Be the Change You Wish to See in Recruitment: A Look Back at Our Most Popular Tips From 2024

At the beginning of 2024, we shared a podcast episode called "Be the Change You Wish to See in the Recruitment World." It ended up being one of our most popular episodes of the year — and in hindsight, we can see why. It's that perfect blend of tactical tips and philosophy.

The fact of the matter is that there are a lot of things "broken" about modern recruitment.

The technological growing pains. The circular conversation around AI. The disjointed tools. The over-reliance on the legacy ATS. The candidates who you never hear from again. And so on.

Our take? It’s time for recruiters to take charge and address the common frustrations plaguing our industry. We're all responsible for ushering in a new era — ideally, one that makes us want to rip our hair out a bit less. Instead of just complaining about issues, let’s focus on being proactive and initiating positive change.

With that said, let's get into some actionable tips to help you improve your relationships with both hiring managers and candidates.

Working with hiring managers

When we analyze the typical roadblocks when it comes to working with hiring managers, two things come up time and time again: inconsistent (or confusing) feedback processes and lack of responsiveness.

Here are some tips on how to address and improve both.

Improve feedback processes

• Longer intake calls upfront can lead to time saved in the long-run. It can be a hard sell to get hiring managers bought in on the early-on time investment, but if you build a solid case for how more alignment earlier on will save them time later (and lead to a better shortlist), it can be a game-changer.
• During intake calls, identify the top three must-haves for a role.
• Create a structured feedback form or process that’s easy for hiring managers to use.
• Ask hiring managers how you can make it easier for them to provide feedback.

Address slow response times

• Suggest weekly meetings to review candidates and get immediate feedback.
• Adapt your communication style to each hiring manager’s preferences.
• Keep a record of each hiring manager’s preferences for future reference.

One key thing to remember as you start to try some of these strategies out: 

Customize your approach for each hiring manager. Some may prefer brief resume reviews, while others might want in-depth discussions about candidates. Tailor your process to their needs while ensuring you get the information you need to do your job effectively.

Engaging with candidates

Candidate engagement and experience should, arguably, be your top priority in 2025.

Here are some tips on how to "be the change" when it comes to this high-priority aspect of recruitment.

Help candidates improve their profiles

• Educate candidates on how recruiters search for talent.
• Explain the importance of complete LinkedIn profiles and updated resumes.
• Share tips on LinkedIn about optimizing profiles for recruiter searches.

Prevent candidate ghosting

• Build trust by being transparent about the hiring process.
• Encourage candidates to voice any doubts or concerns.
• Respect candidates’ decisions if they choose to withdraw from the process.

‍Provide feedback to all applicants

• Create templates for providing constructive feedback to unsuitable candidates.
• Explain why a candidate might not be a good fit for a specific role.
• Offer suggestions for improvement when possible.

Humanize the recruitment process

• Acknowledge the stress and uncertainty of job searching.
• Act as a coach or consultant throughout the hiring process.
• Ask for feedback from candidates on how you can improve as a recruiter.

Leverage technology for better communication

• An ATS alone can't solve modern recruitment's problems. A full-fledged Talent Intelligence Platform — combined with the right methodology — is a step in the right direction. Data that you can trust can help you make better decisions and stay more consistent with candidate engagement.
• Use automation to send regular updates to candidates, even if there’s no new information. Updates like "Hey, just a heads up that we're still waiting to hear back from X," or "We should be making a decision by Y," etc. can go a long way.

The note about not being "one-size-fits-all" applies here as much as it does with hiring managers. No two candidates are the same — and the way you engage with each of them may look different. However, maintaining best practices around data entry and maintenance should be consistent despite these differences.

Wrapping up

By implementing these strategies, you can start making positive changes in your recruitment practices. Remember, small improvements can lead to significant changes over time. Be the change you want to see in the recruitment industry, and watch as your relationships with both hiring managers and candidates flourish in 2025 — and beyond.