Track #1

Module #2
Identify the Needs of the Candidates
This module deals with the
behavioural and emotional aspects
involved in the hiring process for tech
roles.

Some aspects may also be relevant for

non-tech hiring.
One of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for
recruiters is to fill the open position(s) with the
right talent in the shortest possible time.
However, one fundamental principle most
recruiters miss focusing on in the entire
hiring-cycle, is identifying the needs of the
candidates! This should ideally come in even
before the candidates start working with you!
One of the common mistakes technical recruiters often end up
making is initiating the process of hiring without identifying the
needs of the candidates such as:

● What motivates them?

● Why are they seeking another job?
● What are their future aspirations?
● What are their expectations from the job?

Answering the above will help you improve the quality of

candidates as well as offer the candidate, a better experience
overall.
For example: A candidate is interested to work as a Full-Stack Developer, and possesses the
necessary skills but never really got the opportunity to utilise them in his/her earlier roles.

That's where you step in, by identifying his/her intrinsic need, which is to work as a full
stack developer, and if everything else falls in place, offering him/her the required role by
explaining to him/her how different engineering teams are structured.

Alternatively, if the candidate is bright and you are keen to hire him/her, some other
arrangement can be worked out where after some months of experience, he/she
ultimately gets to do full stack development.

Remember, the takeaway is that you have to identify the candidate’s need and see how you
can satiate it!
The purpose of this module is to
lay down a few ways in which
recruiters can easily identify the
needs of the candidates, thereby
helping themselves recruit
quality hires.
Why Identifying Candidates’ Needs is
Important?
The candidates aka your potential recruits are
an important link in the recruitment chain.
What the candidates want ends up being
what your employees will need.
Being mindful of this will have a positive ripple
effect!
Benefits of Identifying Candidates’ Needs...

Improved Better Improves the

Transparency Communication Employer Brand
Better Transparency
Means...

● Candidates will appreciate the clarity and ease of

understanding the recruitment process.
● This leads to them being very likely to
recommend your organisation to other potential
candidates.
Benefits of Better
Communication
● A popular survey revealed that 65% of the
candidates were dissatisfied with the hiring
process because of the lack of communication
and no regular updates.
● Communicating with the candidates at every
stage of the recruitment cycle, including
rejections, should be an integral part for your
hiring process.
Better Employer
Brand Leads to...
● Your recruitment process driving itself to attract
quality candidates.
● Getting good number of referrals, thus speeding
up the process and reducing plenty of
overheads!
Key Steps in Identifying the Candidate
Needs
 Strike a friendlier conversation with the candidates Assure them that you are working in their interest

It helps to be as human as possible during your Do not make the recruitment process all about the
interactions, since it will help them to open up to you employer. Show them that you care about their interests
easily, in turn making your job easier. just as much as you care about filling-up the position.

Understand their need for the change Why you have the right opportunity for them

If a candidate is switching jobs, this helps you understand Once you understand the former, you will be in a better
what exactly he/she is looking for. For instance, a software position to pitch yourself as their preferred employer, by
developer may be quitting since he/she was simply given a offering them what they need (if they are truly suited for
QA and testing role. the role).
Two Part Approach to Identify Candidate Needs

Their Motivations Perks & Career Growth

 What Motivates Candidates?

Learning Exposure to New Compensation

Opportunities Technologies

Work Culture Peers

 Learning Opportunities

Most candidates will feel motivated to work with you if they see a good learning curve, an opportunity to learn new skills and gain
knowledge, which will take their career growth to the next level.

Exposure to New Technologies

Since the tech-game is ever-evolving, candidates want to stay relevant and in demand by working with organisations that provide them with
a chance to work on technologies that they may want to explore.

