

6: Communicate Regularly

Communication is key to building and maintaining a relationship with candidates. Provide regular updates on the status of the application and the recruitment process via call or text notifications. Candidates trust and believe in a brand that proactively communicates with them about their hiring process. 

Also read: 9 Tips for Effective Remote Employee Onboarding

7: Provide Feedback and Transparency

Candidates appreciate feedback on their applications and the recruitment process. Companies should provide timely and constructive feedback, even if the candidate is not ultimately hired. This shows that the company values the candidate’s time and effort and can improve the candidate’s perception of the employer brand. Transparency throughout the recruitment process can also build trust and credibility with candidates.

8: Incorporate Assessments and Pre-employment Tests

In order to find the best fit candidates, incorporate assessments and pre-employment tests into the recruitment process. These tests can be skill assessments, personality tests, and job simulations. Be transparent about the purpose and use of assessments to ensure that they are evaluated with bias. These initiatives will certainly help you improve the overall quality of the hiring process.

9: Offer a Positive Candidate Experience Even if They Don’t Get the Job

How you treat the candidates, especially those that won’t be hired, is a major differentiator when it comes to employer branding. Because of the positive experience they are more likely to advocate and be vocal about the experience and may apply for future positions. Provide timely and courteous responses and feedback on how the candidate can improve their chances in the future.

Conclusion

Effective candidate engagement is crucial for building a strong employer brand and attracting top talent. Companies should focus on crafting a compelling EVP, optimising the career page, utilising social media, leveraging employee advocacy, personalising the candidate experience, communicating regularly, providing feedback and transparency, incorporating assessments and pre-employment tests, and offering a positive candidate experience even if they don’t get the job.

By following these nine tips, companies can create a positive impression of the employer brand and attract the best-fit candidates for their organisation.

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How to keep candidates engaged after an offer?

If you are facing high candidate dropouts, then improving your candidate engagement strategies can help you boost your hiring success rate.

What is candidate engagement?

Candidate engagement is a process that involves multiple tasks that will help companies build and foster a positive and delightful relationship between the candidate and the employer during the hiring process. It will help you create a lasting candidate experience that is engaging, informative, and supportive throughout the entire recruitment process.

Candidate engagement starts from the moment a candidate expresses their interest in a role you are offering. It continues throughout the entire hiring process, including the application process, interview stages, offer negotiation, and onboarding.

6 Tips to Keep Candidates Engaged Post-offer

1. Automated engagement templates after accepting offer:

Engagement templates are pre-configured email, text, or voice call templates to interact with the candidate once they sent you the acceptance letter. For example: Calling the candidate to congratulate and show excitement for accepting the offer.

2. Create touch points based on notice period: 

Based on the roles of candidates, they may have serve notice periods between two weeks to three months. These days are crucial for engagement as it gives them a window to shop for other offers. In order to minimise drop out during this period, create touchpoints to interact with the candidate via call, text and email. Touchpoints can be anywhere from 2 – 18 touchpoints. This will keep the candidate engaged and build a good relationship with the company even before their first day.

3. Assign a candidate engagement specialist:

In large companies where hiring is a continuous process, it is good to have an engagement specialist who solely focuses on improving candidate experience. HRs and Talent acquisition teams have their plates full with daily operations and they may not be able to engage with the candidates properly. If you don’t have the budget to hire a candidate engagement specialist, then outsource it to a company that specialises in candidate engagement and experience.

“HireLoop Assigns Dedicated Engagement Specialists to Improve Candidate Engagement Scores and Reduce Dropouts. Book a Demo Now!”

4. Provide quick replies to queries:

While serving the notice, candidates may have tonnes of queries that they need answers for. For hiring managers this can get mundane and boring as everyone has the same questions. In such cases, it is better to have a chatbot that replies to their queries anytime. This will improve the candidate experience significantly.

5. Enquire about counter offers:

While making touchpoints, include talks related to counter offers and offers from other companies. Get as much information as possible to understand if the candidate is planning to consider any other offers. This will give you a chance to proactively come up with alternative strategies to try and keep the candidate from considering your company from others.

6. Provide assistance for relocation/WFH: 

Many employees may have to relocate to a new location to take up the job. For some, it can be remote work. In such cases, it is crucial to offer assistance in any way possible. It can be as simple as sending out possible rooms to rent, sending out hardwares early to set up their home office etc. This will ensure that they feel included and won’t think about dropping out.

