Do you ever consider the candidate experience when you’re recruiting?

For you as an employer the decision to recruit is a big one. There are so many challenges to consider – cost, time to recruit and train and concerns over finding the right person for your business.

As an employer do you ever think about the candidate experience? If not, you are missing a trick in dealing simply with some of the concerns you will have when making the decision to recruit.  A stress free, uncomplicated recruitment campaign is without doubt the ideal introduction for any candidate to your company.

Remember, the candidate is also interviewing your business to make sure it is the right place for them!
So, in practical terms what can you do?

Research
At this stage, the applicant may be passive, i.e. not even considering a new job or they may be actively researching your company prior to submitting an application. Either way, the content you provide both on your website and in your job advert can help them form a negative or positive impression and ultimately help them make the decision to apply or not.

Application process
This is the step that can be most frustrating and can cause many candidates to lose interest. You should consider how much information you need from a candidate and when. If it is likely an applicant will apply for multiple jobs, consider abandoning the registration process that many businesses use.  Doing something different and innovative at this stage will definitely capture interest and imagination!
Many businesses will ask candidates for their CV and then ask them to complete an application form with much of the same information included on a CV.

Pre-interview
Consider the information you include when inviting candidates to meet you.  A great example is EasyWeb who include their website, social media details and glass door reviews as well as the highlights of their employee engagement survey.

In this period, it is good to maintain communication especially if you are arranging interviews for weeks ahead.

Post interview
This is the stage where you as an employer can make the biggest impact on a candidate experience. Candidates can be lost at this stage due to a long, drawn-out decision-making process and whilst making a decision on the day of the interview may not be easy, it isn’t impossible, and we encourage our clients to do so when they can.

For the candidate even if the news isn’t good, most people agree that prompt feedback is better than waiting weeks or months for a decision or not getting any feedback at all.

Onboarding
This part of the process includes that awful time between interview and starting in a new job. Just prior to interview there is regular contact but after the candidate is successful and has accepted the offer, they may feel isolated and forgotten. The last thing we want at this stage is for them to reconsider their decision to accept.

This is a perfect time to let them know where they will be working, who is in their team and practical tips like where to park or where to get lunch. All of these tips will help reduce first day nerves and hopefully your new employee will slot into the team relatively easily. You could at this stage ask for your new starter forms to be completed and returned and remind your new starter what they need to bring on their first day.

All these steps are designed to make the candidate experience less stressful and the recruitment process more positive.  You’re not alone with all this though – contact us for advice and guidance.