The recruitment process should be a two-way street: clients assessing skills, candidates assessing culture and opportunity. Done well, it builds trust, excitement, and long-term hires. Done poorly, it risks losing great people throughout the process and sometimes at the very last hurdle. Here’s how to make it work better for everyone involved.
Tasks in the recruitment process
Tasks can be useful, but only when handled carefully. We tend to see them most in sales and project management roles and tech competency testing – and while they can showcase ability, they can also create blockers and/or considerably delay the process, especially when candidates are juggling their current role/onsite requirements.
If you do use them, keep them later in the process, when a candidate is already invested in the role and you’re invested in the candidate. Provide clear instructions on what you’re hoping to achieve from the task: are you testing their design skills, budgets, approach, or presentation confidence? Without clarity, candidates risk under- or over-delivering, wasting everyone’s time.
Equally, respect deadlines. A two-week turnaround isn’t practical – good candidates will be off the market, alternatively giving them 24 hours’ notice isn’t fair on the candidate, will put unnecessary strain on their current role and will potentially raise question marks about the expectations of the role. In addition, avoid asking for input on live projects or pitch work; nobody wants to feel like their free ideas are being used for pitching.
Alternatives to traditional tasks
Tasks don’t always need to mean a fresh presentation. Instead, ask candidates to:
Walk through a project they’ve already delivered
Explain what worked, what didn’t, and how they’d do it differently
Talk through a hypothetical challenge and how they’d approach it
This still meets the need to assess skills but saves time and avoids duplication. It also allows candidates to demonstrate real experience, rather than spending unnecessary hours building something from scratch. Remember to keep at the forefront of your mind what you achieve from the task when setting this.
Offers: where many processes fall
You’ve found the right person – but then the offer stage lets you down. Too often we see businesses squeeze a candidate for £1,000 less than their ask. The result? A counteroffer, a rejected role, a candidate feeling undervalued and a wasted recruitment cycle.
Remember: candidates don’t want to feel like they’re fighting for their worth before they’ve even started. A strong offer shows value and sets the tone for a positive relationship. As recruiters, we manage salary expectations early and throughout the process, working with you to give you the best chance of securing talent.
Understanding client and candidate pains
Clients often fall into the trap of trying to replace that person – the one who just left – rather than thinking about the role’s scope and future potential. No two people are identical; what matters is what the new hire can bring over time. Many challenges within the recruitment process come from the expectations of trying to replace like for like.
Candidates, on the other hand, often feel pigeonholed or dismissed if they don’t match every bullet point on a job spec. Without feedback, they don’t understand what’s missing – and employers risk overlooking strong talent with transferable skills. As an agency, understanding your brief as it evolves enables us to support you with finding the most appropriate solution for your business.
Final thoughts
The best recruitment processes are structured, transparent, and human. They respect candidates’ time, set clear expectations, and ensure the process reflects the company and its values and the offer reflects the candidates skillset and experience. In return, clients get engaged hires who feel valued from day one – and candidates gain confidence that they’re joining the right business.
At Live Recruitment, we help clients refine every stage of this journey, from designing realistic tasks to managing expectations and securing talent. Because ultimately, recruitment isn’t just about filling a role – it’s about building long-term success on both sides.
Want to chat about your recruitment process? Get in touch for free guidance and advice with a member of our team hi@live-recruitment.co.uk