Also read: 11 Do’s & Don’ts of Onboarding

Reasons candidates drop out after accepting your offer

1. Counter offers from their existing employer: When an employee puts down his resignation letter, most employers would make an attempt to retain them by offering a higher salary, promotion or better perks. If their offer is convincing, then chances are they will stick with their current company.
2. Personal reasons: People have several things going on in their personal lives. Family commitments, health issues, etc may prevent them from accepting your offer.
3. Better opportunities: This is the number reason why most of the candidates drop out. When someone starts their job search, they shop for the best offer. In many cases they may use your offer to negotiate a better package from a different company. If candidates are able to find better opportunities than what you can offer, they dropout.
4. Not meeting expectations: In some cases, candidates will realise that the company or the job role is not as expected by them after they accept the offer. This will lead them to drop out.
5. Relocation issues: If the role you offered requires the candidate to relocate to a new location, they may face difficulties in relocating. This can make them reconsider their decision.
6. Compensation: If the candidate is receiving a better compensation package or finds out that the offered compensation is not at par with industry standards or with peers, they may quickly change their decision and drop out.

5 Tips to Avoid Candidate Dropouts

As an employer, it is your responsibility to take control of the situation and take proactive measures to avoid them. Candidate dropouts are not good for business. Based on our experience onboarding 1000s of candidates and improving joining rate, we have compiled a list of 5 things that are most important for any company to avoid candidate dropouts. They are:

1. Streamlined and simple application process: A lengthy application process that requires candidates to fill out several data points and multiple steps are always going to be a demotivator for many. It is better to have a simple application process to make it easier for candidates to apply for the open positions.

2. Clear communication: Provide complete information about the open position, the hiring process, and what they can expect from the company. After completing each step, you can also provide a feedback or an acknowledgement to keep the candidate informed and engaged.

3. Show excitement & interest: Throughout the hiring process, show sincere interest and enthusiasm in their skills and abilities. This will create a positive impression on the candidate and a great way to show that they are valued and appreciated.

4. Set realistic expectations: Be transparent to candidates while explaining about the role. Be it about job description, challenges or difficulties. You want to make sure that you instill realistic expectations and the candidate is fully aware of what they are signing up for.

5. Provide a delightful candidate experience: What sets you apart from other companies is the overall experience that you are able to provide to the candidate. Even to those that you are not hiring. A positive candidate experience can help you prevent dropouts and encourage candidates to apply for future roles

Also read: 10 Steps to an Efficient New Employee Onboarding Process

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that it is critical for companies to come up with strategies to keep the candidates engaged after extending your offer letter. To ensure that they do not drop out and cause losses to the company, create an efficient candidate engagement plan that includes having multiple touchpoints, engagement templates, answering queries faster, providing relocation / WFH assistance, and taking proactive measures to counter any possible outside offers. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletters to receive the latest updates in your inbox.

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The post How to Keep Candidates Engaged After Offer: 6 Tips to Avoid Dropouts appeared first on BluElement.

What is Candidate Experience?

Candidate experience refers to the overall impression and perception that a job seeker has of an employer’s recruitment process, from the initial job search to the final hiring decision. It includes all aspects of the recruitment process, such as the job posting, application process, communication with recruiters, interview experience, and feedback after the interview.

If you are able to provide a positive candidate experience, then it becomes easy to attract talented people to your organisation. When candidates get delighted, then take it to social media to share their experience, becoming a brand ambassador for your organisation. But if your company does not have a streamlined hiring process and applicants are having a negative experience, then chances are that your brand reputation is damaged in the market and it can deter great talent from applying to your company.

So, it is safe to say that if you are providing a positive experience to applicants chances of improving your hiring efficiency is higher. Saving you a lot of time and money.

Here is a video to expand your perspective on candidate experience: 

Why does candidate experience matter?

According to Michael Page report, only 38% of the employees stay in the same company for more than 2 years in India, which is the least when compared to other countries around the world. And more than 68% of the people interviewed responded that they are looking for a job change in the next six months. Employees around the world are re-evaluating their job roles and are prioritising their happiness, work-life balance and overall well-being. Besides all this, competition for good talent is higher than ever. Companies are planning various types of promotional activities in order to attract talent from other companies.

Remember when Ashneer Grover, founder and CEO of BharatPe made the announcement that they are giving BMW bikes to IT professionals as a joining bonus?

This is the reality now. And I cannot emphasise enough about the importance of a good candidate experience. Remember that all good applicants have multiple offers in their hand and they will only go with that company which made them feel welcomed and gave them the best overall experience.

How to improve & provide good candidate experience?

Now that we have understood the importance of creating candidate experiences that attract talent, let’s look at ways to improve your candidate experience. I have listed down 5 effective ways to improve candidate experience, if you have anything to add, feel free to comment below.

