A candidate's experience interviewing with your company will give them a solid indicator if they're making a good decision to join your company, or if they're not. This is why it's vital that you make sure and create a positive candidate experience for job seekers so that they may apply for your open roles. The goal should be to make the recruitment process as simple and efficient as possible while also providing top-tier customer service from start to finish of the process.

Why is Candidate Experience (CX) important:

A great candidate experience can help attract more qualified job applicants, increase the likelihood of a successful hire, and build your organization's reputation as an employer of choice. It is also essential to create a positive experience for current candidates in order to secure them for future roles when needed. Additionally, by providing an outstanding candidate experience—one that starts with a well-crafted job posting and continues through the final stages of onboarding—you can ensure that your current employees stay engaged and loyal to the organization.

One of the best places to begin is putting together a Candidate Experience Checklist.

To create a positive candidate experience, the following items should be taken into consideration when creating your recruitment process:

- Develop a recruitment plan with clear timeline goals for each stage in the process.
- Make sure job postings are comprehensive and communicate the job requirements and company culture accurately.
- Streamline communication so that candidates know when to expect updates or feedback from recruiters during each stage of the process.
- Develop a recruiting system to track and manage applicants through the process.
- Establish diversity programs to ensure that all qualified candidates have an equal chance at success.
- Utilize employee referrals to source additional qualified candidates.
- Utilize technology and automated processes to improve the efficiency of the recruitment process.
- Schedule phone, video, or in-person interviews with potential candidates utilizing interview intelligence software to gather vital candidate insights.
- Incorporate a post-interview survey so that you can get feedback from applicants on the overall candidate experience.
- Offer competitive benefits that are competitive in today's job market.
- Obtain feedback from current and former employees to assess the overall candidate experience.
- Follow up with candidates after they have completed the recruitment process to keep them informed on their status.

Candidate Statistics in 2023 show that companies who took account of these factors and implemented strategies to help create a better CX saw more qualified candidates for open roles.

‍Best Candidate Experience Examples‍

The best candidate experience examples start all the way back with the job posting. You'll want to make sure that you post your jobs in detailed yet concise ways, highlighting what makes the job unique and what sets it apart from other positions. Once candidates apply for the role, make sure that they receive an automated response confirming their application.

From there, be sure to communicate regularly with applicants throughout the process — even small updates like confirming a meeting time or informing them of the status of their application can make an immense difference in their experience.

Bad candidate experiences can cost your company both money and time, especially if there are negative reviews of the recruitment process on social media or job sites. Poor communication, a lack of transparency in the process, and long delays between steps are all common complaints from candidates who had poor experiences.

To help prevent these situations, it’s important to stay organized and on top of the recruitment process. Make sure to have a clear timeline for each step in the process, provide regular updates to applicants, and address any issues that arise in a timely manner. Doing so will ensure that your team is providing an excellent candidate experience — one that will keep them coming back for future open roles.

At the end of the day, candidate experience is essential to success in recruitment. Investing time and resources into creating a positive experience will not only help you attract more qualified candidates but also help build your reputation as an employer of choice. By following some best practices and taking into account the factors above, you'll be able to attract top talent to your organization.

Good Candidate Experience

So let's take a look at a good candidate's experience from beginning to end. Candidate experiences in the recruitment process start all the way back to your job posting. Your job posting should be detailed yet concise, highlighting what makes the job unique and what sets it apart from other positions. Once candidates apply for the role, make sure they receive an automated response confirming their application.

Why is the Candidate's Experience Important?

Once the candidate has completed their application and received confirmation, the next step is to schedule them for an interview. Prompt interview scheduling is key here. If you wait days to get back to them, there's a good chance that they've found a better opportunity elsewhere.

Next, preparing for the interviews. Interviews can be virtual or in-person today, and there are positives and negatives to both, so make sure to keep the candidate experience in mind no matter which type you choose. Make sure that the team is well-prepared with questions, and provide clear instructions on how to join if it's a virtual meeting.

During the interview process, it's important to make sure your candidate is comfortable and that they have all of their questions answered. Communication should be prompt and courteous throughout each stage of the process. Make sure you understand their needs and requirements for the job, as well as how they might contribute to the team in the future.

Finally, make sure your follow-up is swift and provides clarity on the next steps. Whether it's a rejection or an offer, applicants should always receive a prompt response so that they know what to expect, and can move forward with their job search if need be.

Candidate Experience in the Recruitment Process:

A great way to ensure you are providing an excellent candidate experience is by hiring a Candidate Experience Manager (CEM). The CEM is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the candidate experience from job postings and communications to interviewing processes.

Your CEM should be a dedicated team member who will manage all things related to creating an exceptional recruitment process - especially candidate experience metrics. Their role is to ensure that every aspect of the recruitment process is communicated clearly and in a timely manner. They also help provide applicants with resources they may need throughout their journey such as tips on resume writing, interview preparation, and more.

Your CEM should also be responsible for tracking and managing metrics associated with the recruitment process. These metrics will provide you with valuable insights into how your recruitment process is being perceived by candidates. It can also help you identify areas that need improvement in order to make sure your team is providing an exceptional candidate experience.

Candidate Experience Statistics

Poor candidate experiences reflect badly on the entire organization, but just how badly? Candidate experience statistics show that a candidate who has a negative experience is likely to spread the word about their experience, and this can have a direct negative impact on an organization.

In fact, recent research shows that nearly 70% of candidates who have had bad experiences will share it with others, and more than half of those people will report it in a public forum such as online job boards or social media. That means all of your potential customers, partners, and future employees are being exposed to these negative reviews.

On the other hand, there is evidence that candidates who have a positive recruitment experience are much more likely to refer their friends and family for jobs at the same company. A study by LinkedIn found that nearly 80% of candidates would recommend a company with an excellent candidate experience to others.

Interview statistics follow a similar trajectory. Candidate interview experiences that are clear, consistent, and focused on the candidate will leave a positive impression and can result in higher engagement rates. That’s why it's important to ensure your team is well-prepared for interviews and that the process runs smoothly and efficiently.

Overall, investing in a great recruitment process with an excellent candidate experience pays off in the long run as it can have a direct impact on your success. By improving the candidate experience you will be able to bring in more qualified and engaged employees, as well as build a positive reputation for your business. The key is to focus on creating an enjoyable and seamless process from start to finish.

If you'd like to see how Pillar is helping companies hire better by creating happier candidates, schedule your demo to chat with someone on our team. We'd love to show you how our interview intelligence software can power great candidate experiences!