How can one improve the Candidate Experience in Recruitment?

Candidate Experience is all about the “journey delight” that happens from the stage of looking for a job till the candidate joins the organization.

A few important touch points/stages that are important in the candidate journey would be:

1. Knowledge Share & Transparency
2. Application process
3. Status Updates
4. Feed Back
5. Offer process
6. Joining process
7. Empathy with Candidates

Explaining more about each of stages in detail:

1. Knowledge Share & Transparency:Many a times candidates are clueless. They need to know about the company, role, responsibilities, career growth and more information about the organization that they are applying to. A clear and Transparent process with clear job descriptions & Better knowledge share about the job could definitely help improve the candidate experience. Tips & Tricks on cracking interviews. Do’s and Don’ts for an interview & various such advice can help the candidate prepare and plan for interviews too.
2. Application Process:Lengthy application processes are a big turn off for candidates. One of my surveys suggest that it should not take more than 60 seconds to apply for job openings. Job Application processes should be quick, informative, responsive and at many instances can be automated to save a lot of time & energy.
3. Status Updates:60% of the candidates have a bad experience do to not know that status of their job applications. Candidates would have applied to a job, but no response is shared from recruiters or companies.
4. Feedback:Delays in feedback are a big turn off to the recruiters & job seekers. When feedback is not shared on time to candidates then these candidates tend to slip away and look for other opportunities. Employers should Surveys – feedback forms to candidates to get an honest view of the processes both ways.
5. Offer process:Too many gaps or lengthy procedures with delays in releasing offers can lead to a very bad candidate experience. the offer process should be crystal clear, candidates should be given clarity about the job offer either thru an Offer letter or a LOI – Letter of Intent. some companies have BONDS which are a big turn off and is a big factor for bad candidate experience.
6. Joining Process:The process of a candidate from being offered to joining the organization is highly crucial. This is the time when things could go really well for the candidate or can really go bad for the organization. In today’s world “The Candidate is King” they are spoilt for choice and good candidates with great skill sets would have multiple offers. keeping the candidate warm but having small initiative such as “visit to the office” “meet the mentors” or “Coffee with the Management” can give a moment of Delight for the candidates.
7. Empathy with Candidates: I feel this is the most important aspect when it comes to candidate experience. Candidates can be sensitive at any time during the process. It is the duty and partly a responsibility of the recruiter and the organization to understand & empathize the feelings of the candidate. Once there is good rapport between the three then a bond is created which would be great for the candidate experience.

There are many more such aspects and factors which can make candidate experience better. Proper guidance streamlined process, timely feedback & empathy with candidates can we a big win-win scenario for both and help make the candidate experience a “Wow Experience”. Check out our Recruitment Solutions to make your recruitment process easier.