Why Shortening Your Application and Communicating Regularly Are Important to Job Seekers

Candidates interested in filling your job openings want a fast application process and regular communication. Because they tend to have many employment options, job seekers want to apply quickly, know where they are in the process, the next steps, and when they will hear from you. Otherwise, candidates are likely to find work elsewhere.

Discover why a fast application process and ongoing candidate communication are necessary parts of your hiring process.

 

1. Streamlined Application Process

Be sure the job application can be printed in an easy-to-read format and completed in person, at home, or on a mobile device. Job seekers will be more inclined to complete and submit them. Having candidates include their contact information, work experience, education, references, availability, signature, and application date makes it easier to review them. You can see which job seekers meet the requirements and should be contacted for interviews. The other applications can be filed and potentially used to fill future openings.

2. Candidate Relationships

Providing regular communication is part of cultivating relationships with candidates. This includes information about your company, its culture, the job, team, manager, and hiring process. Continuously providing information and transparency builds trust and respect. Job seekers are more likely to remain engaged in the recruitment process when they receive regular updates and know what to expect.

3. Employer Standards and Expectations

The level of communication you provide candidates indicates what they should expect from you if hired. This is why sharing information on an ongoing basis is essential. Job seekers want to see that you keep them in the loop about decisions and next steps. They also need to know that one of your top priorities is providing the necessary details to make informed decisions.

4. Positive Candidate Experience

Your job application plays a role in your candidate experience. If your application is too long or difficult to complete, job seekers are likely to abandon it. Those who finish may be less inclined to show up for interviews. This results in a smaller talent pool and potentially less-qualified applicants. Candidates who have a bad experience are likely to share their stories on employer review sites. This can affect the number and quality of candidates who apply for roles going forward. It also can impact your employer brand.

Get Help Hiring

Work with a recruiter from Trade Management for help with your hiring process. Contact us today.

Applying to New Jobs? How To Best Highlight Your Skills

TradeManagement_HighlightYourSkills

TradeManagement_HighlightYourSkills

When applying for new jobs, you want the hiring managers to see how your skills are a fit for the role. Emphasizing your abilities in your cover letter, resume,  and during interviews is important. Showing you have what it takes to complete the work increases your odds of being offered a position.

Follow these guidelines to highlight your skills when applying for jobs.

Focus On Your Hard Skills

The technical skills required to perform the work must be reflected in your cover letter and resume. You likely learned these skills through education and training. Examples include carpentry, pipefitting, welding, plumbing, and painting.

Emphasize Your Soft Skills

Employers want to see how your interpersonal skills can benefit their company. Examples include communication, leadership, organization, adaptability, and time management. Such skills are extremely valuable because they cannot be taught. They must be developed through experience.

List Your Skills on Your Resume

Explain your hard and soft skills in your resume introduction, experience section, and skills section. Include skills listed in the job description. Use your top achievements to show how you created positive results. One of the best ways to accomplish this is the problem, action, result (PAR) method. State an issue or responsibility you had at work. Show how you used a skill to address it. Highlight the positive results of your action. Use the information to create bullet points focused on your achievements.

Quantify Your Accomplishments

Use data to clarify how you used your skills to positively impact a company. Numbers, percentages, and other concrete information provide a clear picture of your capabilities and value to an organization. For instance, “Hired and trained over 50 construction staff on safety standards when building a grocery store.” Be sure to use power words such as “collaborated,” “coached,” or “designed” to illustrate your impact.

Discuss Your Results

Share with the hiring manager specific ways your skills helped drive these projects to completion. Clarify what you did, what your results were, and how your employer felt about it. Keep your answers concise and focus on the value you provided. Demonstrate what the manager can gain by adding you to their team.

Work with a Recruiter

Partner with a recruiter from Trade Management to help with your job search. Apply with us today.