Why is the candidate experience so important? (Part One of Two)

The candidate experience marks the beginning of the employee journey and shapes how candidates think, feel, and act toward your organization and brand. How can each touchpoint maximize success?

Avoid preventable mistakes and learn the why and the how of the candidate experience.

Understanding the Impact of Candidate Experience on Employment Brand

Here's an unfortunately common experience you've probably experienced as much as I have. I'm energized by the advertising and marketing of a product or service, but the sales and discovery process leaves me disappointed.?

But could these preventable disappointments hold lessons to improve how we hire and recruit?

The candidate experience affects both the people we're asking to join our teams and our employment brand. The overwhelming majority of candidates believe their experience from your job advertisement onward shows how they will be treated as employees. Just as we're more likely to advocate for a brand that impressed us during the shopping and sales phase as a customer, the experience we have as candidates influences us as employees. New hires who have a positive recruitment experience develop a sense of connection and trust with your company because they feel valued from the outset. This translates to a happier, more loyal workforce with lower turnover and stronger shared commitment.?

Let's think for a moment about what job candidates and new hires are thinking, feeling, and trying to navigate. The job search process and starting a new role lead us to struggle with ambiguity, unexpected challenges, and self-doubt. Even if we do all we can to support and create a positive candidate experience it's still a difficult transition. If over three-quarters of CEOs admit to struggling with imposter syndrome , how are your new middle managers and frontline employees feeling? The enduring link across studies and industries between the candidate experience and retention should come as no surprise.

Unfortunately, there's little margin for error. For 90 percent of candidates, it takes only one negative touchpoint during their candidacy to change their minds about a company they originally valued. It's worth noting that what happens during the hiring process extends into the new hire experience. In fact, most people believe it's okay to leave a job in the first six months if it's not aligned with what was shared during the hiring process.

Unfortunately, a large survey found the majority of hiring managers intentionally withhold information, or even misinform candidates, most often to meet immediate staffing needs .?

So it's not surprising new hires and candidates are upset – and they don't go it alone. Just over a quarter share their experience on social media (with Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn, providing convenient ways for applicants to reach a large audience). And just as we rely on online reviews for buying decisions, the vast majority of us report consulting more than one review of a company, whether online or from someone we know, during the hiring process.

Delivering a consistently positive customer experience is tough, and it's not hard to argue that providing a positive candidate experience could be an even steeper challenge. We usually don't deliver constructive feedback to our customers, or decline to sell them our products and services. It's also tougher to capture authentic applicant reactions and attitudes across the hiring process and isn't something we're used to thinking about as much as we are for our customers.

The rewards of consistently executing a positive experience, however, are high. Consider how new employees who reflect positively on the candidate experience are -?

• More likely to refer others (66%). Not only do they arrive with a higher level of trust and engagement (in a workforce climate with a severe gap in trust and resilience ), they are likely to refer within the first few months and show a strong readiness to support and advocate for your company.?
• Greater resilience to respond to the demands of taking on a new role (3 times). Satisfied candidates are excited about pushing through the demands their new role requires. They're equipped with greater trust and are more committed than their less satisfied peers to weather the challenges of the first six months on the job.
• More likely to perform and live your culture, in addition to staying long-term. Uncertainty isn't fun for most of us. Clearly and consistently communicating our culture and about the nature of the job reduces that ambiguity building trust and authenticity in the process. A consistently strong candidate experience is an undersold pathway to a competitive edge .

In short, when we consistently deliver a rewarding experience to candidates throughout the hiring process , we're not only more likely to secure the commitment of people with greater potential to thrive but also amplify our employment brand. This positive perception attracts more high-potential talent and enhances the organization's reputation as an employer of choice.

On the flip side, an inconsistent or negative experience will influence candidate behavior after the hiring decision. Just like consumers, they'll share their experience with others (often other potential candidates or customers) and keep that memory of the event long after. Candidates with a poor experience often share their negative impressions, leading to a damaged, or at best inconsistent, employment brand and reputation. This will chill the attraction of passive candidates from applying to the organization and result in a smaller and less qualified pool of applicants.

Maya Angelou's words resonate here: they will not forget the way you made them feel.

Delivering on candidate expectations and leaving them with an irresistible impression is often deceptively simple. Case in point: over two-thirds of candidates share they rarely or never receive a response about an application that isn't moving forward. Automated email communications that communicate gratitude and respect for the candidate's time are an easy fix and an opportunity to change the minds of a large number of formerly disappointed candidates.

I shared earlier that most hiring managers aren't comfortable speaking honestly about job expectations. There's hesitation to share constructive feedback with candidates on how their preferences and potential may fall short of what's required. If we can move from white lies to candid and caring conversations we can elevate the experience of our candidates and avoid shift shocks that derail our teams, culture, and bottom line.

By prioritizing candidate experience and delivering a positive, honest, and informative interaction at every touchpoint, organizations build robust employment brands and position themselves as a premier choice for top talent.

Building a Strong Talent Pipeline through Positive Candidate Experiences

How – and who – you hire builds your talent pipeline. Clear communication in the hiring process, just as one example, might lead a candidate to opt out of your opportunity when it doesn't meet their needs but leaves them with a favorable impression of your brand. These candidates may become advocates for the organization, recommending it to their network and referring potential candidates who are exactly what you're seeking for your culture and operations.?

Furthermore, a positive candidate experience encourages candidates to reapply for future job openings within the organization. This creates a talent pipeline of individuals who are already familiar with the company and have expressed interest in working with your team. Building and nurturing this talent pipeline can save time and resources in the long run, as there is a pool of qualified candidates readily available when new positions become available.

By providing positive candidate experiences, organizations can cultivate a strong web of interconnected talent, build links between candidates and their networks, and increase the success and efficiency of recruiting and hiring over time.

Keep reading the full article on our blog and subscribe for more insights. Part II will be posted later this week.

Featured photo by Norman Tsui on Unsplash