Hiring Protocols for the Communications Industry: A period of crisis, but also of empathy
The quantum of resumes that a recruiter or a hiring consultant is reviewing these days has doubled from what it used to be before the pandemic. Finding the right applicant in the service sector is an exhaustive process in 2020 owing to limited openings in the sector. Due to considerable rise in applications, the assessment process has become more detailed and lengthier, sometimes going for several rounds over weeks, and even months.
Respecting potential employees for the time they invest is important and each conversation that happens during the interview is the foundational ground for the leadership to know you and for candidates to know them. As public relations is a small industry, positive word of mouth is important for any small or big enterprise; recruitment managers and the leadership teams have a huge role to play in it. A few mindful steps can help in easing up the hiring process and get the perfect candidate for your firm. Let’s look at some of them.
- Approaching the candidate: When you select a candidate, understand their profile and inform regarding the organization and requirements for the role. Also, explain the hiring procedure and ask the candidate’s commitment to go through them. Giving a clear understanding from the beginning, supports in preparing the candidate for the kind of time they need to invest.
- Assessment & evaluation: Shake things up! Test your candidates on creativity more than aptitude. In the communications sector novelty matters a lot. Ask for out of the box answers to fun questions, instead of lengthy assignments. Request for their past portfolio of work and link it with a reference check from their previous immediate managers. However, if you still want to give them a written assignment, allow a minimum deadline of 24-48 hours, this will enable the candidate to plan their day better.
2. Be honest about the renumeration: Setting expectations regarding renumeration and benefits is important, so share everything right from the beginning. If you are hiring at a lower salary than their current, let the candidate know. While pay cuts have been rampant since March/April, many organizations are reverting to pre-Covid salary levels. Uncertainty, regarding the renumeration can create mistrust for the candidate, while honesty will imbibe a sense of credibility for the organization and its ethics. 3.
- Conversation medium with candidates: Try to understand what the best medium for a conversation with the candidate is. Today, there are multiple platforms to communicate, you can ask for their preferred mode of communication. Hounding applicants every few minutes with a call because you aren’t able to connect with them, may not be the best way to have any conversation with them. Remember, frequent multiple phone calls (that is in every 10- 20 mins) are for your close family/ friends/ colleagues or incase of emergencies.
- Ask the right questions: For eg., asking personal questions such as; will you be planning a family soon? Or, when would you be planning it? to female candidates maybe
sensitive. Questions of a personal nature are important, but so is the timing of them. Also, a response on such a question should not be the basis of your decision to hire them or not. You may miss out on a candidate that is immensely talented and has potential to serve your organization for many years in its growth and development.
- Give feedback on rejections: If a candidate’s profile hasn’t worked out for your organization and while you may have a busy schedule, remember to inform candidates regarding the rejection and in case they inquire, you can share feedback over email or over a brief call. This is especially for those, whom may have made it till the last round of the application process. Even if the candidate’s application didn’t work out for your firm this time, perhaps it may be of help in the future. Also, this simple gesture speaks volumes about the culture and professionalism of your firm, as you are being empathetic and helpful during a pandemic.
These are challenging times, a little bit of patience, honesty and respect can support in easing the stress of those who have recently lost their jobs. Many of these candidates may not have been paid or would have been on a pay cut since the past few months. These simple processes will also support you in having a more effective hiring procedure. If recruiters are vicarious and responsible in the way they communicate with candidates, it will surely have a positive impact on the individual as they will be more committed professionals.
About the author:
Niharika Mathur is an experienced Public Relations & Reputation Management Consultant with 7 Years in the industry