Any recruiting professional will tell you that today’s hiring must be candidate focused. If your webforms do not translate well to mobile, using multiple forms to capture applicant data, or forgetting to follow-up with applicants, your business could be missing out on top-tier talent. Creating a seamless experience for all your candidates is the first step in building your brand as an employer and securing the most qualified talent for your company.
Here are five simple ways your business can improve your candidate experience.
#1 – Respond to All Applicants
Depending on the role and size of your company, your Human Resources department may receive hundreds or even thousands of job applications when a new position opens. Your average job hunter will submit their resume dozens of times in a single day, but according to a study done by Workable, 75% of job seekers never hear back from the employer after applying. Distressingly, 60% report going to an interview and never hearing back from the company.
When it comes to recruiting and hiring, it is easy to become inundated and begin to treat candidates as numbers on a spreadsheet. But candidates do not take kindly to this kind of treatment; 42% of disgruntled jobseekers will never consider seeking employment at a company that ‘ghosted’ them in the past. Responding to a candidate, even to tell them they did not get the job, is not only polite, but profitable. It shows a respect for an applicant’s time and improves your overall employer brand.
#2 – Write a Clear, Concise Job Description
Nothing turns candidates off a job posting faster than a massive wall of unreadable text. To attract the highest number of qualified candidates possible, clearly list out the day-to-day responsibilities, tasks, and skills an applicant will need to be successful within the role. Use simple, layman’s language rather than industry-specific buzzwords, and make sure it is structured in an easy-to-read manner.
These simple steps ensure your job advert casts the widest possible net across your talent pool. A well-written job description will attract qualified talent and filter out those who do not have the skills or experience you are searching for.
#3 – Make Applying Easy
Jobseekers often complain about the redundancy of applying for jobs. No one wants to submit their resume only to have to manually enter all their information on the next page. Make sure you are using an intuitive, mobile-friendly solution. More and more job hunters are conducting their searches entirely from their phones, so having a speedy and easy-to-use hiring platform has never been more important. Candidates can spend hours submitting resume after resume, and they are more likely to pass over positions with long and unwieldy application processes.
Choose a system that captures the information your company needs without discouraging the candidate from applying. Password protected systems, unclear instructions, and lengthy applications will cost your business candidates before they have even submitted their resume. By choosing an ATS or job board that allows applicants to quickly submit their information, you lower your time-to-hire and increase the amount of qualified talent you attract.
#4 – Be Ready at the Interview
When a candidate takes time out of their day to dress up, drive to your office or hop on Zoom, and interview for a position, make sure your company respects the time and effort that applicants put into the interview process. Every jobseeker has an interview horror story, whether they lived through it themselves or heard it secondhand. When an employer is disorganized or disinterested in a candidate’s interview, it reflects poorly on the company and could give your applicants a negative opinion of your workplace.
Treat your candidates as you would expect to be treated in a job interview. Start on time, or alert them early if their interviewer is running behind. Avoid multitasking such as talking or texting on your phone, typing on your laptop, or leaving the room to handle other tasks. Instead, be sure to take notes about the candidate’s responses, stay engaged, and maintain eye contact when possible. Little niceties, such as thanking applicants for their time and allowing them room to ask questions, go a long way. Making your candidates feel comfortable and respected is the simplest way to improve your overall candidate experience.
#5 – Choose a Candidate-Focused Screening Partner
Pre-employment background screening is a key step in any part of the hiring process. A background check verifies your candidate’s identity, skills, education, and experience, as well as identifies any previous criminal history. This is valuable, necessary information for employers. But screening delays can increase time-to-hire and, potentially, cost you a great employee if they receive another offer while they are waiting for their background check to clear.
Choosing a candidate-focused screening partner circumvents this issue. Critical Research, for example, focuses on creating seamless positive hiring experiences for clients and their candidates. Responsive, mobile-friendly forms allow candidates to sign forms and submit information on their own time. Capable of integrating with most major HR platforms, Critical Research’s background checks can improve both your screening turnaround time and your overall candidate experience.
Creating a seamless hiring pipeline is not always easy. But communication, respect, good tech, and a quick screening process can greatly enhance your candidate experience. To learn more about how Critical Research improves your hiring process, contact us.