8 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Candidate Experience
More than two-thirds of job seekers report having at least one bad experience as job applicants, and over half state that they turned down jobs because of poor candidate experience.
Candidate experience is how candidates feel about your company and the hiring process. It includes all aspects of the hiring process and interactions between the candidate and your company, from the early stages of job application, review and interview, and hiring and onboarding.
Attracting the best quality talent in the current competitive job market means fostering excellent candidate experience. So, what is a great candidate experience? How can you improve your company’s hiring process? Read on for eight things you can do to improve the candidate experience for your company.
1. Start with a Quality Job Posting
The job posting is the most crucial piece of your recruitment process. Most prospective candidates will go through hundreds of job listings in their job search, so catching the interest of the right candidate is crucial.
A great job description should be:
- Short
- Clear
- Accurate
- Easy to read
It also includes all the essential information about the position, including salary range, benefits, perks, and the company’s values.
2. Make It Easy to Apply
Ensure that the career page on your company’s website is to find and use. If your career page is difficult to find, many good candidates will be discouraged and fail to apply. Optimizing your site to make applying easier will also show candidates that you want them to have a great experience applying. That leaves them with a positive impression of your company values and culture.
3. Fair and Transparent Process
Keep the hiring focused on experience and qualifications. Advanced software tools are available to help recruiters review candidates based only on their ability to do the job and no other factors. Also, ensure your HR and recruiting teams are focused on reducing any bias when interviewing candidates.
4. Consistent, Clear Communication
More than 80% of job seekers maintain that lack of communication is one of the main problems for prospective job candidates. The best way to avoid communication breakdowns through the recruitment process is by starting with a strict communication policy.
Ensure that candidates are updated on the status of their application at least once a week, and make sure that disqualified candidates are contacted as soon as possible. Also, ensure all candidates are reached when the position is filled, and remember to thank them for applying.
5. Constructive Feedback
Feedback helps us improve, so be prepared to provide rejected job applicants with constructive notes on their interviews and resume. According to LinkedIn, 94% of job applicants would like to know why they weren’t selected and how they could improve as they continue their job search.
While delivering constructive feedback, it is an ideal time to foster a positive relationship with the rejected applicant. They may not have been the right fit for the job, but your consideration and kindness may mean they consider your company down the road for other potential positions.
And while we’re talking about feedback, it is essential to get feedback on your recruiting process. The best way to gauge what you need to do as a manager to improve your candidate experience comes from candidate feedback.
6. Your Interview Process
You’ve filtered through the applicants and settled on the candidates that have the qualities and skills you’re looking for to fill the position. Before you proceed to the interviews, though, take a moment and look at the interview process you have and whether it could be improved.
Interview questions do not fit every candidate, so using the same questions in each interview will not work. Take time to formulate questions that work for each candidate. Ask yourself:
- What would I like to learn about the candidate?
- What questions will tell me if they’re a good fit for the position?
- What do I want them to know about the company?
Your interview process should also have steps and principles that guide it. For example, an early screening process for applicants can evaluate their skills, experience, personality, etc. If the candidate meets those requirements, they can advance to meeting hiring managers or an executive team member.
7. Be Clear About Your Hiring Process
From the beginning, make sure that candidates understand your hiring process. This includes all the steps, what will be required during those steps, and how long the entire process will take if they get through to the final hiring stage.
Starting a new job can be a significant change for a new hire. They may need to relocate to accept the job, and time must be allowed for the proper procedure if they leave a current employer to work for you.
8. Keep in Touch
Whether your candidate gets an offer or not, whether they accept an offer, the entire hiring process can be difficult and stressful. Keep in touch with all candidates to foster positive connections.
We Can Help You Improve Your Candidate Experience
These are just some of the top strategies you can use to improve your candidate experience during the hiring process. Creating a smooth, positive experience for job applicants builds the company brand and creates a legacy of positive feelings and respect among the job community.
Want to learn more about how to improve your candidate experience? Contact Vector Talent today!