Compensation

An annual talent survey of 14000 global professionals on their job seeking attitudes, it was revealed that 45% of the people switch jobs for a
higher compensation! It is one of the high-driving motivational factors which can influence your recruitment process, making it one important
candidate need to address. 39% of the candidates also said that learning about a company’s salary and other benefits was the most useful to
them!
 Work Culture

Candidates are looking to join work cultures that are positive and align with their working styles. It’s one BIG motivating factor in today’s job
search criteria, especially for millennials.

Peers

Employees are your organisation’s assets who also have the power to attract or put off some good candidates. If your talent pool consists of
intelligent, supportive, and a friendly staff, chances are you will attract a lot of candidates for open jobs.
Perks & Benefits That Matter To Candidates

Fair & transparent

Clear growth path Commitment to
Remuneration
Health & Wellbeing

Flexi-work Company culture

 Clear Growth Path
A huge motivating factor for candidates is a clear career growth path. You need to understand
candidate’s expectations from themselves and from the company.

The candidate would also like to know about any other skill building initiatives that the company
may have introduced, which would further help them enhance and improve upon their existing
skillsets while acquiring new ones.
 Commitment to Health & Wellbeing
Be clear about the different initiatives such as health insurance, wellness challenges, onsite
health screenings, etc. that the company provides. Be upfront about the work environment and
average working hours to further assure them that their mental and physical wellbeing is taken
into account in the company.
 Fair & Transparent Remuneration
Be clear about the compensation structure.

What your company’s compensation policies look like with respect to salaries, bonuses,
commissions, weekly or monthly payments, etc. depending upon the job role. Also, be clear
about the tax and other deductions, the mode of payment, etc.

Also, share with the candidates if they will be qualified for any other perks or benefits, other
than the monetary salaries. They could be yearly bonuses, percentage of sales, equity options,
reimbursements etc.
 Flexi-Work Options
According to a 2018 survey of global working professionals, 51% of the employees wish that
their company could offer them flexible work options. Flexible work options along with flexible
working hours is very much a part of today’s work landscape, which job seekers are placing high
value upon.

Remote working policies are also on the rise, especially in the tech industry. With flexibility
being one important factor in job-search for candidates today, it is best to lay on the table your
policies with respect to remote work to increase their desire to work with you.
Here are some work policies your candidates would like to know…

Eligibility
● Which positions are eligible for remote working and which are not, should be conveyed right at
the beginning.

Availability
● Candidates need to be available during strict working hours or they can work around their own
schedules should be mentioned.

Client confidentiality
● What are the candidates expected once hired with respect to client confidentiality, which is a
major concern, especially when it comes to remote working.
 Company Culture
Let your candidates get well-versed with different ways your company culture facilitates and
empowers employees. Initiatives related to employee engagement, the diversity ratio and
inclusive practices should be laid out before the candidate.

Inform them about the belief-systems, values and expectations that form the basis of everyday
interactions.
Share with them some policies of your work culture such as...
Workplace Personality
● Tell them about the kind of workplace you encourage. Give them the confidence that there isn’t a ‘we always do it
this way’ attitude.
● Clarify how there are no rigid workplace rituals and employees are encouraged to questions norms if required.

Ownership & Loyalty

● Give examples of how you promote a sense of ownership amongst employees by letting them decide on which
projects they feel more comfortable working on, and seeing it to the level of completion.

Freedom to Fail
● Employees are not judged on the basis of their ideas, creativity or failure at a certain task. Instead, an atmosphere of
learning and re-learning is promoted, which is free of any biases.

Innovation
● Mention how you foster a sense of innovation in the company by allowing employees to switch roles from
time-to-time, cross-team or inter-departmental learning sessions, collaborative spaces, brainstorming sessions, etc.
○ For example, if a UX designer wants to go beyond and understand how a UI designer thinks and applies
different designs to arrive at the best user interface, he or she will be encouraged to do so.
Your candidate pool consists of your
future hires, which go on to become
an integral part of your organisation.
It only makes sense to identify their
needs beforehand, and then try and
sell them the job, if you are looking to
hire the right fit who is here to stay!
End of Module #2