Effective communication has been an extremely popular topic on LinkedIn, recently. Whether it is between a recruiter and candidate, or a recruiter and hiring manager, proper communication is key to building stronger and healthier work relationships in talent acquisition. It feels obvious to say communication is a massive part of any successful relationship, but it is not always easy to communicate effectively. Empathy, transparency, listening and much more make up effective communication. Here are 4 tips to up your communication skills. n
1.Be Prepared & Present
Do your homework! Before every meeting with a hiring manager and/or candidate, you should do your research. For example, before job-intakes with hiring managers, I always read the job descriptions and look at the company’s website in preparation. It also helps to have some questions prepared. For interviews, the process is similar. I re-read the candidate’s resume and have a list of non-biased questions to ask them.
Equally as important as being prepared is being present: not just showing up for the meeting but actively listening and being present in the moment. Job intakes are a great time to practice this skill. At Recruiting Experiences, we act as an extension of our clients recruiting function, so active listening is crucial in the process. Listening is how we learn about our client companies and their culture. We utilize this skill to portray their values and brand the best we can. In meetings like this, when there is a ton of information coming at you, actively listen to absorb as much as possible.n
2.Set Proper Expectations
This one is huge! Setting proper expectations is an excellent way to start a business relationship. People want to know what to expect, so setting proper expectations can be a great way to ease some nerves. For example, when taking on a new position, it is important to let the hiring manager know a rough timeline of your process, to accurately gauge when candidates will begin to flow in. On the candidate side, this might mean giving a timeline on feedback. It is important to let candidates know when to expect a decision and then to uphold that timeline. Reliability is important in all professional relationships. To piggyback off this you should never ghost a client or candidate. Everyone deserves an answer, so they are not left in the dark. n
3. Check In Regularly
Regular check-ins are a great way to uphold the expectations you set. Setting a re-occurring calendar event helps remind me to provide feedback and status reports about my search. Here at Recruiting Experiences, we send status reports with data from our search, to provide context to our results. These check-ins are where we discuss our progress to better our process. During the interview process, if the timeline changes, call and let your candidates know. I also like to ask them how their interview went. Communication with your candidates should not end with your initial screen.n
4.Be Honest & Transparent
Honesty and transparency should be embedded in your entire process from beginning to end. You cannot effectively communicate if you are holding back information. With hiring managers, be upfront and honest about your roadblocks. Talk about them so you can tackle them together as a team! In conversations with candidates, be honest and transparent about the salary expectations for the role. This goes both ways as well. If someone’s experience warrants a higher pay range than the salary for the position, I tell them. (This is a great opportunity to ask for a referral!) As with most situations in life, honesty is key.
In the busy world of talent acquisition, it is not always easy to uphold communication. These tips should provide you with a framework to better your skills!
Interested in chatting more about HR-functions and HRIS systems? Let’s connect! My email is christian@recruitingex.com, and you can find me on LinkedIn here.
