In an age where the very nature of recruiting is in flux, positive candidate experience is one of the few factors an organization can predictably control that will improve hiring outcomes. If you think about it, every interaction a job seeker has with your organization, from job ad to final interview(or even rejection), shapes their perception of your brand.
If your hiring process is disjointed, confusing or, worst of all, lacks good communication, it can deter top talent, harm your employer brand, and even impact your bottom line. But a great experience can transform applicants into brand champions, significantly increasing your application rates and improving long-term retention.
And you don’t have to bend over backwards to deliver great candidate experience. It’s about the consistent, thoughtful touches that show candidates you value their time and effort. And at the end of the day, it’s less about boosting satisfaction and more about it’s a critical piece of your talent acquisition strategy.
Why Candidate Experience Matters
With social media, employer review sites and the like, bad news travels fast so your employer branding is constantly under scrutiny. A poor candidate experience can quickly lead to negative reviews on Glassdoor or Indeed, scaring away future applicants. Conversely, a positive experience can turn even unsuccessful candidates into enthusiastic champions of your company, boosting your reputation and ultimately leading to more qualified prospects.
Another consideration is candidate drop-off rate. If your application process is clunky candidates will simply abandon their applications. Candidates expect consumer-like experiences and losing a candidate due to bad technology is like lighting money on fire. Ultimately, a strong candidate experience directly impacts your ability to attract, engage, and hire the best people, setting the stage for long-term hiring success and a thriving workforce.
Evaluate Your Current Process
Two thirds of solving a problem is properly defining it. So the first step in improving your candidate experience is to honestly evaluate your current hiring journey from the candidate’s perspective. Are there bottlenecks? Are candidates getting regular communication? Do interviewers respect the candidates’ time?
The best way to learn this is to solicit candidate feedback. This could be through anonymous surveys after interviews, quick polls, or even informal conversations. Ideally you would use a solution like Survale to gather feedback from candidates at every important stage of the hiring process: the ease of the application, the clarity of the job description, the timeliness of communication, the overall interview experience, etc. You would also track key metrics like application completion rates, candidate satisfaction scores (candidate NPS), and time-to-hire. This data will provide invaluable insights into your strengths and weaknesses, giving you a clear roadmap for improvement. You might be surprised by what you uncover!
Strategies to Improve Candidate Experience
Through our work with clients and our research related to the CandE Annual Research and Award Program, we know there are concrete strategies that you can take that can truly transform your candidate experience. These aren’t just theoretical ideas; they’re proven methods to make your hiring journey smoother, fairer, and more engaging for everyone involved.
Streamline the Application Process
Imagine encountering a lengthy, complex application form on a desktop, let alone a mobile device. Frustrating, right? So the first thing to do is to focus on making applications as easy as possible. Focus on creating mobile-friendly forms that are concise and intuitive.
Pre-populate information wherever possible and only ask for essential details initially. Consider leveraging “easy apply” options through platforms like LinkedIn to reduce the time it takes for candidates to submit their resume and application. The fewer clicks and less typing required, the better.
Write Clear Job Descriptions
Your job description is the main vehicle for communicating the role, and your company brand to a candidate. It should paint a stark picture of the job and it should sell your company. Go beyond a dry list of responsibilities.
Clearly outline daily duties, team dynamics, the specific skills required, and, importantly, a realistic salary range or at least a compelling range of benefits. Transparency about expectations from the outset helps attract candidates who are genuinely a good fit and minimizes time wasted on applicants who aren’t aligned with the role.
Communicate with Candidates Clearly
The first thing that becomes apparent with Survale clients is a lack of communication with candidates. Even if they feel like they are sending timely updates and emails.
There can never be too much communication so set expectations early on regarding the hiring timeline and what candidates can expect at each stage. Provide regular updates, even if it’s just to say, “We’ve received your application and will be in touch soon.” Respond promptly to queries, whether by email or phone. Remember, every communication (or lack thereof) contributes to their overall perception of your organization.
Provide Timely Feedback
Every candidate wants prompt feedback. It shows respect for a candidate’s time and effort. If you need more time, let them know! Use pre-written templates for common scenarios (e.g., “we’re moving forward with other candidates,” “we’d like to invite you for an interview”), but always personalize them with the candidate’s name.
For candidates who make it to the interview stage, offering constructive feedback, even if they aren’t selected, can be invaluable for their professional development and builds immense goodwill.
This can be tricky and some experts discourage companies from providing feedback, but if you can keep it general, feedback is one of the top areas where candidates want more.
Personalize the Interview Process
Personalizing means understanding who each candidate is. For the interview process, take the time to review each candidate’s resume and cover letter before the interview. Reference specific experiences or achievements during your conversation.
Greet them by name and make them feel welcome and at ease just as you would a friend or trusted colleague. Tailoring your questions to their unique background and interests not only makes the candidate feel valued but also makes for a better, more insightful interview.
