17/02/2025
Is candidate experience a top priority in your recruitment process? If not, why not?
In this digital age, where job seekers are not afraid to leave a comment on your Glassdoor review page, or voice their opinion on Linkedin or Tik Tok, it's crazy to not prioritise the experience of candidates applying for roles at your company.
The recruitment process needs to be as pain free as possible for candidates. After all, this is there first real interaction with you, their potential future employer... I don't mean just having LinkedIn 'Easy Apply' as your application process, because that will just inundate you with far too many applications, most of which will not be relevant, and then the experience of the candidates will be negative due to the time taken for you to shortlist. No, I mean streamlining processes so that the workflow is easy, and that they are not spending time filling in the same information over and over again. If you're asking for a CV, why then ask them to fill out their career history again?! Are you asking them application questions that are completely irrelevant to the role? If so, please stop! Please, for the love of god, do not ask them to submit a video response 🙄
Be as clear as possible in the advert. Clearly outline the role and what you are looking for in a candidate. Make it easy for someone to digest, so then they know whether to apply for the role or not. Don't over do an advert. By this, I mean, don't write the equivalent of a dissertation and don't include a list of requirements the length of the Great Wall of China... Be upfront, open and transparent about the role, the recruitment process and timelines, and then stick to it.
Be responsive to those who have applied and please don't ghost them, no matter what stage they get to. If possible, please provide credible feedback at shortlisting stage, but definitely do it if they have interviewed with you. Be timely to ensure you do not lose out on the best talent. A slow process just allows someone else to snap them up.
A bad candidate experience gives a bad reputation for you as an employer, costing you great and talented people. It can cost you a great applicant in the process, and even for the successful applicant, are they starting with your business on the right foot?
It's not rocket science, and it should really be a fundamental basic in your recruitment process.
Reach out to us to find out how to improve the experience of your candidates.