Improving the candidate experience has a huge impact on your brand.
So why is it so often ignored?
If you’re having trouble attracting the best talent or your hiring process isn’t as smooth as you like, it may be time to take a step back and think how exactly you can go about improving it! Candidates, that have smooth experience throughout the recruitment process can have a huge impact on your brand, want to know how?
Jibe conducted some interesting market research into candidate’s thoughts whilst interviewing.
- 69% of candidates want to hear about the position’s responsibilities when job searching
- 83% of professionals say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role
- 59% of professionals want to hear from consultants whenever they have an update
- 94% of professionals want interview feedback when they are rejected
- Only 41% of professionals hear interview feedback when they are rejected
What can I do to improve the candidate experience?
#1. Communication
Throughout the interview process, it’s important that you are keeping your candidate in the loop every step of the way. If they’ve been rejected from an interview, offering feedback can help improve your brand reputation. Being proactive and informing each candidate will help them understand what stage they are at in the recruitment process. CareerBuilder surveyed candidates in order to establish what they wanted to see from recruiters, they found that 34% of respondents wanted better communication!
Job searching is an extremely long and stressful experience for candidates and nobody wants to be rejected from a role they want! Receiving that dreaded “no” is one of the worse things that can happen to candidates! However, not providing feedback is even worse! The Jibe survey showed only 41% of candidates receive feedback when they are rejected. Most candidates would have put a lot of preparation and stress into that interview, we as recruiters should be giving them feedback on where they went wrong and help them improve going forward.
I completely appreciate that there are only so many hours in the day, but taking the time to communicate will set your service apart from the rest.
#2. Application Length
When candidates are applying for your roles, how long does it take them to fill out your application form? Is your site mobile friendly? A lot of job seekers are now using mobile phones to apply for jobs. You need to ensure that their application process is easy and as pain-free as possible. Allow candidates to apply through LinkedIn or upload their own CV, this can save them precious time in the application process!
#3. Think names not numbers
Within the recruitment process, you can have hundreds of applicants just to one role, but your auto responses need to feel more personal, try and include links to blogs, company updates and events coming up. Candidates want to feel like they are a face rather than a statistic.
#4. Candidate Experience Feedback
If an applicant gets the job or not, it could be worth following up with them after the recruitment process is finished for feedback on how they found the experience working with you. This is valuable information!! You can ensure that you are constantly tweaking and improving your recruitment process in order to improve the candidate experience for the next time!
If a candidate did fall short in the recruitment process, then thank them for their time and efforts. You should offer to stay in touch and help them network in order reach other potential opportunities. This can be a great way to generate referrals!
#5. Post-Hire Follow Up
Congratulations, you’ve managed to secure a cracking candidate into a role! However, your work isn’t finished yet. Ensure that the candidate is comfortable with resigning and it’s imperative that you check in with the candidate throughout their notice period. Drinks with the team or just a coffee or a chat on the phone can really solidify the candidate’s choice to move and prevent any wobbles.
Why should I be implementing these tips?
Whether or not an applicant gets a job, they might be talking about you to co-workers, friends and on social media! If they’ve had a poor experience with your service, they might write negative reviews and posts on social media, which could put off other potential applicants.
Ultimately, it’s always worth taking the time to adapt and improve your recruitment process – It’s the only way you’ll continually attract the best people!
***
Are you an EA, PA, or business support professional looking to take your career to the next level? Executive Partnerships can help. We’re a specialist recruitment agency working with leading companies and organisations to connect them with talented staff. Learn more at www.executivepartnerships.co.uk.