Deliver a Great Interview Experience
The interview is the most important part of the candidate experience and hiring process in general. Deliver a good interview experience by ensuring your interviewers are well-trained, professional, and most of all prepared. Make sure they have a clear understanding of the role’s requirements and job-specific questions on hand.
No one likes to be kept waiting. In fact, The CandE Candidate Experience Research and Awards Program identifies the biggest complaint from candidates is that hiring managers waste their time. So make sure the interview process is organized and efficient.
At the interview stage, you’re likely interacting with candidates that are fully qualified for many positions at your organization so you want them to have a positive experience even if they end up being rejected.
Introduce the Team
Candidates are not just interviewing for a role; they’re interviewing for a team and a culture. Make sure to introduce the team they’d be working with, even if it’s just a brief informal chat post-interview or a quick virtual meet-and-greet.
This gives candidates a taste of what it’s like at your organization and a chance to ask questions about the day-to-day dynamics.
Offer Interview Prep & Transparency
Help candidates succeed by offering interview preparation and transparency. Share the agenda for the interview, the format (e.g., behavioral, technical), and even who they’ll be meeting.
Many organizations make up interview guides for candidates so they get a sense of what to expect and also what your organization is looking for in prospective employees. Being upfront about what to expect demonstrates a commitment to fairness and creates a more relaxed and productive interview environment.
Create an Interactive Career Page
Your career website is often the first deep dive a candidate takes into your organization. Make it an interactive career website that truly showcases your company culture and values.
Beyond basic job listings, incorporate videos featuring employees, comprehensive FAQs about benefits and work-life balance, and engaging team photos. This helps increase candidate traffic by giving them a rich, authentic preview of what it’s like to work for you.
Measure Candidate Experience
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Just like customer experience organizations, top recruiting organizations get candidate and hiring manager feedback after key stages of the process.
Track key metrics like Candidate Net Promoter Score (NPS), hiring manager satisfaction, offer acceptance rates, and time-to-hire. Analyzing this data consistently surfaces actionable insights to improve. It allows you to identify friction, celebrate successes, and continuously refine your recruitment strategy.
Provide Feedback to All Applicants
This might seem like a heavy lift, but providing feedback to all applicants, especially those who reached the interview stages, is an incredible way to build brand trust and goodwill.
Even a brief, generalized email explaining why they weren’t selected, perhaps with a pointer to a specific skill to develop, can make a huge difference. This small gesture demonstrates respect and professionalism, reinforcing your reputation as an employer of choice.
Post-Hire: Onboarding & Follow-Up
The candidate experience doesn’t end when an offer is accepted; it seamlessly transitions into effective onboarding. A smooth and engaging onboarding process is the final, crucial step in solidifying a positive experience and setting new hires up for success.
Early engagement, such as pre-onboarding communications, virtual introductions to the team, and clear instructions for their first day, can significantly impact a new employee’s sense of belonging and productivity. Remember, a fantastic candidate experience is just the beginning of a great employee journey.
The first year for a new hire is the perfect time to gather feedback and metrics to optimize all facets of recruiting and onboarding. A properly implemented onboarding feedback program gathers feedback from employees and managers at 30, 60, 90 and even 180 days to understand how the new hire is fitting in and also measure “quality of hire.”
Improving your candidate experience isn’t a one-time fix; it’s an ongoing commitment to treating every job seeker with respect, transparency, and empathy. By implementing these strategies—from streamlining your application process and ensuring clear communication to delivering great interview experiences and providing timely feedback—you’ll not only attract top talent but also cultivate a positive employer brand that resonates far and wide.
The investment in a superior candidate experience will pay dividends in stronger hires, enhanced reputation, and a more engaged workforce.
FAQ
How to enhance the candidate experience?
Candidate experience is enhanced by auditing each stage of the candidate journey. Make sure career sites are easy to navigate and reflect your employer brand. Applications should be quick and easy. Candidates should receive email status updates constantly. Interviewers should respect candidates’ time and be knowledgeable and prepared. Offers should be compelling and the entire hiring process should be organized and swift.
What situations would likely improve a candidate’s experience?
Interviews are by far the most consequential interaction in the hiring process. CandE research lists managers not respecting a candidate’s time as the biggest complaint from candidates. Starting on time, knowing the candidates background, being personable and engaging and providing feedback on the meeting are all tactics that will immediately improve candidate experience
What is the key to a great applicant experience?
Communication, communication, communication. The more acknowledgements, status updates – even surveys – that you provide to candidates, the better. What might feel like an adequate level of communication to a recruiting professional will likely not feel appropriate for a candidate who really wants the job.
What is a good candidate experience strategy?
A good candidate experience strategy begins with data. Top employers gather feedback from candidates, recruiters and hiring managers at each stage of the hiring process. They use this data to optimize people, processes and technologies involved in the hiring process. They also track metrics like candidate NPS, hiring manager satisfaction, time to hire, quality of hire and more. This data drives continuous improvement of candidate experience, but also of all recruiting operations.