5 Effective ways to improve candidate experience

1. Effective communication: You might have experienced it yourself or you might have seen people sharing their frustrations on social media on how HR’s ghost candidates post an interview. This talks a lot about their organisation. Having clear communication means that you let the candidate know exactly what to expect throughout their recruitment process. This includes details on the timeline of responses, the stages of the interview process, and any assessments or interviews that the candidate needs to complete. Just by providing this information, you will be able to stand out and make a lasting impression on the candidate.

2. Streamlined application process: In our previous article about attracting talent using non-monetary methods, we discussed how companies like Tesla have the simple application process for their job openings at their organisation. Companies tend to complicate this by having an application with too many processes and long application procedures. This is clearly a demotivator and can disappoint the candidates. Make sure that your application process is streamlined by minimising the number of steps required and by making it user friendly to complete it. It is also important to optimise the application page mobile friendly as most of the applicants are on their mobile phones.

3. Open feedback loops: It is important to keep the candidate updated once they start their application process and let them know where they stand in their recruitment process. The benefit of doing this is that it keeps them engaged and motivated. To make your job easier, there are multiple tools now available that send automated updates to candidates at each step of the process.

4. Personalised onboarding experience: As the saying goes, “First impression is the last impression”, companies only get one chance to make a good impression. Which is why you need to take advantage of the onboarding process. If you are able to provide a delightful onboarding experience to a new hire, it will have a positive impact on their perspective, reasons to stay for long term, and boosts their productivity. If you want to learn more about improving your onboarding process, check out our recent article about the 11 ways to improve candidate onboarding experience.

5. Being empathetic: Always think from the job applicants perspective. Everyone wants to feel valued and respected. So it is important to show these values throughout the recruitment process. Regardless of the candidate being hired or not, these qualities should be followed. You can do this by providing timely responses and by ensuring that the interview process is fair and respectful.

Here is a video of The Head of J&J (Formerly PepsiCo) explaining how to improve candidate experience using technology:

Who is a candidate experience manager?

Candidate experience manager is someone who is responsible for managing the entire operations throughout the hiring process, to prioritise a great candidate experience. Companies do not hire a candidate experience manager as they do not want to hire a full time employee to manage this. One of the major is that hiring numbers are volatile and depend on macroeconomic factors and business outlook. What you can do is hire third parties to manage the candidate experience for you. It will help you save the cost of hiring, improve candidate experience score and overall build a better reputation in the marketplace.

Conclusion

Providing a great candidate experience is beneficial to your business in many ways. You can attract great talent, improve employer brand and even increase customer satisfaction. By following the tips outlined in this article, you can improve your overall candidate experience at your organisation and create a positive brand reputation for your company.

If you need help improving your onboarding process or candidate experience, book a demo to see how our solutions can help.

Book a Demo

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The post What is Candidate Experience, How to Improve it, and Why it Matters for Your Business? appeared first on BluElement.

WAYS TO IMPROVE CANDIDATE ONBOARDING EXPERIENCE

A company spends a lot of time, effort, resources, and energy hiring the right candidates. An effective candidate onboarding process begins as soon as the recruiter connects with the candidate to discuss a potential role. 

If the onboarding process is not handled strategically, it can become chaotic for both the company and the candidate. Therefore, we have listed 11 effective ways that can assist you in improving the candidate onboarding experience. 

During the Hiring Process: 

1. Understand the role and write a clear, precise job description. 

When you create a clear job description, your potential hire will know what their roles and responsibilities are and what you expect of them. Outline the challenges of the position and make it appealing to the candidate from the first step. 

2. Structure your interview process

Before you begin the interview process, prepare a candidate “persona” that gives an idea about the ideal characteristics you are seeking and the parameters to gauge how well a candidate matches that persona. In addition, it is important to define your interview process for each role the company is hiring for with utmost clarity. 

3. Regular Communication is the key

Companies often make the mistake of leaving huge communication gaps during the interview process. Following up regularly and communicating with the candidates at regular intervals is crucial.

Even if a candidate doesn’t fit the role, communicating that to them is important to maintain a positive image of the organisation.

4. Ensure a seamless and smooth interview process

Attend your candidates in the best way possible during interviews and answer their queries and questions correctly and in a polite, clear manner. Make them comfortable and give them an idea about your company culture by telling them about your activities on special occasions or trips. 

Post Hiring: 

5. Engage prior to the day of joining

There are multiple offers with the top talent, why should they choose you? One way to be on top of the candidates’ minds is to engage continuously. Establish a rapport with the new hire before they start their new job. Giving out generic information such as holiday lists, cafeteria timings, etc., along with warm welcoming mail can make the candidate feel valued. 

6. Get the entire team acquainted with the new hire

The success of a company depends on teamwork where each member of the team works tirelessly to achieve specific goals. One way for improving the candidate onboarding experience is to make the candidates familiar with the entire team and tell them which team they are going to work with.

