March 14, 2016
Did you know 42% of job applicants who had a negative candidate experience say they would never apply to that company again? And that’s not all. 78% say they would share their bad candidate experience with their network. 34% of candidates would even publicly share their negative experience on social media for the entire world to see.
If you do it right, a positive candidate experience may be the differentiator for top talent to choose your company over your competitors. Even unsuccessful candidates may become your biggest advocates and continue to engage with your brand and encourage their family and friends to apply. Get it wrong, you may lose out on qualified candidates and find a not-so-glowing review on your Glassdoor or Indeed company page, and elsewhere.
So what does a great candidate experience look like? And where do you start? Here are 5 tips on how to create a positive candidate experience your applicants will love.
1. Step Into Your Candidate’s Shoes
When was the last time you tried applying to jobs at your own company? If it's been a while, do it! You should do this often and from multiple places (career site, job boards you post to, etc). It’s the easiest way for you to understand the current process candidates go through when applying for a job. Ask yourself how you feel about the experience when you finish your application: Was the process easy and intuitive? Was it quick? Are the screening questions relevant to the role?
According to the 2021 Candidate Experience Research report from Talent Board, which surveyed more than 130,000 candidates who applied to over 200 companies, more than half of all respondents rated the overall application process as only one to three stars out of five. Candidates felt the average process was too complicated, and they didn’t get an opportunity to showcase their experience and skills.
When asked in the report if they felt the overall assessment process (written tests, simulated job tasks, etc.) was fair, candidates who rated their experience 4 and 5 stars were 51% more likely to apply again.
No candidate wants to spend hours completing an online application filling in information you can easily get from their resume. They want to be able to quickly apply and share information that is relevant to the role, rather than simply completing a general form or background screen. In fact, 54% of candidates said it took less than 15 minutes to apply and receive a confirmation, down from 2020.
And make sure your career site and job posts are equipped for mobile or you’re already far behind your competitors:. Of the 57,000 candidates were surveyed about the application process, 26% of candidates applied via mobile device, while 96% of employers said they offered mobile apply. Just like customers who shop online, the Talent Board found that candidates want to be able to get insight into how much more time or steps they have left to complete their application. These are capabilities you want to consider when talking with your current or potential technology vendor.
2. Offer More Transparent Communication
Candidates want more than a simple automated “thank you” email after completing their application. Nearly half of all candidates surveyed never received any update on the status of their application, or why they were asked gender, race or ethnicity-related questions during the application process.
Differentiate your company from competitors by offering more transparency and guidance before, during and after the application. In the 2021 Candidate Experience Research report, 29% of candidates said they received a reminder about next steps when they applied, and 36% of candidates said they were able to view a progress indicator showing percentage completed.
When candidates apply, it’s a good practice to explain your timeline and when they can expect to hear back on next steps. If they’re not shortlisted to move forward in the process, communicate that to candidates as soon as you can so they can move on to other opportunities.
3. Give And Ask For Feedback
The 2021 Candidate Experience Research report found that most companies are being more communicative with candidates. While 23% of North American candidates reported that they had not heard back from employers two months after they applied, that number is actually down 30% from 2020 -- a good sign.
Most candidates want more information after they’ve applied for a role. If they’re not selected to move forward in the hiring process, they want to know why. If they have additional opportunities to pursue in their search, they want to be informed of those options. It’s important to note that the point of application is a very limited experience for most candidates. It’s mostly automated, and even though organizations control the tech dials at this stage, there isn’t much, if any, human interaction. Timely and personable communications are still key.
Text messaging has become a quick and easy way for recruiters and organizations to communicate with candidates, increasing a whopping 380% since 2018, with more top-rated companies investing in this type of communication.
Whether you’re a recruiter or hiring manager, try to provide a satisfying explanation as to why candidates aren’t selected. They’ve invested time and energy in their application and interview with you, and they deserve to have some level of communication and valuable feedback from you.
This is also the perfect opportunity to ask applicants about their interview to help improve your candidate experience. Unfortunately, this is a missed opportunity for many organizations. Candidates at top-rated organizations asked for feedback 25% more often than the average for all companies. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of candidates applying again. These companies also tell candidates how to learn about their application status 16% more often.
