Most of us who have ever tried to pursue a romantic relationship will know the pain that tends to come with the object of our affections rejecting us. Try as you might to impress them, sometimes, that still doesn’t stop them being more interested in someone else.

The hiring process can be very similar. You might be working with the best possible recruitment advertising agency, but the very best candidates may still elude you.

Here are the things to look out for, which could be putting off candidates:

1. Being a bit ‘eager’

Unfortunately, that’s obvious to savvy job seekers when they notice how little you have researched their strengths and interests before giving them an offer. You would expect a candidate to do their homework on your company before they apply for a role with you, so why shouldn’t the opposite be the case?
Much as, sometimes, people can be desperate just to avoid being single, so employers can also sometimes be looking for nothing more than a quick hire.

2. Poor job descriptions

Are your job descriptions vague about what the position entails? Are they even up to date? These are the questions that you need to ask yourself if you are to avoid frustrating good candidates.

To make sure each job description that you write is accurate and detailed, ask the hiring manager some key questions about the position and ideal candidate. Write the description, check it with the hiring manager and then put it out into the world.

3. Weak follow up 

If you want to create the right impression in candidates and not alienate them from applying for your roles again in future, you’ll want to get in touch with them after they have applied for your vacancy, even if it’s merely to inform them that their application has been unsuccessful.

Sure, it may be time-consuming to send replies to failed candidates manually, but that’s where an applicant tracking system (ATS) can be useful in issuing automatic and timely updates via email.

Remember that it’s not just the candidate’s responsibility to impress – you’ll also need to do plenty of impressing yourself if you are to attract the best quality people, with or without the help of a recruitment advertising agency like Webrecruit Ireland.