7. Make them familiar with the employees’ perks and benefits

An employee is a company’s biggest asset, and candidates do look forward to utilising the perks and benefits of the company. A new hire often considers getting onboard considering the company’s reputation in the market, and what perks and facilities it provides. Thus, listing out the facilities according to employee expectations helps you to maintain the employer brand. As it’s said – A happy employee is the best advocate for your brand. 

8. Go paperless

A new employee often feels overwhelmed with all the paperwork before or during joining. The entire process of filling out forms and details can become dull and a bit tedious, mainly when handled manually. 

Document automation, such as nondisclosure agreements and compliance forms, can simplify the process. The onboarding process is simplified with the digital availability of customizable onboarding templates.

9. Regular check-ins & constant feedback

A candidate onboarding process includes integrating the new hire into the organisation and making them aware of the expectations from the roles with ample training and support. This process may extend across months, making it more important for the company to check in with the new employees regularly and value their feedback. 

As per Harvard Business Review, an extended onboarding program can increase a new employee’s efficiency by 34%. 

10. Keep them interested with compelling training materials 

Help new hires with interesting training materials. Appealing resources are imperative to catch the interest of the new employees and break away from a monotonous manner. 

Including videos and images can help make the entire process more engaging and effective. You may also explore a dash of humour to keep the employees hooked and feel at ease. 

11. Personalise their Onboarding Experience

Personalised onboarding programs are the most effective. All new hires should receive role-specific materials.

You can also use surveys to find out what new hires need help with. Onboarding will become more personal and employee engagement will increase as a result.

Conclusion: Ways to Improve Candidate Onboarding Experience

While first-day jitters are normal, an effective onboarding program can help eliminate this stress, making the candidates feel supported and valued. An effective onboarding experience helps in hiring talent and retaining them while ensuring a smooth workflow, thus, leading the company to success.

To make the candidate onboarding experience more fruitful and smooth, BluElement has designed HireLoop – a candidate engagement and experience platform that is aimed to reduce dropout and create a better candidate experience and real-time dropout risk analysis and prediction. 

Amp up your candidate onboarding process with HireLoop’s valuable features. 

Know more or request for a demo.

The post 11 Ways to Improve Candidate Onboarding Experience appeared first on BluElement.

The goal of Learning and development is to  align employee goals and performance with that of the organizations. Those responsible for learning & development within an organization must identify skill gaps among employees and teams then develop and deliver training to bridge those gaps.

The Learning & Development Team is responsible for developing and implementing an organization’s learning strategy. In the modern workplace, these duties can include a wide arrange of responsibilities that are both theoretically as well as technologically driven and managerial in nature:

• Develop and implement learning strategies and programs that meet business needs
• Evaluate organizational as well as individual employee development needs
• Ensure alignment of learning & development department with business goals
• Optimize training processes to improve ROI
• Manage and procure L&D technologies to facilitate learning and management of learning initiatives
• Design eLearning courses, interactive group training, and other training content
• Implementing effective training methods
• Manage personnel within the learning & development department
• Maintaining the learning & development budget within an organization
• Championing and marketing training programs to get managerial buy-in as well as employee commitment

The learning & development manager is central to ensuring that employees are able to successfully meet the challenges of their jobs and that they are properly aligned with the business goals of the company.

Why Is Learning and Development So Important?

Now that we have an understanding of what learning and development is, let’s pivot to discuss the reasons why L&D is important for organizations today and tomorrow.

Today’s Employees Demand Opportunities To Learn

According to a 2016 Gallup report, 87% of millennials say learning and development in the workplace is important while 59% of millennials say having opportunities to learn and grow is extremely important when deciding whether to apply for a job.

Why is that important? Well, by 2025 millennials will make up 50% of the Indian workforce. By 2030, 75% of the Indian workforce will be millennials. In order for companies to compete for top talent, they will need to be able to offer a commitment to an employee’s development.

Hiring Is More Expensive Than Employee Retention

For any organization, it is the employees who make a company what it is. In one of the 2018 Employee Retention Report, Work Institute reported that 1 in 4 employees will leave their job and nearly 77% of that turnover could be prevented by employers.

Regardless of the exact  value, retaining employees is more cost-effective than the costs associated with separation, recruitment, and the hit to productivity. 

This also means that companies are helping to retain their employees by investing in learning and development. L&D not only boosts employee productivity, but it is incredibly important to boost employee confidence in themselves and trust in their employer.

Training Employees Improves Your Bottom Line

Employees are a company’s greatest asset. Right? Sure, they are! With the right team in place, the sky’s the limit. With learning & development focusing on filling in knowledge gaps and upskilling employees by focusing on the strengths of their employees, companies have reported anywhere between a 14%-29% increase in profit.

