Manifesto for a New Candidate Experience: Transforming "the Interview"
I recently participated in a roundtable with in-house talent acquisition and recruiting executives. A hot topic has been about transforming the candidate experience...aka “the interview”. We schedule candidate for a series of interviews. Interviewers may or may not be prepared. In our worst nightmares, interviewers don’t even know what job the candidate is interviewing for. At the end of the interviews, we tell them “we’ll circle back with you about next steps.” Sound familiar?
We’re tired of the routine. It gets boring, not just for us, but for candidates, too. So we shared ideas into ways we were transforming the interview into an experience rather than an interview. Hiring managers aren’t the only ones to please. If we we can’t create a memorable experience for candidates, how does this reflect back on the company’s brand?
A recruiting executive I know at a well-known global software company has truly nailed Candidate Experience with their VIP touch. Prior to the candidate’s arrival, he or she gets a formal itinerary complete with interviewers’ names, titles, and site wifi password. The candidate gets a prep email and call prior to the big day. Upon arrival, the candidate gets a welcome package consisting of a branded tote bag, branded bottled water, and a chocolate bar and bag of gourmet snacks from local merchants. The whole package is wrapped with a ribbon and tucked inside is a handwritten thank-you note.
At said company, each of the interviewers is prepared knowing the background of the candidate and has a discussion with the candidate unique to his or her functional area in the company and how that person would work with the candidate (should he or she get hired). Candidates feel as though the company has done their homework, too. They're treated with a professional experience where interviewers are prepared and no one is repeating the same questions. Candidates are hosted throughout their “stay” and given a site tour. I fully expect to see a robe and slippers (maybe even a piece of chocolate on a pillow) waiting for the candidate on their return to the room.
The Candidate Experience starts with the very first outreach by a recruiter to a candidate. This sets the tone for the rest of the journey. Every single interaction from the company is a different piece of the puzzle for the candidate - from the hiring manager’s phone interview to the receptionist’s greeting to the tidiness or messiness of the meeting room to the “vibe” in the office all the way through to the offer acceptance. This is no longer about just an interview. This is about the whole journey the candidate takes with your company.
So, no matter how much or how little you do to transform “the interview” into an experience for the candidate, make it intentional. Create a memorable and engaging candidate experience to develop a lasting positive impression of the company in your market. Customers and employees aren't the only ones talking about you. Even if you're only hiring one out of several that you meet, if you're doing things right during the entire process, all the ones you don't hire will also leave with a positive impression. With the ubiquity of social media today, don't discount the value of the Candidate Experience.
Christine Lee is the Director of the Cloud & Saas Practice for Austin Search Partners.