Change is hard. Change is scary. Change is inevitable.
Whether you are getting a new haircut, moving to a new city, or a looking for a new job, it is nice to have a friendly face (or voice) to assist you in the process. I, for one, cry every time I get my hair cut. Nothing too dramatic, just an, “I can’t believe I did this! I miss my old hair,” kind of whining. The good thing is I always have the patient and kind hairdresser (who, by this time, has listened to me ask her to “only cut a few inches” for the 18th time in a row) behind me assuring me that my hair looks wonderful. It is this type of customer service that gets me through my irrational fear of a bad haircut. Now, put those worries about something silly, like a new haircut, into something more important, such as starting a new job.
From a young age, we are taught to live by the “Golden Rule”. ALWAYS TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD WANT TO BE TREATED. Something we learned as children, something so simple, holds a great amount of power in everyday life and in business. “Customer Service” can mean many things. Essentially though, it is the experience we deliver to our candidates. It is the promise and reassurance that we will do whatever we can to make the transition from one job to another the best it can possibly be. It is treating all people we come across as we would want to be treated and being available to help whenever and with whatever is needed. This is how our candidates know they made the right choice in who they chose to assist them with the next chapter of their lives.
The hardest part about transitioning to a new job is the beginning. Trying to make the best first impression during the interview, the endless piles of paperwork, finding the necessary documents, crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. It can all jumble together to create this difficult onboarding knot that is more complicated to untangle than the pair of headphones you have stuck in your pocket.
That is where we come in. Customer Service in the Onboarding Process in 3 Easy Steps…
1. Customer Service and the Onboarding Process Starts with the Internal Recruiting Call.
Right now, there are more job openings in the United States than there are available candidates. This means you have to do something special to set yourself apart from the seven other recruiters that have called or will call your potential candidate. When it comes time to decide between two similar offers, the potential candidate is going to remember which of the recruiters were genuinely helpful and kind during the job search process and which one treated them as just another number. They will inevitably choose the offer from the person they liked the best. Every time. Simple as that. The positive relationship formed from that initial recruiting call will blossom in the future. Whether it be in the form of candidate referrals, positive online reviews, or another job placement down the road.
2. Put Yourself in their Shoes.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou. Starting a new job can be a stressful time in a person’s life. To provide our candidates with the best customer service possible, we must put ourselves in their shoes and remember how we felt when we were in their position. The thing that makes any transition easier is someone to guide and help you along the way. We do this, “make a phone call, recruit candidate, schedule interview, present job offer, start onboarding” process every day. It is second nature to us. It may not be second nature to them. Take a moment and think about what we can do to make it better for our candidates.
3. Communication is Key.
The easiest way to lose a candidate is to ignore them. During onboarding, there is a need for almost constant communication, especially when the start date is a week or more away. We could send our candidates the onboarding link and let technology do the work, but where is the customer service in that? Sending a “Welcome to Kavaliro” e-mail or making a quick phone call is a major key to a successful onboarding. This not only outlines the information we need from the candidate and explains what they should expect during the onboarding process, but it puts another friendly voice on our company. Communication doesn’t have to be lengthy or super detailed. You would be amazed at how impressive a, “Hi, just checking in on how your week at Company is going” e-mail or phone call is to a candidate. Open and consistent communication is a lifeline for good customer service.
Today, social media is king. From online reviews to tweets, to Facebook Live streams, people are expressing their opinions and experiences with companies more freely than ever. Unfortunately, those opinions are usually negative. It is our job to provide such amazing service that our candidates want to shout it from the mountain tops. And not to mention, it makes you feel kind of awesome when you get a good review out of nowhere or when a candidate responds to a contractor feedback e-mail and tells you that you are “such a pleasure” and “a superhero in her eyes.” Providing great customer service is one of the easiest aspects of the business. It is as simple as following the “Golden Rule.”
Written by: April Briggs- HR Coordinator