The market for Salesforce professionals in ANZ is candidate driven and clients need to understand that the interview process is a two-way street. Not only are Salesforce professionals selling their skills to clients, the client needs to ensure the interview process is seamless in order to sell the role/opportunity to the candidate.
On average, 53% of Salesforce professionals in ANZ are approached six times or more per month about new opportunities and 28% of all professionals will interview at three companies before making their final decision. This shows how much choice these highly sought after candidates have and clients need to be fully aware of this before, during and after the interview process.
The problem is, clients can treat the interview process much like window shopping and forget that the best candidates are also selecting from several options. This means clients can’t go into the recruitment process cold and have to prepare well.
So what can prospective employers do to guarantee a streamlined candidate experience and bring the best people available to their business?
The Recruitment Process
- How many interviews does there need to be? Interview processes at larger companies can be extremely time consuming. With candidates getting many calls per month, it is important to make the interview process as short as possible to give you the best chance of getting the hire you want before they find another company who have moved quicker/have a better candidate experience.
- How will you manage candidate expectations? During the first interview is the best time to set expectations. Candidates need to be told the full interview process, when they can expect to go through the interview stages, when they will receive feedback and also when you are hoping to make an offer. This shows the candidate you are totally in control and will stop candidates having a negative experience with the company even if they are not eventually hired.
- What are the potential roadblocks to making an offer? Does HR take a long time to process offers? Are senior people within the company going to be available to interview during the process? Can the process be shortened to two interviews within one day? These are all questions that need to be considered as they can be extremely damaging to your chances of obtaining the right hire.
- How and when will interview feedback be given? Giving feedback to all interviewed candidates is vital. The candidates may not be right now, but can still be brand advocates and potential employees in the future so it is important to give them clear and concise feedback in a timely manner. It’s a small thing, but will go a long way to building your reputation within the industry.
What do you want from the new hire?
Knowing exactly what you want from a prospective employee is critical so you don’t fall into the window shopping cycle. It is important to consider and articulate the following:
- What experience will the candidate have to have in order to fulfil the needs of this role? Do they need experience of specific tools or functions within Salesforce? Do they need project/people management skills?
- What type of personality will fit best in your team? Does this person need to have a certain level of gravitas within the team or with clients? Does it matter if they are slightly more introverted and hands on? Is a certain level of creativity needed to encourage new ways of working?
- What level of remuneration are you willing to pay for the skills/experience you need? Is there flexibility if the candidates have higher salary demands than initially budgeted for?
Considering these points will ensure that only truly employable candidates will get through the door in the first place and stop clients from entering the endless window shopping cycle.
What are your USP’s and why would Salesforce professionals want to work for you?
When recruiting, hiring managers are essentially marketers for the company they work for. With this in mind, it’s important to communicate to the candidate:
- Growth Potential– Will this new hire have the autonomy to create new work streams and projects? Is there promotion opportunities as well as tailored training? What are the short, medium and long term opportunities?
- How does the company compare to other End Users, Partners or ISV’s? Are you the top player within your niche or is the company an up and coming start-up where there is unlimited opportunity for growth? Why are you the best at what you do?
- How have candidates who were in this role fairing now? Are they climbing up the ladder and exploring awesome opportunities within the company? Tell them!
- What perks can you offer, such as a great bonus scheme, work from home, team lunch on a Friday…? Perks like this can be deal makers so it is important to make the candidate aware of all physical and monetary perks.
Following these steps will not only ensure that you know exactly what you want from your new Salesforce hire, but will make sure that candidates have a great candidate experience and will give you a greater chance of hiring the right person.