In the current job market, it’s difficult to attract candidates and convince them to enter your organization’s recruiting and hiring process. Conversely, it’s easy to lose them during the process and watch them drop out of it or disappear altogether for one reason or another. This is especially the case in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession, in which qualified candidates are scarce.
This is why it’s critical for employers to make a lasting impression on job seekers and candidates during the recruiting and hiring process. The best way to make a lasting impression is to engage the candidates and make a connection with them. When you do this, they seriously consider your opportunity and your organization as the next step in their career, and you have the chance to successfully hire them. (And if you’re fortunate, also retain them as an employee for a considerable length of time.)
Steps for making a lasting impression
It’s important to realize that you don’t have to wait to make a lasting impression by engaging candidates. In fact, you shouldn’t wait. Every interaction is an opportunity for you to brand your organization in a positive fashion. Remember: every time that you brand yourself in a positive way, you’re moving one step closer to becoming an “employer of choice,” and that is gold standard for employers in terms of both hiring and retention.
Below are seven strategies for making a lasting impression on job seekers and candidates during the recruiting and hiring process:
#1—Be transparent and authentic.
Transparency and authenticity are essential for building trust with candidates. Be honest about the job responsibilities, work environment, and culture of your practice. Don’t oversell the job or make promises you can’t keep. Instead, be upfront about the challenges and opportunities of working at your practice. Candidates will appreciate your honesty and be more likely to trust you as an employer.
#2—Showcase your organization’s unique culture.
Your organization’s culture is what sets it apart from other organizations. Showcase your organization’s unique culture during the hiring process by giving candidates a tour of your facility and introducing them to your team. Share your organization’s values, mission, and vision with candidates and explain how they align with their own values and career goals.
A candidate once showed up to an interview at a company and when they arrived, the company was closed and no one was there. The fault was not the candidate’s. Unfortunately, in this instance, the employer branded the culture of its business as one of disorganization. Not surprisingly, the candidate ultimately decided not to pursue the opportunity.
#3—Provide a positive candidate experience.
The candidate experience is the sum of all the interactions a candidate has with your organization during the recruiting and hiring process. Providing a positive candidate experience can make a lasting impression on candidates and improve your employer brand. Communicate with candidates promptly and professionally throughout the process, provide a welcoming and respectful environment during interviews, and offer feedback to candidates after interviews.
#4—Emphasize growth and development opportunities.
Growth and development opportunities are important to candidates, especially those early in their careers. Emphasize the training, mentoring, and career advancement opportunities available at your organization. Show candidates how they can develop their skills, gain new experiences, and advance their careers while working at your business.
#5—Provide a supportive and collaborative work environment.
Creating a supportive and collaborative work environment can improve job satisfaction and retention. Highlight your practice’s team-oriented culture and emphasize the importance of communication, respect, and collaboration. Share examples of how your team works together to solve problems and provide quality care for patients.
#6—Offer competitive compensation and benefits.
You probably knew we were going to get to compensation sooner or later. Competitive compensation and benefits are key to attracting and retaining top talent. Research industry standards for salaries and benefits and offer packages that are in line with or exceed those standards. Highlight your organization’s unique benefits, such as flexible scheduling, continuing education opportunities, and wellness programs to show candidates that you value their well-being and development.
#7—Follow up after the interview.
Following up after the interview is a simple but effective way to make a positive impression on candidates. Send a personalized thank-you email or note to each candidate after the interview, thanking them for their time and reiterating your interest in their candidacy. If a candidate is not selected for the position, provide constructive feedback and encourage them to apply for future positions.
By implementing the seven strategies outlined above, you can attract and retain top talent and build a strong employer brand in the Animal Health industry or Veterinary profession.
Allow The VET Recruiter to help
An eighth strategy is to partner with an experienced and reputable recruiting firm that has experience finding and placing candidates like the ones you’re looking to hire. We can add to the positive candidate experience that you’re already providing, as well as offer the following to candidates who are considering your job opportunities:
- Professionalism—Candidates will know that they’re interviewing with a professional organization through our interactions with them, which are respectful and courteous.
- Clear communication and expectations—This is one of the most important aspects of keeping candidates engaged during the recruiting and hiring process. Candidates want to know where they stand in the process and what the next steps of the process are going to be.
- Personalization—We’ll describe your opportunity to candidates within the context of their career, specifically how it can help them to grow and reach their professional goals.
- Timely feedback—By providing this feedback, we’ll keep candidates more interested in the position and engaged in the process, thereby increasing your chances of hiring your candidate of choice.
The VET Recruiter has been helping Animal Health and Veterinary employers recruit and hire top talent for more than two decades. Contact us today to find out how we can help YOU!
We invite you to find out more about our Veterinary recruiting services for employers and also learn more about our recruiting process and how we can help you hire more veterinarians this year.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.