With the pandemic acting as a catalyst, now more than ever do we realize the impact of candidate experience. The Great Resignation has employees packing their bags and moving on to companies prioritizing work-life balance and employee wellness. Over 70% of organizations agree that candidate experience is essential to business, yet less than half believe their strategies are effective. So as we live in a candidate’s market, employers struggling to hire should improve their candidate experience.
What is the candidate experience?
The candidate experience all comes down to how job seekers view your company as a prospective employer. This experience encompasses each stage of the job-hunting journey, including but not limited to:
- Company website
- Job listings
- Application process
- Interaction with recruiters and hiring team
- Screening and interviews
- Communication about applicant status
- Onboarding and training
Whether the candidate lands the job won’t impact whether the experience was positive or not, it all boils down to whether the candidate feels respected and valued for their time and energy.
Impact of bad candidate experience
In a recent survey by CareerPlug, 57% of job seekers said they decline offers due to a negative candidate experience. By comparison, this number has gone up 8% since 2020 and will likely continue to rise. If companies don’t whip into shape, they will lose out on potential star employees in an already tough labour market.
Not only does poor candidate experience cause you to lose out on great talent, but it affects the overall brand and reputation of the company. 37% of candidates leave negative reviews online after poor candidate experiences. As we near the end of 2021, it’s basically standard at this point for job hunters to research companies on review sites like Indeed or Glassdoor. Even word of mouth
How to improve candidate experience in 7 Steps
Simplify website and application experience
Job seekers already spend hours putting together a resume and cover letter, and if faced with a complex and lengthy application, they’re most likely going to dip and move on to the next job listing. You want this process to be as smooth as possible, or you’re going to lose candidates before you even have them. Understand what questions are and aren’t necessary to include in the application. If a candidate is already submitting their resume, is it really necessary to fill out work history in a separate forum?
Check out your website to ensure it’s up to date and easily accessible. Your website shouldn’t leave candidates guessing. If a candidate has a question about the company, they should be able to find the answers quickly and efficiently.
Job description
The job description might possibly be a candidate’s first impression of the company. Make your listing clear, concise and accurate. As time moves on, the responsibilities of a position can change, and the job description should reflect this. Each time a position becomes vacant, the description should be reviewed and altered accordingly.
Candidates are now wanting to know more details about the job earlier. CareerPlug’s survey found that 39% of respondents wish for job listings to include compensation information. If your company doesn’t already do this, then this is a quick fix. Including more details allows a candidate to get a better feel for the job. In the end, it saves both the candidate’s time and yours.
Flexibility
2020 was the first time many of us experienced digital interviews and remote work. And while there might have been some initial resistance, many employees found they appreciated this option. Consider offering digital screenings and save the final interview round for meeting candidates in person. Many candidates are parents or currently have another job. Offering virtual interviews shows you value and respect their time to work with their busy schedule.
Artificial intelligence (AI)
We live in a digital age where everyone is essentially online 24/7. While you can’t have someone fielding questions at all hours of the day, you can get an AI to do it. This can create a personalized and engaging experience for candidates during their research and application process. If a candidate has a simple question, an AI-run chatbox can offer solutions almost immediately; this can aid in a swifter application process.
Practice good communication and transparency
Not every company can afford to implement AI, but all companies can afford to provide good communication. If a candidate constantly has to follow up and chase down for answers, it will not bode well in your favour. Many candidates’ frustrations come from a lack of expectations. Along with good communication should also come transparency. Be open and honest about timelines and give regular updates to candidates. Even if you reject a candidate, it’s not a bad idea to send an email or give a quick call relaying the information.
Provide feedback
According to a LinkedIn study, 94% of candidates want to hear feedback regardless of the outcome. Especially if a candidate makes it to the final round of interviews, consider offering some constructive feedback. Just because you have rejected this person doesn’t mean their experience is over. Providing feedback and staying cordial can build your talent pool. So while this candidate wasn’t right for one position, their positive experience might guide them to reapply for another.
Candidate feedback survey
You can try and try and try to improve candidate experience, but you’ll never really know if you did until you get some data. Your best bet is to hear straight from the source! Consider sending out a survey to hear back on candidates’ real-time experiences. As you garner more responses, you can continuously improve on your candidate experience.
About Live Assets | IT Staffing Solutions
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We are a small, but productive team that works closely together and has had a 96% success rate for the past number of years!
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