Why you need to improve your candidate experience?


Why you need to improve your candidate experience?

Traditionally the job/labour market would favor the employer. There were few GOOD jobs and multiple candidates. Many companies had the liberty of posting a good job and receiving dozens of great qualified candidates; put these candidates through the hiring process at your companies pace and then make an offer – hiring process complete. However, all things must come to an end and looking at the current job market it is the complete opposite. Many companies are hiring and the top candidates are now the ones in demand and not the company. So how does this affect companies in 2018? Candidates are now choosing their employers and the time-consuming rigorous hiring methods that were previously so successful will not work in securing a top-level candidate.

The hiring model that was previously used in years gone back are therefore ineffective to be used now and if companies want to remain competitive in the hiring process, it is necessary therefore for them to adjust their hiring model, if not already done.

Why is it important?

Candidate experience during the hiring process is now becoming increasingly important for companies.  Potential candidates share their hiring experiences online and in-person particularly if they are bad. These negative reviews can prevent others from applying for roles within the company and will ultimately affect the company’s hiring goals as well as its objectives. One Forbes report indicated that “the candidate experience during the recruitment process not only determines their willingness to join the company, it also shapes the relationship they have with the brand and their willingness to make purchases from a company longer-term.” Bad candidate experiences can even impact the financial gain for the employer.

It was identified by Forbes article that given that the job market is the way it currently is “Often the best people are being recruited by multiple companies simultaneously. By improving the total candidate journey and creating positive moments of surprise within it, a company creates an opportunity for itself to achieve differentiation and to convert the best candidates into new hires when all else is equal.” If companies hope to remain competitive and retain the best talent it is important that their candidates have a positive candidate experience. As the saying goes first impressions last.

So how do we change our hiring process

A complete change of the recruiting and hiring process would require investments in both time and resources and might not seem feasible right now. Here are a few of the tips suggested in the Forbes article Here’s why you need to improve your company’s candidate journey – and how to make it better.

  • Identify all candidate experience touchpoints – It should identify every point along the entire talent acquisition process; everything from brand discovery to job descriptions, the online application, telephone and in-person interviews, the job offer – all the way through onboarding activities.
  • Analyze the current situation – Find out how good (or bad) your company is at each contact point along the candidate journey. Use surveys, interviews and speak with recently hired employees to assess the current situation.
  • Determine areas for improvement – Rate your company in each area of the candidate journey to discover the areas needing the most improvement. Then, determine where you can make the biggest impact, how long it will take and the resources necessary (people, technology tools and budget).
  • Dedicate qualified resources –To improve the candidate journey experience, dedicate enough qualified resources and budget. Especially helpful are resources who have marketing/communications and branding experience and who also have in-depth knowledge of HR, expertise in process improvement techniques and are tech-savvy.

Read more