With the prevalence of online reviewing, job candidates are judging companies for their recruitment processes with far greater severity and with even more public posts. For this reason, companies are working harder to improve the candidate experience during hiring in the hopes of eliminating bad candidate experiences, and thus, poor reviews about their talent acquisition framework. Why is candidate experience important? The reasons are numerous, but here are some of the most important ones:

‍

1. It helps maintain a positive job-seeker relationship. A positive candidate experience is essential for maintaining trust between employers and potential employees. When candidates have a positive experience throughout the hiring process, they are more likely to remain interested in working for the employer and recommend them to others.

‍

2. It improves the pool of potential talent. A positive candidate experience promotes a healthy recruitment pipeline, which can help employers source more qualified applicants for their open roles.

‍

3. It helps build employer brand recognition and reputation. The better the candidate experience, the more likely it is that candidates will spread positive feedback about their overall experience. This can help attract more qualified talent and increase employer brand recognition and reputation.

‍

4. It drives cost savings. Poor candidate experience results in higher attrition rates, which can be costly to an organization in terms of both time and resources spent on recruiting efforts that don’t produce successful hires. A positive candidate experience helps ensure that applicants are more likely to stick with the process and eventually become successful hires, saving time and money in the long run.

‍

5. It improves employee engagement. Employees who have had a positive experience throughout the recruitment process are more likely to be engaged and committed to their job once they start working for an employer. This can help create a culture of trust and engagement within the organization.

‍

Overall, a positive candidate experience is essential for employers to attract and retain top talent in today's competitive job market. Investing the time and resources necessary to improve the candidate experience can help an organization build strong relationships with potential employees, increase brand recognition, drive cost savings, and ultimately improve employee engagement.

‍

Candidate Experience Checklist

‍

The first step in developing a candidate experience checklist for your hiring team is to consider the entire process from start to finish. First, identify what is a great candidate experience and work backward from there. From the initial job posting and applicant screening, all the way through onboarding and post-job follow-up, each part of the recruitment journey should be considered and examined. Ask questions such as: How can we ensure that each applicant receives a prompt response? How can we provide timely feedback and updates to applicants throughout the process? What kind of communication methods should we use, such as email, phone calls, or video conferencing? How will we handle any issues that arise during the recruitment process and ensure fair and consistent treatment of all candidates? Once you have identified your expectations and goals for each stage of the recruitment process, you can then create a checklist to effectively monitor and assess your candidate experience. With this list in hand, your hiring team will be able to ensure that each applicant receives an excellent recruitment experience throughout the entire process.

‍

Additionally, it's important to check in periodically with applicants at different stages of the process. This helps build trust and confidence in your hiring team, as well as ensure that any issues or concerns are addressed quickly. By developing a checklist and regularly monitoring each applicant's experience, you can ensure that all candidates receive the same high-quality recruitment journey. In this way, you can attract the best talent to your organization and create an enjoyable and successful recruitment process.

‍

Finally, be sure to solicit feedback from applicants at the end of their recruitment journey. This is an excellent way to gain insight into the effectiveness of your hiring process and make adjustments as needed. It's important to remember that a positive candidate experience is essential for successful recruitment and retention efforts, so it's important to put in the time and effort to ensure that each applicant has a first-rate experience. With an effective candidate experience checklist, your hiring team can stay on top of the recruitment process and ensure that all applicants receive exceptional service every step of the way.

‍

Best In Class Candidate Experience

‍

If you want your company to be known for providing positive experiences to candidates and team members, it is important to make the effort to provide best-in-class candidate experiences from start to finish. While someone who is employed by a company and happy may actually never review their position on any hiring websites, candidates who have negative hiring experiences almost always will. Employers are often frustrated that the most negative reviews remain public for a long time, but the best way to combat the problem is to ensure that the experience improves. 

‍

To improve the candidate experience in the interview process, it is important to ensure that the hiring team is aware of and adheres to best practices. This includes communicating clearly with candidates prior to and throughout the interview process, providing a detailed overview of expectations, having a structured timeline for communication and decisions, setting up an environment conducive to interviewing (with the necessary technology, seating arrangements, etc.), and allowing ample time for questions. Additionally, providing timely feedback on the status of the application can help to reduce anxiety and frustration as candidates wait to hear back from recruiters. Lastly, offering personalized follow-up messages to every candidate is an important gesture that shows respect for the individual’s time and effort. All of these steps can help to create a positive and memorable experience for candidates, which can be instrumental in cultivating strong relationships with future talent. 

‍

Now that you have a greater understanding of which things constitute a positive or negative experience in the workplace, you will be better able to consider how you might create a more positive candidate experience throughout your hiring process. 

‍

How To Create A Positive Candidate Experience

‍

The recruitment process is an important step in the candidate experience, and creating a positive experience can help attract quality candidates. Here are a few tips to create a positive candidate experience during the recruitment process:

‍

1) Have clear and concise communications with candidates throughout the entire recruitment process. Make sure that job postings include accurate descriptions of qualifications and expectations, and that every applicant is given prompt responses when they apply.

‍

2) Provide a personalized experience during the recruitment process to make sure that candidates feel respected and valued. This can include sending out emails with tailored messages or following up with an individual phone call after receiving their application to let the candidate know it was received and appreciated.

‍

3) Make sure to provide thorough feedback and updates to candidates throughout the recruitment process. This will ensure that the candidate feels informed and engaged, even if they are not ultimately selected for the position.

‍

4) Allow flexibility in scheduling interviews so that candidates can work around their existing commitments. Consider offering different avenues of communication for applicants, such as phone calls or video conferencing for those who cannot make it in person.

‍

5) Show appreciation to the candidates for taking time out of their day to apply and participate in the recruitment process. This can include a simple thank you email at the end of the process or even small gestures such as sending swag items with the job offer letter.

‍

By following these tips, employers can ensure that their recruitment process is as positive and engaging as possible for all of their candidates. Doing so will help create a better overall experience and make sure that potential applicants are more likely to apply again in the future.

‍

Candidate Experience Examples

‍

Providing a positive candidate experience is not as difficult as it may at first seem. It can be very easy to simply add a few steps to your current recruitment process, and very worthwhile since this additional thoughtfulness shows candidates that you are a caring company with the comfort of your people at the forefront of your mind. Making a few changes can be the difference between bad reviews of your recruitment process and a happy and well-satisfied team of employees. Your positive additions can take what is an ordinary candidate experience in recruitment and turn it into something memorable and satisfying for all. 

‍

Positive candidate experience examples can include the following simple additions:

‍

• Sending a follow-up email or call to thank candidates for their time after an interview
• Providing feedback to each candidate who has been interviewed, even if they are unsuccessful in securing the role
• Scheduling interviews at times that are convenient for candidates
• Offering snacks, beverages and / or a tour of the office to create an enjoyable interviewing experience
• Ensuring interviewers are fully prepared for each candidate - conducting research about their background, interests, and qualifications prior to the meeting
• Providing clear communication throughout the recruitment process, from job advertisements to offering feedback on interviews.

‍

If you use interview intelligence software, like Pillar’s, to conduct your interviews, you can also add in little reminders about these things throughout your interview process. Make a note to be kind, communicative, thorough, and thoughtful, and your efforts will not go unnoticed by your candidates!

‍