An IBM study found that well-trained teams increased their productivity by 10%. Equipping employees with the ability to do their jobs better is just a smart move. As managers, our jobs are to get the best out of every employee. Coaching and training employees is a great way to empower them to succeed.

Untrained Employees May Put You At Risk

So far we have mostly spoken about how learning and development reduces employee churn, attracts new hires, and improves your bottom line by making companies smarter and more productive.

Also, in the purview of learning and development is risk mitigation through compliance training initiatives and workplace safety training. 

Though proper workplace behaviour may feel like something people inherently know, companies can be proactive in training employees to maintain a safe and inclusive workplace. Implementing an effective ethics training program can help employees work better and minimize the risk of lawsuits for failing to comply with industry standards in safety and workplace behaviour.

From a large pool of over 200 Human Resources, Organisational development and L&D models and concepts, we are highlighting a couple of them.  It simply represents ideas that we frequently encounter in our work and would therefore consider important to know about.

1. 70:20:10 Learning Model –  It was created in the 1980’s by three researchers and authors working with the center for creative leadership,  a non profit educational institution in Greensboro.  The three were Morgan Mccall, Michael M Lombardo and Robert Eichinger.

It is accepted as one of the most widely accepted principles in learning & development. According to this model people should acquire  70% new knowledge from on job experiences, 20% interacting with peers and 10 % from formal education.

• Kirkpatrick’s 4-Level model of training evaluation – 

The Kirkpatrick’s model is a globally recognized method of evaluating the results of training learning programs. The four levels of evaluation are 1) the reaction of the trainees and their thoughts about the training experience 2) the trainees’ result & learning outcomes and increase in knowledge from the training experience 3) the trainees behavioral changes and improvement after applying the skills on the job.  4) The results.

• Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing (Tuckman) – It was first proposed by Bruce Tuckman in 1965 also known as Tuckman Theory. It states that teams will go through 4 stages of development which are Forming (when the team is formed), Storming (a phase where most likely fall out due to difference of opinions), Norming (Researching a project, understanding each other’s preferences and showing respect with their personal boundaries. Performing (Period where incomplete tasks are completed and the team starts performing).

1. Four stages of Competence Model – A competency model is a framework used by HR professionals and organizations to list and plan the competencies needed by its employees to succeed in a specific job or industry. It helps identify and articulate employees’ knowledge skills and behaviours to thrive.

Activities associated with Learning & Development, 

1. Skills Training ( Product, Process & Projects)
2. Hard skill training (Technical knowledge)
3. Soft Skills training (Emotional Intelligence)
4. Induction (New hires)
5. Coaching / Mentoring( periodically)
6. Leadership/ Management skills training
7. Team Building/Communication Training
8. Sales Training
9. Customer Service Training
10. Safety Training
11. Computer systems training (e.g Powerpoint, Word, Outlook)
12. E learning & Learning Management System

“What managers must understand is that developing their people and teams is a key responsibility, and it’s what helps to keep their teams engaged,” states Emily Poague, vice-president of Marketing at LinkedIn Learning. Suggestions given to retain the talent that you want  were identify the managers who are successful in encouraging their team to learn, Market and circulate these success stories and ensure collaboration with managers is always happening to incorporate learning in the day, month year and every discussion .Employees who feel that their company is going out of the way to invest in them they will be inertly  inclined to invest more energy, improving not only employee satisfaction and efficiency but also retention. Employees and Talent  that have been nurtured, appreciated and recognised help the company grow, solve problems and innovate!

Author

Prity Reddy

The post How does Learning and Development boost Employee Retention in an Organisation? appeared first on BluElement.

2. Access Restriction
   Build your application in such a way that roles can be assigned to each individual and they can perform certain actions only based on those roles. For example, a normal user would be able to interact with certain elements of the website but will not be able to edit anything on the website whereas a special user will be able to edit and act upon the website and so forth. Having such a framework in place makes it easy and convenient to manage your website. Also, it is important to keep checking on these roles to make sure no bugs can give away your website to any hacker.
   
   c. Secure your server
   Keeping your website settings and code well checked and secured in an environment such that no one from the outside world other than you and your team can access is a very important thing that needs to be done. Whitelist IPs of your teammates and yourself, restrict actions and do not allow yourself and your team to access risky websites. This will save your server from viruses and dangerous attacks.
   
   d. Enable HTTPS on all your pages
   Make sure that you have an SSL certificate installed on your server and set your server such that only HTTPS is served to all your users. This makes the session secure as data will be sent over using the HTTPS Protocol.
   
   e. Backup Automation
   Create scripts such that backups are taken regularly of the database as well as your server so that if your server fails, you will have a backup ready for your users to get started back with. It will also be a big win for you to have your code stored on GitHub or any sort of version control allowing you better access to manage everything in case of failures.
   
   f. Password Change Policy
   Lastly, it would be very good if you can implement some sort of Password Change Policy for your users so that passwords get updated and it becomes difficult for anyone who is trying to brute force their way into the website.
   
