At the beginning of the year, The VET Recruiter® conducted a survey of candidates in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. As part of that survey, we asked a series of questions, many of which dealt directly with employers and the hiring process.
In last month’s newsletter article, we addressed the top four things that annoy candidates the most about the hiring process. This month, we’re going to present additional information that resulted from our survey.
In other words, we’re going to examine what candidates truly want from potential employers.
Let’s start with the interview stage of the process. We asked candidates, “How often do companies do a good job of ‘selling’ themselves and their opportunity?” Below is a breakdown of the results:
All of the time — 13.1%
Half of the time — 60.5%
A quarter of the time — 18.4%
Almost never — 5.2%
In addition, we asked candidates about the longest amount of time they’d spend in an organization’s hiring process before bowing out. Below is how they responded:
Three (3) weeks — 13.1%
Four (4) weeks — 15.7%
Five (5) weeks — 5.2%
Six (6) weeks — 23.6%
I’d never bow out, no matter what. — 36.8%
We also asked candidates what they look for in an employer. According to the results of the survey, below are the top 10 things that attract candidates:
#10—Flexibility
#9—Excellent products/new technology
#8—Stability within the industry
#7—Educational opportunities
#6—Company culture/supportive environment
#5—Good wages/benefits package
#4—Integrity/honesty/great reputation
#3—Fairness/to be treated with respect
#2—Strong leadership and vision for the future
#1—Opportunities for growth and advancement
So, if we are to sum up what candidates truly want from potential employers, the answer—based on the above information—would be along these lines:
“Candidates want potential employers that do a good job of ‘selling’ themselves and their opportunity; that don’t drag out a hiring process longer than six weeks; and that provide opportunities for growth, show strong leadership, and share a vision for the future.”
How well does your organization stack up against this “candidate wish list”? How well do you communicate these things to candidates during the hiring process?
If you provide what candidates truly want, both during the hiring process and once they become employees, you’re better positioned to both hire and retain the best candidates in the marketplace.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of organizations. If this is something you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.