Here's How to Create the Best Candidate Experience

What is the Candidate Experience?

Candidate experience is how job candidates perceive an employers’ sourcing, recruiting, interviewing, hiring and onboarding processes.

Candidate experience includes every interaction a job candidate has with your organisation and brand during the hiring process and how they experience and respond to those interactions.

Job candidates assess the attractiveness of your employer brand and as a potential employer at every step of the hiring process, from job ads to responses to applications, the company website to social media presence, and interviews to on-boarding

Why is it important?

Job candidates see their overall experience as a glimpse into working for the company, which is one of the main reasons as to why companies are investing more time and resources into candidate experience.

With access to millions of people around the world through social media and the internet, one negative review of your candidate experience could tarnish a potential candidate's interest. Job review sites have expanded the reach of candidate experiences, allowing job seekers to share their experience faster than ever.

What happens if a job candidate has a positive experience? There's potential for more referrals, more applicants, cutting costs and increasing revenue.

Candidate experience is important for your future recruitment campaigns.

The Seven Main Components of Candidate Experience

1. Job search

The first interaction your organisation will have with a job candidate can be through social be media or job advertisements. With the right job searching platform, you can save your candidate's time and effort in searching for your job advertisement by making your open positions more discoverable. This is the first step in the best candidate experience journey.

2. Job application

It is also important that you provide clear and concise instructions to candidates who are applying for your open positions. This is especially important when you post your job advertisements on job boards, as you are competing with hundreds of other employers. So, make sure the job description and application instructions are perfect.

3. Communication

One of the most frustrating experience for candidates is the lack of communication from the organisation once they have applied for a job. As an employer, it is wise to respond to applications even if the candidate is far from suitable. A simple and friendly rejection message would suffice.

4. Feedback

If a job candidate has been shortlisted by an employer, regular status updates will keep them engaged in your hiring process. It could be an automated message telling them of the next steps or a call by the HR informing them of the shortlist. Remember, communication is key when it comes to the recruiting process.

5. Interview

The best way to really get to know your job candidates and evaluate whether they'll be the right person for the job is through an interview. It's also a chance for the candidate to familiarise themselves with the organisation.

A positive interview experience is crucial in convincing candidates to join your company. Speed is of the essence in job interviews as candidates are feedback-hungry after the interview process. Inform the candidates of your interview process in advance and give them an idea of what to expect.

6. Onboarding

Onboarding is the last candidate experience touchpoint. The first day is the most memorable day for the successful candidate. Onboarding is your chance to deliver on all the promises made during the hiring process.

7. Analysis

Now that all is said and done, it's time to review the hiring process from the beginning. If there's space for improvements, take note of it and find ways to make it better so the future candidates would love to join your organisation.

Keep the job candidate updated with your hiring process so they will not think you've abandoned them.

Five Signs of Bad Candidate Experience

1) Treating the candidate as if they won't find a better employer

The best candidates will always have options. Unless the employer does their best to make the candidate feel that way, no candidate in a competitive market is going to return from an interview thinking the company is their corporate soul mate.

They’ll just move on and find another fish in the sea.

2) Treating the candidate as if the employer is the only one recruiting them

If an employer thinks a candidate is perfect, there is no doubt another employer thinks the same. Another great recruiter will find them if they haven’t already.

Remember that your company needs to fill the role, but most top candidates are getting new job offers every day.

3) Not valuing the candidate's time

Keep in mind what you’re asking of your candidates. Unless they’re between positions they have their own job to do.

It should be expected to take time to step out for a phone screen and a couple of interviews. Most job candidates are eager to be flexible to the recruiter's scheduling needs too. But don't demand too much of their time, or they will walk away.

4) Not selling the candidate on the job and the organisation

Sometimes, employers forget that it's not just about a candidate trying their best to convince that they're the right candidate. Employers should also convince the candidate that they are the right organisation for the candidate.

If the candidate is the only one doing the talking, employers are missing out on a big chance to share their experience and passion to make the candidate more invested and excited about the role and the organisation.

5) No transparency

There might be a delay in the hiring process from the employer's end, but the candidate deserves to hear from the employer. Explain to them why the candidate has not received any decision from the employer.

Transparency isn’t just necessary at the final stages, but at every step along the way. If a candidate stops hearing from the employer, they are going to assume the employer is no longer interested, and they will move on.

When it comes to providing a positive candidate experience, companies should gain the trust and loyalty of job candidates who may become ambassadors for their company and help strengthen the employer brand.

With a strong employer brand, the company can distinguish itself as job seekers’ employer of choice in its industry.

Arm your organisation with the best employees. How? By hiring with us. Register at AJobThing.com to schedule your free consultation.

Sources: HR Technologist, ClearCompany, & OpenView