   Now that we have understood the steps to take for a website maker, why not understand the steps we can take as website users to keep ourselves secure over the internet.
   
   2. General Awareness for the public
   
   People over the internet follow these steps. They can really help you make sure that you are as safe as possible while also enjoying the benefits of the internet.
   
   a. Use VPNs
   As cliche as it may sound, it is important that you invest in a good VPN service. VPNs connect you over to a secure tunnel which will then handle the rest of the connection to the outside world. This will in a way give you a new location, new IP, and a secure environment for you to enjoy the internet.
   
   b. Use Password Manager applications
   It is a good investment to have an application that can create random strong passwords and store them for all of your websites that you access. This can be super helpful since you will have a big password that is made of random characters, making it super hard to crack, plus no more remembering passwords as your application remembers everything for you.
   
   c. Awareness
   Lastly, it is just the general awareness to make the right choices on the internet. Never open those spam emails promising you money and wealth, never open suspicious links, buy things if you can from trusted websites, check online shops before buying something from them. Just follow these basics and you will be safe on the internet.
   
   So to wrap things up, we understood why being safe on the internet is important, how websites can be secured, steps that the general public can use to keep themselves secure over the internet. This brings us to the end of our article. Thank you for making it this far, Cheers! 😊

Author

Ankita Chauhan

Product Manager

BluElement Technologies Pvt. Ltd

The post What makes Web Security so Important? appeared first on BluElement.

The HR segment of companies is one of the most affected by the rise in the pandemic. It is a tedious task for HR professionals to interact with candidates while making sure the employees are engaged and content with their jobs as well. This proves difficult especially since all the employees are not under a single roof. 

Currently, with the rise in the rate of hiring in the industry, candidates have quite a few offers to choose from, thereby increasing the rate of drop-offs and reducing the rate of retention. This is one of the reasons we also wanted to have a better understanding of the changes that can be brought to the process of onboarding. 

To understand the current trends, hurdles, and tips to tackle this situation, we decided to discuss this with Srikanth Vachaspati. He has been in the HR domain for over 20 years in renowned organizations like Infosys, HP, IBM, etc., and is currently associated with Siemens Technology India as a General Manager and Head HR. With this vast experience in the HR world, he seemed like the ideal person to throw more light on the challenges faced, the changes in the near future, and more. From onboarding to drop-off rates, to candidate engagement and retention, we had an informative discussion with Mr. Srikanth that didn’t just help us understand the scenario better but aided in preparing us for the changes to come. 

Read on to know the questions we had for Mr. Srikanth and his input on the same. 

Q 1 – So, let’s begin with a little peek into the onboarding process. How has it impacted the Work from the Home scenario? Has the onboarding process changed? If so, how is it now?

The onboarding process for the Work from Home employees is mostly done online currently. This is often a tad difficult due to internet issues and more on the employee’s end. Recruiters still try and work around this to ensure all procedures and introductions are completed online. The positive effects of face-to-face interaction are definitely lacking with the Work from the Home scenario.  

Q 2 – We had cases where candidates have declined offers because they need to join virtually. In this case, they are often in a dilemma if they will be able to adjust to this new culture. With the current pandemic, has the drop-off rate increased?

Currently, in India, there are two types of drop-off. One is the offer rejected and the other is no show. Offer reduction is around 30% in the industry today which used to be about 5%-8%. Due to an increase in hiring, one candidate can have more than 3-4 offers. So, it is understandable that 4 out of 5 companies would experience no show or rejection of offers. This is a tremendous hike in the no-show and rejection rate. 

Q 3 – Is the company coming up with any type of mitigation to avoid such hurdles or is it okay?

A- It is not okay but I don’t think the companies are coming up with efforts to mitigate. What they are choosing to do instead is, if they need to hire 500 people, then they add a buffer of 20% and hire 600 people. This way even if there are outs or rejections, they have the number of people they need. 

Q 4 – Has the engagement activity for those joining virtually changed?

A- I don’t think it has gone through any major change. Normally, depending on the nature of the industry we assign a ‘buddy’ to them. This person would be helping them in the engagement and networking processes. I think we continue this system even if it is remote. This is commonly followed by companies but other than this, I don’t think we are doing anything additional when it comes to overall engagement with employees. We generally set up regular calls with no agenda to essentially connect with people. 

We have also organized more hackathons. Where we have also digitized the entire training portfolio. This has also helped us in training a huge number of people with ease.
Besides that, we have added another aspect recently. We make sure to have conversations once a fortnight, with somebody who had COVID.