By providing and asking for feedback, you also keep the lines of communication open. Just because the candidate wasn’t the right fit for a role, it doesn’t mean they won’t be for another role in the future. With 60% of candidates receiving no feedback after being rejected during the screening and interviewing stage, this drastically decreases the likelihood of the candidate applying again. If you start nurturing potential leads early on, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect hire when you have a new opening. When candidates were asked for screen/interview feedback, there was a 93% increase in a great candidate experience and willingness to increase the relationship.
4. Prepare For Interviews
According to the 2021 Candidate Experience Research report, the candidate experience improves greatly if companies prepare candidates for their interviews. When recruiters and HR explain what would happen next after the screening/interview and followed up as indicated, candidates likelihood of referring others increased by 68%.
A great candidate experience means better communication and information throughout the interview process. Be as transparent and honest as you can about what candidates can expect. For example, what types of interviews will be conducted (i.e. panel, sequential)? Who will candidates be meeting, and for how long? How do candidates get to the office and how will they access the building?
In 2021, 32% of North American candidates reportedly received no preparation before the interview, whereas 46% of 2021 North American candidates indicated that the recruiter explained what would happen next and followed up as indicated, which is critical to a positive candidate experience. Having a standard interview package for candidates can go a long way in helping them prepare ahead of time.
Interview preparation also goes both ways. Hiring managers expect candidates to come in fully prepared for their interviews, but surprisingly many hiring managers themselves are not prepared for them. The 2021 Candidate Experience Research report found that many organizations do not even have a standard interview approach, and many recruiters and hiring managers are not trained on how to conduct a good interview.
At the very minimum, hiring managers should review a candidate’s resume before the interview and prepare relevant questions related to the role and the candidate’s skills and experience. As well, hiring managers should be prepared to promote their brands and showcase what makes their companies unique.
The interview is an opportunity for you to impress your candidates. So even if they don’t get the job offer, candidates are still excited about the idea of working for your company and are not left feeling sour about your brand. Preparation can be a huge factor in good word-of-mouth about your company. A candidates’ willingness to refer others was 78% higher when they’re provided with information on their job fit and candidacy status at the end of the interview day.
5. Offer An Engaging Onboarding Experience
Think your candidate experience stops after an offer is sent out? Not quite. Between the time a candidate accepts the offer and starts their first day, there is a great opportunity to provide an unforgettable experience to continue to impress your new hire and engage with your employer brand. When onboarding goes well, the benefits directly impact organizational success. When onboarding goes badly, employee morale and retention are at risk.
In fact, don’t forget to ask for feedback as part of the onboarding process. 26% of candidates said they were asked for feedback prior to their start date, and these candidates were 91% more willing to increase their relationship out of the gate. This is a great opportunity to glean insight that may help improve retention in the long run.
There should also be more than one touch point between you and your new hire once the offer is accepted. Communicate and share updates frequently. Make sure your new hires complete all appropriate paperwork before they officially start, so they don’t spend their first day filling out forms when they could be doing something more meaningful and exciting, like meeting their coworkers. Even a simple email to let your new hires know that their laptop and desk are set up can be extremely powerful and add a personal touch to your candidate experience.
Lever, for example, offers new hires a very unique experience after they accept an offer. The hiring manager announces the new hire and the company gathers to create a fun GIF as a “welcome” gift. Then the hiring manager cc’s the entire team with the GIF sent to the new hire, and all employees add their personal welcomes with more GIFs.
As you can see, an engaging onboarding experience doesn’t have to break your bank to work. The key lies in proactive communication and planning that showcase your company culture and your excitement about them joining your company.
The candidate experience is an evolving process, one that requires ongoing feedback from your candidates to continually build a better experience. By taking these five steps, you can start creating the candidate experience your candidates will love, and one that your competitors will envy.
What other strategies are you using to deliver a great candidate experience? I’d love to hear your ideas so please share them below!
Not sure what strategies or technologies you should be using to improve your candidate experience? Contact us here and let’s chat about how we can help improve your recruiting results.
