Summer has officially started, which means it’s getting to be peak time for theme parks! I’m sure most of you reading this have been on a roller coaster at one point in your lives. Whether it’s the kiddy one in your local park or Space Mountain, you’ll have probably experienced the thrill, excitement and possibly scare of slowly riding to the top just to get released in a fury of speed, turns and loops.
For candidates, a recruitment process can feel a lot like a roller coaster. They build up steadily by writing their CV, researching the jobs they’re interested in, record their motivation videos and fill in the application. When you’re riding the recruitment roller coaster, the excitement starts to build, you’re slowly working towards a goal (getting the applications in), and then you reach the top.
At the top of Kingda Ka (The world’s tallest roller coaster located in Six Flags), or any other coaster, the excitement reaches peak levels and you’ll be thrown into the deep – just like a candidate does when they’ve started their applications. How do you make sure that your recruitment roller coaster is a joyful, satisfying experience and not a scary, bumpy ride?
Probably the worst thing that could happen in a roller coaster is getting stuck in a loop. Going back and forth endlessly until you get rescued – luckily these occasions are rare and it’s never happened to me. However, many recruitment processes have candidates getting stuck between phases. When I graduated and started looking for a job, there were many situations where I’d given my details and sent in my CV, only to get an email saying “please fill in your details and upload your CV to this other system”, after which I would sometimes get a call in which I was asked to “tell something about my details and work experience”. That’s three times giving the same information! I can tell you, the efficiency of this process could have been a lot better. By using structured automated video interviews, a candidate will introduce themselves only once, and this introduction can easily be shared within the company.
I mean, of course you’re not going on a roller coaster to feel like you’re frozen in time. The thrill comes from the sense of speed! It’s exciting to go fast and you don’t want to lose that excitement by slowing down. Same thing goes for recruitment – the candidate is excited that they started their application, now it’s up to the recruiter to make sure to keep the excitement going. Don’t let your candidates wait unnecessarily, they bought a ticket for your coaster so it’s up to you to make the ride enjoyable! Even the best experiences have to finish, and even the biggest fans of roller coasters would agree that spending too much time at once would make the experience less enjoyable.
When using video in your recruitment, the process is less cluttered and big chunks of text are replaced by video, it’s easier (and faster) for recruiters to compare candidates.
I love it when a roller coaster surprises me. The first time I went on the Superman ride in Six Flags, when there’s a little pause and all of a sudden, the cart was blasted off – that was amazing! Or on the Indiana Jones ride where the carts go backwards, more of that, please! You can also surprise your candidates by adding fun touches to your recruitment process. Ask unexpected questions, add outtakes from your video recordings, host an AMA on Reddit, in other words: be creative! What you don’t want to do is surprise the candidates in a negative way; like when you nearly break your ribs because the cart makes unexpected turns. Similarly, you don’t want to surprise your candidate in ways that are unpleasant.
For many candidates, recording a video interview will be their first time. By recording your own introduction video and questions as a recruiter, you make sure that the experience is personal and feels friendly.
If you’re a thrill seeker always looking for the fastest, largest roller coasters wherever you go, why not add a bit of that thrill to your recruitment process!?
Thrilling hiring!
