7 Ways You Can Improve Your Candidate Experience

Candidate experience is the journey a candidate goes through when they interact with your company during the recruitment process, from the time they first see or hear of your job posting all the way through to receiving a job offer and beyond, if they accept. It totally makes sense that if your candidate experience falls short compared to your competitors, it will eventually cost you some hires you could've snagged otherwise.

Think about it: Optimizing the candidate experience is like a golden ticket for drawing top talent and upping the quality of your hires. When you deliver optimal candidate experience, you’re basically saying, “Hey, we see you and we value you” to potential employees every step of the way. A positive candidate experience can enhance the employer brand, attract top talent, and even influence whether candidates recommend the company to others or not.

Let’s look into seven ways you can step up your candidate experience game. These tips can transform your recruitment process and make you stand out from the rest.

1. Streamlined Application Process

One of the most important ways that companies can improve their candidate experience is by streamlining the application process. Think about how many steps a candidate needs to go through to apply for a role: How many friction points exist at this stage? Is it easy to complete? Equate it to an online shopping experience – how many clicks does it take before you complete your purchase? Too many steps and they may simply walk away from it.

Make it simple and easier to complete. Working with a recruitment agency also helps, as the recruitment consultants will take care of this.

2. Clear Communication

I can't stress enough how critical effective communication is in providing a positive candidate experience. If you talk to candidates, one of the biggest frustrations you'll hear from them is companies "going quiet" during the hiring process. Even if you have no update to provide to a candidate, hearing from you that there is no update yet is far better than just being left in the dark. Clear communication is just as important outside of the interviewing process. Share expected timelines for each stage of the hiring process. This not only helps candidates feel informed and valued, but it also reflects positively on your professionalism. Knowing that the interviewing process is expected to last X weeks, with an offer likely to be made by Y date, sets clear expectations - but also holds your teams accountable to delivering on that timescale.

3. Personalized Interactions

Candidates want to feel like they are being seen as individuals, not just another resume in a pile. You can improve the candidate experience by personalizing interactions with candidates throughout the hiring process. Assign a point of contact rather than simply getting emails from a generic account.

Connecting with candidates on LinkedIn and tailoring your interviews so they can have the opportunity to showcase their specific background also shows a personalized touch. Don't make your candidates feel like they’re on a conveyor belt!

4. Respectful Treatment

This is crucial in any human interaction. In the context of candidate experience, respect means responding promptly to inquiries and providing timely feedback after interviews. Ensure that all interactions are professional and respectful, regardless of whether they’re ultimately hired or not. Everyone who goes through your hiring process - or is even exposed to your recruitment campaigns - has the potential to be a future hire or a future influencer.

5. Efficient Interview Process

This ties in with respect. Candidates have busy schedules, just like you. It’s also wise to assume that they’re interviewing for multiple positions, not just yours. Be mindful of this and keep the interview process as efficient as possible. This could mean conducting all interviews in one day or offering virtual options where available.

Craft your interview plan ahead of time and determine: How many rounds will it take? Who needs to get involved? Will they be available through the hiring process? Timelines getting drawn out through simple lack of availability will undoubtedly cost you hires. A redundant interviewing cycle will cause candidates to drop out if they receive competing offers before your process has reached its conclusion.

6. Inclusive Hiring Practices

Inclusive hiring practices make all candidates feel welcome and valued during the interview process. This could include having diverse interview panels, being proactive in accommodating disabilities in your hiring processes and thinking about who from your team would be best to follow up with each candidate in your interview process.

7. Candidate Feedback

Feedback is a gift. Improve the candidate experience by seeking feedback from candidates themselves. You’ll gain valuable insights on areas for improvement and provide a better experience for future applicants.

This feedback can come from the wider candidate pool, or by tapping into the experiences of your recent hires. The key is to capture what it was like to go through your hiring process and, therefore, to iron out the kinks.

What now?

By focusing on enhancing the candidate experience, you can create a recruitment process that makes you stand out. These recommended actions will help attract top talent and build a stronger employer brand, fostering a reputation of professionalism and care.

As noted, engaging the right recruitment agency partner can also play a part in improving the candidate experience you offer. Please feel free to message me here to discuss how we might work together as your recruitment partner.