We call this COVID survivors story. Here, we interview the person to understand what happened, what the doctors had said, and the like. We have also lost employees to COVID and we ensure we set up sessions with the mental wellness partner to talk and cope with the same. 

Q 5 – Has the pandemic changed performance management?

Obviously, due to the pandemic, there has been a change in the course of action for a lot of people and companies have tried to alter their ways to match the changing ways. As a salesperson, the targets have to be relooked as well as altered depending on scenarios. 

So, there have definitely been changes in calibrating the codebase due to COVID. This is the first thing that most organizations are focusing on. The second thing that most companies are focusing on is frequent check-ins with their employees. This is to make sure there is a connection in terms of the recalibrating.
The third change is that of performance management. To help employees better, companies can tackle this by firstly looking at the hard factor, which is the goal, and secondly, following up with the ways the employees can achieve their target. 

One integral change is the removal of rating systems. Especially with remote working, the rating has become quite difficult. Keeping this in mind, people have removed rating systems and come up with check-ins. 

These are ways performance management has changed with the scenario of Work from Home and the pandemic. 

Q 6 – One of the common complaints among employees is that there is too much micromanagement after work from home. Is it true?

During the initial days of Work from Home, the lockdown was pretty strict and people had no opportunity other than stay indoors and work and companies did not face any issues. But the changes were also drastic due to Work from Home. Firstly, the number of meetings increased. Once the managers and team formed an understanding of how to execute certain tasks and meet targets, we have reduced the number of meetings as well. But there are instances where managers feel that team-mates are unavailable at times and team-mates feel their managers are micromanaging. This is an issue that is raised on both ends. 

Q 7 – Has this changed the way employees’ performance is reviewed and has the reward system changed?

The number of rewards employees receive has increased. Initially, people did not have so many rewards to look up to but that has increased a lot.  We still provide monetary rewards to the employees along with adopting other digital modes of rewards like e-vouchers. 

A lot of the awards initially were experiential awards. Since with the current scenario of pandemics, employees wouldn’t be able to go out. Hence, we chose to give our rewards in the form of cash or something equivalent to the cash amount. 

Q 8 – There is a lot of resistance to virtual engagement activities? Is it true? What can be done to engage employees virtually?

Virtual activities began more like a ritual and seemed very forced and not as a means to engage employees. To make this more engaging for employees, activities must be designed in a way that is beneficial to the employees. We had once organized a virtual stand-up comedy session and the audience was not able to connect with it whereas a session on financial planning had a better impact and employees could relate to it better. Virtual activities have to be something employees relate to and find beneficial. 

With the rise in Hybrid workspaces, the importance of employee engagement is becoming more important with each passing day. Keeping this in mind, Bluelement Technologies gave rise to EngageLoop. The platform has impacted and created relevant engagement steps and options to ensure Employee Engagement despite the Work from Home scenario.=

We hope to know the views of an expert in the domain helps better understand the right steps to take.

The HR domain, as we know it,  is forever evolving and developing. This domain has seen drastic changes especially in the last one to one and a half years with the scenario of Work from Home. Now, as we add Hybrid workspaces to the mix as well, the changes are quite a lot. For example, entire teams do not work under one roof, some are currently working from home while others are from the office. This often causes a hurdle in the communication aspect and more. 

The HR segment of companies is one of the most affected by the rise in the pandemic. It is a tedious task for HR professionals to interact with candidates while making sure the employees are engaged and content with their jobs as well. This proves difficult especially since all the employees are not under a single roof. 

Currently, with the rise in the rate of hiring in the industry, candidates have quite a few offers to choose from, thereby increasing the rate of drop-offs and reducing the rate of retention. This is one of the reasons we also wanted to have a better understanding of the changes that can be brought to the process of onboarding. 

To understand the current trends, hurdles, and tips to tackle this situation, we decided to discuss this with Srikanth Vachaspati. He has been in the HR domain for over 20 years in renowned organizations like Infosys, HP, IBM, etc., and is currently associated with Siemens Technology India as a General Manager and Head HR. With this vast experience in the HR world, he seemed like the ideal person to throw more light on the challenges faced, the changes in the near future, and more. From onboarding to drop-off rates, to candidate engagement and retention, we had an informative discussion with Mr. Srikanth that didn’t just help us understand the scenario better but aided in preparing us for the changes to come. 

Read on to know the questions we had for Mr. Srikanth and his input on the same. 

Q 1 – So, let’s begin with a little peek into the onboarding process. How has it impacted the Work from the Home scenario? Has the onboarding process changed? If so, how is it now?

