In this week’s blog we will focus on how recruiters (or future employers) can create a great candidate experience. What is candidate experience? In its most simple definition, it is how job seekers see your brand throughout the hiring process –from job description, interview through to final offer. Is the process easy and comfortable? Or is it difficult and frustrating? Their experience will not only inform whether or not they take the job, but also how they portray the company to their network of other prospective talent.
What are the biggest mistakes when recruiting? How to improve the recruitment process? If you want to find out then keep on reading.
- Time We all know that hiring new talent is a time-consuming and costly process, but you need to make the effort and be as responsive as possible. This is because the demand is higher than the supply. In other words, there is a shortage of talent on the market and candidates expect better treatment if a company wants them on board.55% of candidates will give up on a position if they don’t hear back from the company after two weeks of applying. It’s simple – there are lots of opportunities and jobs to apply to, and if you’re taking too long, the candidates will go to an employer that appreciates their time moreThere are plenty of ways to cut down on your time to hire, but the first step is to analyse your current processes and find out the biggest time drains, so remember time is precious for both you and the candidate!
- Application process60% of job seekers have quit an application in the middle due to its length or complexity. A lengthy application process weeds out the candidates who aren’t as invested in or committed to working at your company. But top candidates have plenty of choices, and they won’t jump through hoops just to apply.Do you know what your application process is like? Try going through it as if you’re a candidate. See how long it takes, and if you’re asking questions that you could easily find out later. A good idea would be to add a simple and relevant question whenever someone applies for your job e.g. Do you have your own transport? This will be a quicker way for you to shortlist candidates.
- Communication
At the center of providing a great candidate experience is good communication. In surveys, candidates rated communication as the number one way to engage talent. For example, significant numbers of respondents reported that:
- Not receiving a basic application confirmation email created a bad experience.
- If they did receive an email, the communication was weak and inconsistent.
So how can you up your communication game? The best recruiters provide candidates with consistent communication – whether the news is good or bad. What you might do is create a well-written confirmation and follow-up emails so applicants remain interested in your company, regardless of the outcome of their application.
Finally, remember that a candidate experience shouldn’t end the moment they become an employee. Provide new hires with resources to succeed on the job. Your current staff can help with referring other applicants, which can increase your talent pool.
