The Shortcomings of Internal Recruiters: Why Some of Them Don't Do Well from Candidates' Viewpoints
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Recruiting is super important for any successful company.
But it seems some internal recruiters find it tough to keep up with the fast changes in today’s competitive job market.
It's a sad fact that so many people on LinkedIn frequently express their dissatisfaction with how internal recruiters have treated them during their job applications at various companies.
Here are some key things that stand:
- The Ghosting Problem: One big issue is not keeping in touch with candidates. This "ghosting" can really annoy them, and it hurts the company's image too!
- Not Supporting Candidates Enough: Some recruiters don’t really support their candidates, which is such an essential part of the job. If they don’t know what candidates really want or their goals, they lose the chance to build a good relationship.
- Lack of Empathy: The hiring process can be hard emotionally. Unfortunately, not all recruiters show care for the candidates’ feelings. Treating people like just numbers takes away the personal touch that makes great recruiters stand out.
- Speed Over Quality: When companies focus only on hiring fast, it might lead to bad choices. This can cause people to leave quickly, which isn’t good for anyone involved.
- Struggling to Keep Up: The hiring world keeps changing. Recruiters who don’t try new tech and trends risk falling behind in a tough job market.
These problems show how some internal recruiters have weak spots in communication, professionalism, and empathy.
Companies need to take a look at how they recruit. They have to ensure their recruitment teams can create positive experiences for candidates so they can build a strong workforce in the future.
Why Internal Recruiters Have a Hard Time to Change Their Approach
- Too Much Work, Not Enough Help: Many internal recruiters handle too many job openings without much support. This can lead to rushing things and not enough time for treating each candidate in a positive way.
- Not Enough Training Opportunities: Companies often forget to help their recruiters grow and learn new things. This leaves them stuck using old methods that don't work anymore and missing new tools or trends that could help them do better at their job.
- Wrong Focus on Performance: If recruiters are only measured by how many people they hire (instead of quality) and how fast they could close the job openings, that creates problems too! This quick-fix attitude leads to poor matches and more people leaving soon after getting hired.
- Communication Issues with Hiring Managers: Sometimes there’s a deniable communication gap between the recruiters and hiring managers, which can mess up everything! Internal recruiters also at fault for acting just as an "order taker" -- here's the job description and job requirements, now go find me suitable candidates! But it will never work that way. Because without clear communication about what’s needed, it’s hard for recruiters to find potential candidates with the right fit.
- Company Culture Matters: The way a company recruits shows what its values are like. If recruiters feel lack of support or recognition from leaders, that can hurt their motivation and how they treat candidates.
- Too Much Dependence on Tech and Automation: While tech and automation help with some tasks, using them too much make things feel cold for candidates. They still want personal touch and connections during the process.
Making Recruitment a Strong Point for Companies
To fix these problems, companies need a well-rounded strategy to boost the capabilities of their internal recruiters, here are some things that come to mind:
- Balance Workloads and Resources Well: Check how much work your recruiting team has and make sure they have enough tools and help—this way, they can focus more on helping candidates rather than just moving papers around.
- Focus on Continuous Learning: Give your recruiters chances to learn by attending professional trainings, workshops. or conferences. Keeping skills fresh, whether it's about the core competencies as recruiters, communication, and new tools is key!
- Change Up What Success Looks Like: Look at how well hires stick around and how happy candidates are—not just how fast someone gets hired! This encourages finding better fits for both roles and culture.
- Improve Communication with Hiring Managers: Talk openly between hiring managers and recruiters all the time is a definite must! Understanding team needs closely means placements work better.
- Build a Candidate-First Culture: Create an environment where candidates feel valued! It's called Candidate Experience. When recruiters respect everyone they meet, that builds a better employer brand overall.
- Use Technology Smartly: Tech should help—not take over human connections! Make sure it’s making things easier for recruiters so they spend more time getting to know candidates and treat them properly on the entire recruitment and selection process.
- Offer Good Pay and Benefits: To attract great recruitment professionals, ensure your pay packages reflect what awesome talent brings to your company!
By addressing these root issues head-on, companies can shift internal recruitment into a powerful asset—one that attracts talented people while ensuring everyone has an excellent experience during hiring process, from start to finish.