Four Ways Hiring Managers Can Improve the Candidate Experience

Applying for jobs is not a simple task. On average, job seekers spend?11 hours a week?searching for jobs. This time is spent researching different companies, updating resumes, and creating cover letters and portfolios.??

It can be discouraging to jobseekers when they spend a lot of time trying to make a good impression, and they do not receive feedback or validation in return.?

83%?of candidates say that a negative interview experience will change their mind about wanting to be hired for a company. Many candidates consider the lack of communication from employers to be one of the biggest disappointments they have in a company. So, here some ways to improve the candidate experience in your company:??

Be authentic??

Candidates often feel intimidated during job interviews because interviews are all about how candidates respond to certain questions. Interviewers want to know their candidate’s experience, skills, education, and background.?

While it is important to ask questions to get to know your candidate, your candidates also wants to know about the company and what their role will consist of. For example, be transparent about what tasks they will have to complete, what their day-to-day schedule will look like, what kind of flexibility is given, etc.?An interview should be a two-way conversation with questions asked and answered by each party.??

Do not ghost your applicants??

“Ghosting” is a new term that is used when someone cuts off all forms of communication without any explanation. Many candidates describe that they were ghosted after submitting their job applications.??

75%?of job applicants never hear back from an employer after applying to a job, and?60%?never hear back after being interviewed. With more than half of applicants never hearing back from employers, it leaves applicants to wonder what happened. Was their application ever looked at? Did their application get lost???

After filling out applications and submitting resumes, job seekers expect a response, but unfortunately, most of them get lost in a sea of applications.?

We know that hiring managers are busy and they receive a lot of applications; however, managers should find time to go through and respond to those that did not qualify for the position, so that job seekers are not just waiting for a response they will never get.??

Tell your candidates what went wrong?

After interviewing a candidate, if you decide they are not a good fit for the position, tell them why. Candidates want to know what went wrong and why they did not get offered the position.??

This goes back to being authentic. Be honest and authentic with your applicants about why they are not being hired. These candidates will have to apply to other companies in the future, so tell them what they could do to improve and show them that you have their best interest at heart.??

Personalize your candidate's communication??

Whether you are extending a job offer or rejecting an applicant, it is important to add some personalization and thoughtfulness in your forms of communication.??

Rather than sending a bland email to extend a job offer, it is best to call and personally congratulate your applicant. This is a more personal form of communication, and it will allow you to express your excitement with them.??

On the flip side, if you are rejecting a job applicant, it is still important to make it personalized. Call your applicant and politely tell them that they were not accepted for the role and explain why. Then, thank them for taking the time they took to interview for your company. This is a much better form of rejection than either never responding to them or sending an automated email to let them know they were rejected.??

Applying for jobs can be incredibly stressful for job seekers. They spend hours putting together resumes, cover letters, and portfolios in hopes of making an impression on a company. But it is important for companies to also strive to make good impressions on their candidates. Through being transparent and openly communicating, managers can make the interview process much more positive for candidates.?

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