Hiring Transparency: Why it Matters & What to Do
Hiring transparency is necessary in today’s job market. Currently, only one in four candidates are satisfied with the job hunting process, and many cite poor communication as a reason for having a bad experience. I know the phrase ‘transparent hiring’ can feel like an oxymoron, but when you take a look at what it entails, it is crucial to ensuring a smoother process and candidates that feel valued.
At TSM, transparency is baked into our hiring process. We do our best to provide clear communication between candidates and our clients, so all parties have a strong sense of what next steps look like.
Here are a couple of ways we maintain transparency with candidates throughout the process:
In our job descriptions, we establish the pay range, remote and hybrid work options, and the expected hiring timeline. 74% of applicants want pay transparency and we make sure to highlight these specific areas of the job description during our first conversation with candidates. This allows them to ask any questions and ensures that they are aware of the information.
At the end of each week the job is open, we email the candidates that have applied to let them know that we have received their materials. It provides reassurance as 35% of job seekers said that employers failed to even acknowledge their application. It’s a quick, simple message from a real person that takes us little to no time at all to do. Below is a sample template for you to use:
Thank you for submitting your materials for [Job Title] position. We will review them and reach out to you after the position closes on [Closing Date]. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out!
At each stage of the process, we make sure to follow up with every candidate to let them know if they are moving forward or not, as 40% of candidates were ghosted after the second or third interview. Even if it is a no, it provides a sense of closure rather than leaving an applicant hanging, waiting for acknowledgement.
Throughout our hiring process, we tell candidates our projected timeline with our set dates for interviews. It gives candidates a good picture of what the whole process looks like as well as the ability to plan ahead. 65% of candidates say they don’t receive consistent communication from recruiters. To avoid this, we make sure we are keeping open lines of communication and if something changes, we follow up to make sure they have all the information.
Along with these steps in the hiring process, I let candidates know they can reach out to me whenever they would like, whether they are looking for an update or if they have a question about the position they forgot to ask. Creating these open lines of communication allows there to be more transparency during a process that usually leave job seekers unsatisfied.
I’m curious, where are the places in your hiring process that could use more transparency? What could you implement to make sure you and your candidates feel the benefits of a more open, honest hiring process?