The Importance of a Quality Candidate Experience

A positive candidate experience needs to be one of the most important considerations in the hiring process, from application through to offer or rejection. An otherwise positive journey can be tainted by a single misstep. Digital-first candidates demand consumer-like engagement, leaving many companies’ hiring processes feeling antiquated. Impressing these candidates with your recruitment experience  might offer a competitive advantage and limit reputational damage amongst disappointed, unsuccessful applicants. 

The importance of a good candidate experience

A candidate’s feelings following the hiring process impacts their decision to apply for future roles, or accept an offer altogether. Talent Board suggests that half of candidates that were discontent during the hiring process, said they would break off their relationship as a customer and would be unlikely to recommend the company to others. This is pertinent for consumer facing brands, who could lose disgruntled candidates as customers. A positive experience bolsters  the loyalty of current customers and heightens the chances of bringing in new ones  through trusted opinions. 

Having a successful recruitment automation process also offers companies a competitive edge when looking for top talent by identifying candidates faster and helping to reach a more diverse and broader group of people. Solutions like text or chat speed up the hiring process and drive better connections. Recruitment technology can also eliminate time-consuming tasks like interview scheduling, whilst reducing the cost-per-hire through time saving.

With Information spreading at a faster rate than ever before, it is important to ensure you are working in a way that builds your company’s reputation in the global marketplace and encourages people to come back to your business, whether as a customer or an employee.

Creating promoters with each interaction 

Every external interaction reflects on your business, including the experience candidates have during your recruitment process. 75% of candidates say that they never hear back from a company when they send an application and 22% will discourage others from applying for a job at the same company, highlighting the drastic long-term reputational consequences of a bad candidate experience.

Engaging every applicant, building a strong company culture, and simplifying your application process helps to improve candidate experience. A positive hiring experience increases employee retention considerably, saving thousands per person in employee replacement costs. If a candidate has a great experience when applying, they are more likely to accept a position and turn down other offers that they may receive. The candidate will enter  their new position with a positive view from the outset, driving engagement, increasing commitment and producing better work than those who have a poor opinion.

Candidate experience impacts nearly all aspects of your business, including revenue. It will affect how your new employee works, how others perceive your business, and how much time and money you will spend. 

An engaging and effective experience

Communication is one of the most important aspects of creating an effective candidate experience. Offering constant communication reassures candidates that their time is valued and that they will be updated on the status of their application, regardless of outcome. 

Ultimately, communication boils down to engagement, so company’s should aim for 24/7 feedback throughout the process. Whether offering access to swift answers to queries, or setting reminders of when stages of the process should be completed, candidates must be engaged along the way. It’s also important to notify those who have been unsuccessful in the hiring process, with candidates more likely to advise people against your company if they never hear back from you.  

It may seem obvious, but another consideration is the structure of your interview process. In order for people to feel comfortable and confident, they need to be aware of what to expect. Not only will this help the candidate, it will also help you make decisions quickly. This also helps avoid overlapping interview questions, and allows you to only have as many interviews as you need. 

In short, it’s vitally important to ensure you have the best possible candidate experience, as this not only shows potential employees and customers how you run your organisation, but it helps identify  the most qualified candidates. In an ever connected world, opinions and views are shared on a wider scale than ever before, and this can make or break your reputation. A few missteps here and there can make your company look disorganised, and once that opinion’s out there, it’s difficult to reverse. It’s worth remembering that just because someone may not be the right fit for your company today, this does not mean they won’t be the right fit tom