As many Western economies in this day and age, Germany is facing a lack of skilled workers, and companies are seeing themselves under high pressure to attract talents to fill open positions. That is why creating a memorable and positive candidate experience has become a paramount goal for organizations of all sizes.
Candidate experience influences the perception and interaction that job seekers have with a company throughout the recruitment process and can help make talents choose one company over the other. It encompasses every touchpoint and interaction a candidate has with an employer, from the initial job application to the final hiring decision or rejection.
Why Candidate Experience is important
Before we delve into the “how,” let’s understand the “why.” Candidate experience matters for several compelling reasons:
- Attraction of Top Talent: It is important to set your company apart if you want to attract top talents. Through a strong employer brand you can attract passive candidates who may not have otherwise considered your company. Top talents are more likely to choose a company that values and respects their time and effort.
- Worth-of-mouth Marketing & Reviews: Candidates are not just assessing your organization but also want to talk about it. In today’s time sharing experiences online through platforms like Glassdoor, Kununu and LinkedIn is a common practice and candidates also will share their stories within their group of friends. Positive feedback can enhance your employer brand, while negative experiences can deter potential candidates.
- Cost Savings: A positive candidate experience can reduce recruitment costs. When candidates have a good and engaging experience, they are more likely to accept job offers, reducing the need to restart the hiring process.
- Future Talent Pool: Even if a candidate is not selected for a particular job, they may be great talents for future jobs. A positive experience can encourage them to reapply when the time is right or recommend other talents for your open roles.
How to improve Candidate Experience
With that sorted out, it’s time to explore actionable strategies how to improve candidate experience in your recruiting process.
1. User friendly Application Process
This is the part where you check that everything works from the IT site. Simplify forms, reduce the number of clicks, and enable candidates to save their progress and return later. Mobile optimization is critical since many candidates apply from their phones. Make it as user friendly as possible.
2. Clear Communication
Open and transparent communication is key. Keep candidates informed about the status of their application, the timeline of the hiring process, and what to expect next. You can write that down already in the job ad and ensure automatic emails to keep talents informed about the process. If there are delays, let them know. Lack of communication can frustrate candidates and tarnish your reputation.
Extra tip: If you work with an external recruitment agency ensure they also provide outstanding communication to potential candidates. Remember they are an extension of your brand.
3. Personalization
Personalization is key – as people want to feel valued. Address them by their name, reference specific aspects of their resume, and tailor your communication to their background and skills. This personal touch goes a long way in building a strong talent pool and ensuring talents choose your company in case of contract offering.
4. Attractive Career Portal
Ensure your career portal allows candidates to find the right jobs in an easy and fast manner. Provide a clear structure with job categories, and include a search function. Detailed job descriptions, including responsibilities and requirements, should be easily accessible. If you want to learn more about how to write strong job ads, make sure to download our free job ad template.
5. Provide insights of the company
Use video introductions or virtual tours to give candidates a glimpse of your workplace culture. Introduce them to the team or let them hear from current employees. This will help make candidates feel more connected to your company and choose your company.
6. Feedback and Closure
Candidates get very frustrated if they receive a rejection but do not receive any feedback, especially once they went through an interview process and invested a lot of their time. That is why it is important to provide constructive feedback. This not only helps candidates improve but also leaves a positive impression and will make candidates come back in the future.
8. Post-Interview Follow-Up
After interviews, send thank-you emails to candidates. Express appreciation for their time and interest. This small gesture leaves a positive impression and will make your company stand out. Not many companies do this.
9. Ask for Feedback
It is a great idea to periodically ask for feedback from candidates about their experience with your recruitment process. Think of it like Marketing Survyes. This will show the candidate you are interested in improving your process and give you the right insights into what to focus on.
10. Continuous Improvement
An exceptional candidate experience is not a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. Continuously review and refine your processes based on the feedback you receive.
Measuring Candidate Experience
To ensure that you’re making progress in enhancing your candidate experience, consider defining some measurement techniques. We are happy to provide you with some ideas:
- Candidate Satisfaction Surveys: We already talked about this. Send surveys to your candidates. You can personalize them to the different recruiting stages. Use these insights to improve your recruitment process.
- Net Promoter Score (NPS): Similar to customer NPS, this metric assesses how likely candidates are to recommend your organization based on their experience. You can use a scale from 0-10 to get information and be able to calculate your NPS.
- Time-to-Fill: Monitor the time it takes to fill positions. You should continuously track the time especially after implementing different processes. A streamlined process can reduce time-to-fill, indicating an improved candidate experience.
- Offer Acceptance Rate: Track the percentage of candidates who accept job offers. A positive candidate experience often leads to higher acceptance rates.
Conclusion: How to Create an Expectional Candidate Experience
Creating an exceptional candidate experience has become more important than ever. By focusing on user-friendliness, communication, personalization, and continuous improvement, you can win top talents for your open roles and stand out as the employer of choice.
Remember that a candidate’s experience begins from the moment they interact with your organization, whether it’s through your website, job postings, or initial contact via an external recruiter. Consistency and a commitment to candidate-centric practices will set you apart from your competitors and help you grow a successful team.
If you are currently looking to improve your candidate experience and want to work with a recruiting consultancy that will support you with this, make sure to send us an email to [email protected]. We are happy to support you!
