The no-ghosting insurance policy

By Maury Hanigan

Throughout the candidate journey from awareness to offer, we’ve identified compelling ways to help candidates get to know your organization’s differentiators, as well as helping them screen themselves in and out of opportunities. And here we are, they’ve accepted our offer! To some, this feels like a moment to coast into onboarding. Not so fast. We can’t lose sight of the fact that the candidate who accepted our offer have to leave their current job. This pre-start period is where we have opportunities to truly close the deal and ensure they show up on Day One.

This pre-start period, anywhere from 1-6 weeks depending on how much notice the candidate gives and how long your reference checking takes, is an emotional time. The candidate is resigning. This moment is a mix of anxiety and joy. They obviously want to move on; however, they likely do not want to burn any bridges and most likely have good friends they are leaving. In addition to resigning, they are tying up loose ends at their last job, while getting ready for their new job. It’s an emotional time. One that gives them time to reflect on their decision, and maybe even mull over a counteroffer from their current employer.

Don’t underestimate the power of their personal network at their old job.  If they are the type of person you want to hire, they were probably mentoring some younger employees.  They may have a strong affiliation with community service work their old employer supported and may even have played on a company sports team.  It is hard to abandon people you care about especially when you are moving to a place where you don’t have any personal relationships.  Because of remote interviewing and a lack of office visits, it can be hard to feel confident that you will fit in and find friends in a new environment.

If you’re hiring someone who’s been displaced by the pandemic, they may not have the “resigning” worry. They are worried about this transition for their families. Keep in mind that people are incredibly un-nerved right now. They need to feel safe going to your office; if you are back at work. If not, they are worried about how to effectively work from home with a house full of other heartbeats (kids, pets, spouses!) not to mention unreliable internet, lawn mowers and and camera’s uncomfortable intrusion into their home.

Whatever the case, this pre-start phase is about getting your new hires excited, energized, and educated about the adventure to come. To help your candidates show up on day one with a spring in their step, we suggest the following video content ideas:

Co-worker Introductions

To assuage the concerns of starting a new job, your new hire need to know who they are working with. Their teammates sending them a virtual introduction has power. Have the team tell the candidate about the work they are doing and the impact it has on the business. Get the candidate excited about the contributions they will soon be making.  We have seen great informal videos where co-workers talk about the sports teams they follow, their favorite movie, their dream vacation or the best Netflix show they recently watched.  It’s the start of a personal relationship with the possibility of friendship.

How we’re working from home

If you’ve not gone back to the office, tell the new hire what to expect. Have your employees talk about how their home office is set up. Give them hacks and what to expect. Tell them how you’re combating Zoom fatigue. Share with them what to expect and to not worry too much about pets and kids wandering into meetings, we are all there right now.

How we’re back in the office

If you’ve asked your team to head back to the office, share this and tell the new hire how you’re keeping your employees safe. Tell them what to expect when they are going to the office. Tell them about any policies you have around the pandemic, so they are prepared to come in and get started. The key here is to make the new hire feel like you will keep them safe.

First day preview

Have your recruiters record a simple and re-usable video that will give every new hire a glimpse into what to expect on the first day of work. Take away the mystery of this experience by being very clear. Tell them where to go on their first day and who to ask for. Tell them about the plans you have for getting them onboarded. Be as detailed as possible so that the new hire can feel at ease about their upcoming transition. Remember being the new kid is tough, the opportunity is to make it easy.

Training Welcome

If you are hiring hourly workers who start their employment with training, such as call center associates or warehouse workers, have the training manager record a short video for each new trainee.  Start the video welcoming the new hire by name, tell them you are excited to have them in your training class, explain that a seat has been reserved for them and you will teach them everything they need to be successful.  The video can be just 10 seconds long but will have a major impact on candidate ghosting.

Logistics & Lunch

When it comes to being the new kid, it really is the uncertainty of it that is unnerving . You can alleviate these feelings by showing the new hire some of the basics as well as the lighter side. Candidates want to know where to park and how that parking garage works! They also want to know if there are security stations that they may have to manage. Another idea is to share a video of popular and nearby lunch spots. To make it even more fun, have some teammates review the lunch spots with favorite menu items.

Helping candidates get to their first day is not a no-brainer. We must reassure them. Welcome them. Engage them. We must be mindful of their emotional and functional needs as we have been throughout the entire journey. When we leverage our employees to not only make videos, but to share them, we broaden our reach and increase our show rates.

With a well-planned Video Strategy, you can expect to see better talent joining your company and more prepared for day one and beyond. Video strategy requires you to think through not only the journey but where you can meet your candidate’s informational and emotional needs. It also helps you think about how you will distribute that content. If you’re looking for more ideas on these topics, your video strategy is just a click away. Download our Video Strategy Framework  now and impress your manager within a few days with the thoughtful plan you’ve crafted!

Simplify your video creation, approval and sharing with Amplify VMS – get real ROI out of your video strategy.  Learn more at Amplify Introduction.