Candidate disposition is the process of managing and communicating an applicant’s status throughout the hiring journey, is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of recruitment. From the moment you post a job ad to the final onboarding of successful candidates, the recruitment process is a maze of decisions, each requiring careful consideration and clear communication.
Not to forget, the global recruitment journey聽can be exhausting and nerve-wracking for all those involved. Do you want to make it easier on yourself? Then setting up an effective system to disposition candidates is the way to go.聽However, an effective candidate disposition strategy can streamline this complex process, making it more manageable for employers and more transparent for applicants.
But candidate disposition is not only limited to the final stage. Actually, disposition management starts from the second an application is filled out by a potential team member.
Why this process is so important besides giving closure to applicants? Let鈥檚 take a look at the reasons why you should set up a team member or applicant management system for candidate disposition.
What Is The Importance Of Candidate Disposition?
Once you have a proper flow of the disposition process, you will have a clear and direct path toward your final goal. It also helps you prevent any perceived discrimination bias. Here are the overall benefits if you choose to disposition candidates:
1. Provides A Goldmine Of Data
If you set up an effective process of dispositioning candidates, you will be able to streamline the recording process. It will also help that you will have all that information on many candidates in one place.
This will help you make important adjustments in the hiring process and keep data safe for possible future uses. You can also collect feedback at every stage of the recruitment process to check what you could have done better. This will help you improve when the next recruitment round rolls around.
2. Allows You To Give Feedback In Real Time
As mentioned before, feedback helps applicants get closure. But it is also valuable in helping them understand the flow of your hiring process. This helps them manage their expectations.
Once you start offering this feedback in real time, you and the candidate can be aware of the expectations each has. This will allow you to make it clear whether you will be referring them for another position at your company or recruiting them for any position in the future. Doing so will help you make things clear from the get-go.
3. Helps You Stay Organized
Not only does a candidate disposition management system allow you to collect tons of data, but it helps you stay organized too. You can track the progress and interview scores of the applicants and find the best ones for your organization!
What are The usual Reasons Why You Would Disqualify a Candidate?
Dispositioning candidates at any stage of the recruitment process can be difficult for both parties involved. But do you know what can make this a tad easier? Offer applicants specific reasons for their disqualification so that they can pinpoint the areas to improve upon.
Here are a few reasons to disposition candidates and the specific words you can use:
1. Candidate Disposition Reasons For Unqualified Applicants
- Incomplete application.
- The degree is not in the required/specified field.
- Unable to meet the specified research requirements.
- Incorrect materials were submitted.
- Did not have the specified credentials.
- The candidate withdrew their application.
2. Candidate Disposition Reasons For Qualified Applicants
- Alternate for another position.
- There were some deficiencies in the interview.
- Lacks sufficient experience for the position.
- Lacks creative impact or excellence.
- Weak references.
- There are deficiencies in the publication record.
3 Steps To Disposition Candidates Efficiently And Remotely
Now that you know the reasons and wording to use for dispositioning candidates, you can go through the process of doing so. Keep in mind that it will be efficient for you to have a uniform flow in place to remove any favoritism or ambiguity.
1. Ensure Real-Time Status Is Provided
Keeping candidates up to date regarding where their application is in the recruitment process can be made easier by setting up an online system. You can set up a job site that can provide updates to applicants or install a team members tracking system, such as JobScore or Workday.
These tracking systems will allow candidates to receive notifications of their progress. It will also let them know in advance whether they have been selected or not.
When setting up a job site or a team member tracking system, be sure to use disposition codes. These let candidates figure out specific reasons behind the candidate not working out. Usually, there are two types of codes.
- Declined codes to help applicants track why you did not proceed with their application.
- Withdrawn codes that allow candidates to pull out of the recruitment process.
Below are several stages at which you should disposition candidates.
- Review
- Screening
- First Interview
- Final Interview
- Checking References
2. Give A Clear Reason
The hiring process can be easier for both parties involved if you provide clear reasons for candidate dispositioning. It helps you keep simple records and allows the job seeker to improve upon their weaknesses. Below are additional benefits of doing so.
1. Good Recruitment PR For Your Company
In this age of social media, it is easy to get the word out about a company鈥檚 recruitment process and practices. If you want people to continue applying to your company, you will need a good recruitment PR. A candidate who has a positive experience with your company is likely to either apply again and give good feedback to others.
2. Bringing In A Potential Customer
A candidate applying for a position at your company may also be a part of your target market. They are likely to return as a customer if they think that you genuinely care about people, which will be made clear by how you treat them throughout the recruitment process.
3. Showing Gratitude
It takes a lot of time and energy to prepare for interviews. Candidate applying to your company has done their research before they show up for their interview and the least you can do is give them appropriate feedback. This will show them that while they did not get chosen for the position they applied for, their effort was not in vain.
3. Ask For Feedback
Some applicants may not work out right now, but that does not mean that they cannot be helpful to you for another position or in the future. For this reason, you will not want to part on bad terms with any candidate.
As a professional, it is your job to stay in touch with the dispositioned candidates and ask for their feedback on the recruitment process. If you have another opening that would fit them better, be sure to inform them of that too. This will help you kill two birds with one stone!
Final Word
It is not easy to reject a candidate, no matter the reason. At times, employers tend to ghost applicants rather than have a difficult conversation with them.
But it is always good to give someone closure.
This is possible once you decide to disposition candidates. Be sure to implement and install an efficient system with clear directives and make these recruitment rounds easier on yourself and the applicant.
