There have been a lot of blogs recently discussing candidate experience, and there are many reasons as to why this has become so important in today’s world. First and foremost, we are living in a candidate’s market. Candidates have their pick of where they want to go, what job they want to do, and even what lifestyle they would like to incorporate. Secondly, people are much more vocal with feedback. We review everything from hotels, restaurants, the latest video games to credit cards, interview experiences and employer benefits. It is more important now than ever to create an experience that matters to candidates.
When candidates are interviewing, there are three things that they will usually research. 1. The company website (careers page), 2. Company brand (is this somewhere they want to be a part of?), and 3. People within the company (do they want to work with these people).
The first step a candidate comes across is the application process, and this is a big one. Typically, a candidate would go to your website, click on the careers portal and apply to a role. A question to ask yourself is - does your application process match your brand? If you have a tech focused startup, does your application system reflect this? Time and time again we see companies with large database applicant tracking systems looking for candidates to answer multiple questions just to get their resume in front of a recruiter. In a candidate driven environment this is the first flag for a candidate. Make it easy and straightforward for them to apply and you’ll see an increase in the number applicants and a decrease in the amount of application drop offs.
Following this, and keeping in mind that candidates would like things to be clean and simple, there should be a clear outline to the applicant about next steps. Does your company have a three step interview process? Will there be an online developer coding test? Often candidates just want to know where they stand so that they can make decisions. It is helpful even if a recruiter explains this on the first call or if there is a “thank you for applying” email that includes what they should expect in the process.
Lastly, it is key that the interviewers are all on the same page. Each interviewer must be trained properly not only to be able to ask the right questions but to explain the company’s values and represent the firm in the best way possible. Someone that can provide insight and perhaps has a similar background to the candidate is best. If the candidate is not a right fit for your open position; maybe explain with a little detail why - it helps to be the head of recruitment and not the head of rejection.