The onboarding process for the Work from Home employees is mostly done online currently. This is often a tad difficult due to internet issues and more on the employee’s end. Recruiters still try and work around this to ensure all procedures and introductions are completed online. The positive effects of face-to-face interaction are definitely lacking with the Work from the Home scenario.  

Q 2 – We had cases where candidates have declined offers because they need to join virtually. In this case, they are often in a dilemma if they will be able to adjust to this new culture. With the current pandemic, has the drop-off rate increased?

Currently, in India, there are two types of drop-off. One is the offer rejected and the other is no show. Offer reduction is around 30% in the industry today which used to be about 5%-8%. Due to an increase in hiring, one candidate can have more than 3-4 offers. So, it is understandable that 4 out of 5 companies would experience no show or rejection of offers. This is a tremendous hike in the no-show and rejection rate. 

Q 3 – Is the company coming up with any type of mitigation to avoid such hurdles or is it okay?

A- It is not okay but I don’t think the companies are coming up with efforts to mitigate. What they are choosing to do instead is, if they need to hire 500 people, then they add a buffer of 20% and hire 600 people. This way even if there are outs or rejections, they have the number of people they need. 

Q 4 – Has the engagement activity for those joining virtually changed?

A- I don’t think it has gone through any major change. Normally, depending on the nature of the industry we assign a ‘buddy’ to them. This person would be helping them in the engagement and networking processes. I think we continue this system even if it is remote. This is commonly followed by companies but other than this, I don’t think we are doing anything additional when it comes to overall engagement with employees. We generally set up regular calls with no agenda to essentially connect with people. 

We have also organized more hackathons. Where we have also digitized the entire training portfolio. This has also helped us in training a huge number of people with ease.
Besides that, we have added another aspect recently. We make sure to have conversations once a fortnight, with somebody who had COVID.

We call this COVID survivors story. Here, we interview the person to understand what happened, what the doctors had said, and the like. We have also lost employees to COVID and we ensure we set up sessions with the mental wellness partner to talk and cope with the same. 

Q 5 – Has the pandemic changed performance management?

Obviously, due to the pandemic, there has been a change in the course of action for a lot of people and companies have tried to alter their ways to match the changing ways. As a salesperson, the targets have to be relooked as well as altered depending on scenarios. 

So, there have definitely been changes in calibrating the codebase due to COVID. This is the first thing that most organizations are focusing on. The second thing that most companies are focusing on is frequent check-ins with their employees. This is to make sure there is a connection in terms of the recalibrating.
The third change is that of performance management. To help employees better, companies can tackle this by firstly looking at the hard factor, which is the goal, and secondly, following up with the ways the employees can achieve their target. 

One integral change is the removal of rating systems. Especially with remote working, the rating has become quite difficult. Keeping this in mind, people have removed rating systems and come up with check-ins. 

These are ways performance management has changed with the scenario of Work from Home and the pandemic. 

Q 6 – One of the common complaints among employees is that there is too much micromanagement after work from home. Is it true?

During the initial days of Work from Home, the lockdown was pretty strict and people had no opportunity other than stay indoors and work and companies did not face any issues. But the changes were also drastic due to Work from Home. Firstly, the number of meetings increased. Once the managers and team formed an understanding of how to execute certain tasks and meet targets, we have reduced the number of meetings as well. But there are instances where managers feel that team-mates are unavailable at times and team-mates feel their managers are micromanaging. This is an issue that is raised on both ends. 

Q 7 – Has this changed the way employees’ performance is reviewed and has the reward system changed?

The number of rewards employees receive has increased. Initially, people did not have so many rewards to look up to but that has increased a lot.  We still provide monetary rewards to the employees along with adopting other digital modes of rewards like e-vouchers. 

A lot of the awards initially were experiential awards. Since with the current scenario of pandemics, employees wouldn’t be able to go out. Hence, we chose to give our rewards in the form of cash or something equivalent to the cash amount. 

Q 8 – There is a lot of resistance to virtual engagement activities? Is it true? What can be done to engage employees virtually?

Virtual activities began more like a ritual and seemed very forced and not as a means to engage employees. To make this more engaging for employees, activities must be designed in a way that is beneficial to the employees. We had once organized a virtual stand-up comedy session and the audience was not able to connect with it whereas a session on financial planning had a better impact and employees could relate to it better. Virtual activities have to be something employees relate to and find beneficial. 

With the rise in Hybrid workspaces, the importance of employee engagement is becoming more important with each passing day. Keeping this in mind, Bluelement Technologies gave rise to EngageLoop. The platform has impacted and created relevant engagement steps and options to ensure Employee Engagement despite the Work from the Home scenario.

We hope to know the views of an expert in the domain helps better understand the right steps to take.

The post A conversation about current Onboarding and Hiring Processes appeared first on BluElement.