Managing the candidate experience from start to finish in recruitment

Observations and lessons learnt

https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/candidate-experience

“Candidates need to feel like their case has been heard and their skills
and capabilities recognised”

1. Write a clear job description

A recent Talent Board report found that job descriptions are the most important job-
related content that candidates look for when researching a job. So what are they looking
for? What makes job seekers want to apply?

They want a clear and accurate explanation of the job and responsibilities, not a laundry
list of your requirements. They also want to know about the salary range, perks and
benefits and company values. And they want all the information in an easy to read format.

PRO TIP: Writing a job description that attracts candidates is the very first step in finding,
attracting and hiring the right candidate.
To help you save time, we have created free most common job descriptions templates and
samples, ready to use and post to multiple job boards with just one click

Be transparent about your recruiting process

Setting expectations about the recruitment process is very important in delivering a

positive candidate experience. According to research, 83% of candidates say it would
greatly improve their overall experience if employers could set expectations about the
recruiting process.

Knowing what they’re up for can ease candidates’ self-doubt, nervousness and confusion.
They will feel less stressed and more valued by your company.

PRO TIP: It is crucial for you to make clear what exactly your hiring process will look like.
Did you state clearly the steps of the application process? How long will each step take? Is
there someone they can ask about it?
3. Improve your career site

According to research, 89% of job seekers, your career site is the most visited recruiting
asset you have, so ensuring candidates can easily find the information they need is
essential to a great experience.

After hearing about the job, they don’t apply right away. Instead, they look up your
company’s website. Use that chance to turn your career site into a one-stop shop that
provides answers to all the questions candidate may have. Make sure you deliver useful,
relevant and informational content to the candidates.

Enable easy application process

Research shows that the typical candidate spends about 3 to 4 hours preparing and
submitting one job application. It’s hardly surprising then, that 60 percent of job seekers
quit in the middle of filling out online job applications because of their length or
complexity.

This is especially true of A-players and passive candidates who are somewhat interested
but not really sure they want to change jobs. A lengthy application convinces them it is not
worth the effort. Also, lengthy application processes make the candidates experience much
poorer.

Respect candidates’ time

Candidates want the hiring process to be brief and they want timely
communication from employer’s side.

When candidates choose to apply for your job opening, they are spending time researching,
preparing their resume, applying, interviewing and traveling.

According to LinkedIn’s survey, it generally takes 2 to 3 months for candidates to move

from application to hire. This is quite problematic because top talent stays on market only
for 10 days.
In today’s candidate-driven job market candidates have a lot of opportunities, especially
those with in-demand skills. The more time you take, the more competitive offers they’ll
see.

PRO TIP: A candidate is more likely to take the first of two equal offers because the risk of
losing both feels worse than the benefit of getting both. A job offer now is worth two in the
future, so don’t wait to respond.

What constitutes a timely response by employers? This a recurring theme in the

recruitment experience. Most of the candidates say that 3 to 5 business days is an
acceptable time frame.

6. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Research shows that the No.1 frustration during the overall job search is the lack of
response from employers.

Also, an overwhelming 81% of candidates that the one main thing that would greatly
improve their overall candidate experience is employers continuously
communicating status updates to them.

Candidates hate to be left out in the dark, so make sure to communicate with your
candidates regularly and on time.

PRO TIP: Create email campaigns that will keep your candidates interested and engaged.
Set up personalized campaigns based on different stages of recruiting and hiring process.

With our TalentLfyt Engage, you can create your own email templates, or use existing ones
to save time.

Timely and engaging communication with candidates doesn’t have to be as hard and
time-consuming as it used to be. Nurturing your candidates can be easy and fun! 🙂

7. Become an interview guru

The interview is a pivotal point in the candidate's’ job search journey. Getting the
interview right will win you top talent while getting it wrong can hurt your recruiting
efforts.

No matter how well you pitch a job, nearly all professionals are still unsure about the job
and company when they show up for the interview.
According to LinkedIn research, 83% of talent say a negative interview experience
can change their mind about a role or company they once liked. On the flip side, 87% of
talent say a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company
they once doubted.

PRO TIP: Ask great interview questions, keep your interview period short and offer
candidates a chance to learn about the role and your company culture. A great way to that
is to show off your workplace.

Invite candidates to office tours, open houses and/or lunches. You can even make it a part
of your interview experience - simply walk around your workspace after interviews and
give candidates a glimpse into your culture.

Having leadership meet with candidates and following up promptly with feedback will
further boost their interview experience.

8. Give and ask for feedback

Feedback helps candidates improve as professionals, and they are very well aware of that.
According to LinkedIn hiring statistics, 94% of talent wants to receive interview
feedback.

According to another LinkedIn survey, 77% of professionals said they prefer to receive
good news over the phone. But if you have to deliver a bad news, stick to emails, because
65% of professionals would prefer to read rather than hear that they didn’t make the cut.
PRO TIP: Make sure to provide feedback for candidates that you didn’t hire. If the
feedback you offer to rejected candidates is constructive, they will be 4 times more likely to
consider your company for a future opportunity.

Remember that a recruiting is a two-way process. Don’t just give feedback - ask for it too!
The insights you get can be invaluable for improving your candidate experience.

9. Maintain candidate relationship

Despite popular belief, a candidate’s experience doesn’t end when you decide not to hire
them.

Candidates that don’t make the cut for this position may be a perfect fit for some
other future job openings.

Keeping in touch and engaging with high-quality candidates can significantly reduce
recruiting and hiring cycles. That is why candidate relationship management has become
one of the most important HR metrics for measuring the success of recruitment marketing.

Imagine having a perfect job candidate every time when a new position opens! Build your
talent pool for future roles and job openings. Once a need arises, use your talent acquisition
goldmine to search for perfect-match candidates.

PRO TIP: So how can you keep your silver medalists interested and engaged? Let them
know that you thought they were a great candidate and acknowledge that you want to keep
in touch.

Forge a professional relationship and connect on LinkedIn and your social media profiles.
Add them to your recruiting email campaigns. Organize talent networking events and invite
candidates from your talent pool.

10. Create a great recruitment content

Inbound Recruiting is a recruiting strategy where you proactively and continually

attract candidates with the goal to make them choose you as their next employer.

By taking an inbound marketing approach to recruiting, companies can connect with

passive and active job seekers and delight candidates throughout the application process.

Inbound recruiting creates a remarkable candidate experience through employer

branding content and helps companies build relationships with top talent.

PRO TIP: Use recruitment content to provide useful and relevant information about your
company and showcase your Employer Brand on various online and offline channels that
candidates use.
Create appealing employee testimonials and stories, shoot attractive company
videos and provide interview and career advancement tips to get potential candidates
interested in working at your company.