Do you see an uptick in no-calls and no-shows recently? If so, it could be affecting the efficiency and reputation of your agency. Your first instinct could be to get frustrated or even begin to panic a bit if it happens too often. But don’t worry, in this post, we explore some of the strategies that you can deploy when candidates no show.
Take a look at the following:
Ensure That Your Workers Fit The Role
During the first coronavirus shutdown, one of our members reported that they had seen a large increase in the number of no-calls and no-shows because they had opened up their candidate pool to fill open orders. Eventually, though, they had to change their strategy because candidates failed to show up when they said they would. They now focus on targeting specific work history to ensure that workers fit the recruiter and their clients.
The moral of the story here is to ensure that workers fit the intended role. Creating better matches makes it more likely that temporary staff will show up to their positions and carry them out according to your clients’ requirements. Failing to provide adequate services could damage your reputation and hurt your brand.
Prevent Penalty-Free No Shows
Another member reported that workers were calling out of work, claiming that they had COVID-19 symptoms because they knew they could do so without incurring a penalty. However, the 14-day quarantine period meant that they couldn’t return to work for two weeks – lost pay that many couldn’t afford to miss.
In general, you need to ensure that workers have good incentives to show up to work every day. Agencies that don’t risk recommending flaky employees who let their clients down.
The moral of the story here is to ensure that you treat workers fairly. If they are genuinely sick, they should be able to take time off work. However, if they are trying to game the system, you’ll need to adjust the incentives. Collect evidence that they are genuinely ill and implement a two-week quarantine to prevent them from returning until it is safe to do so.
Learn Why No-Shows Are Happening
Sometimes interview no-calls and work no-shows occur through sheer apathy. But more often, it has to do with issues on the client end.
As a recruiter, you might not be able to do much about this, but learning about it can help you better understand the problem. Here are some of the issues that might explain no-shows:
- Lack of management direction at the client end. Workers may not feel like they are getting appropriate instruction.
- The pay is too low. Candidates might have better opportunities elsewhere. It might not work in their interest to show up at the client’s site.
- Poor management. If the client firm is unable to engage and motivate workers, that could explain no-calls and no-shows.
- Poor matching. Finally, as we discussed early, you might not be matching candidates suitably to roles.
Once you have a list of reasons why candidates are not showing up, you can determine whether it is in your power to change things. Sometimes, you’ll want to advise clients on how to keep people engaged if the same issues keep cropping up again.
