How to create a great candidate experience (and why it matters)

It’s no secret that we’re in the middle of a skilled labour shortage. For those of us recruiting, that means there’s a smaller pool of candidates who are actively looking, and in tight markets, that can often mean it’s necessary to try and lure people away from a role that they’re already in. With historic high employment numbers in Ireland (only 4.5% of the population are out of work), there’s no doubt that we need to consider the importance of a good candidate experience in order to secure the best people.

So what does that mean? If you don’t think about how you’ll make your prospective employees feel valued, engaged and heard throughout the recruitment process, they will look for alternative companies who do give them a good candidate experience. Obviously you don’t want that, which is where a targeted strategy comes in.

Let’s discuss what candidate experience is, why candidate experience matters and how to improve the candidate experience journey.

What is the candidate journey?

The candidate journey is the set of experiences jobseekers have as they go from application to interviewing at a company, to being hired. From the first application right through to onboarding, the experience must be consistent, responsive and engaged, with no shortfalls in communication or sensitivity.

Think of it like this: even if the candidate doesn’t get the job, you want them to walk away having gained positive associations with the company. Your goal is to ensure that those who don’t get the role have as positive an experience as those who do.

Why does the tone of the hiring process matter so much? Because it is impossible to separate the candidate experience from the work experience - one leads straight into the other. Furthermore, you may need to draw on those candidates at a later date, for future recruitment drives.  If those candidates have previously had a bad experience with your company, it would be very difficult to re-engage them.

How to create a great candidate journey

Naturally, now you’re wondering how to create a great candidate journey. Here are the most important steps for how to improve candidate experience.

1. Make the application easy

Any job application that requires multiple steps is going to be very off putting for a candidate. Make it easy for them to apply for the role online, either directly or through a portal.

2. Get back to them quickly

Being responsive is of paramount importance. How you treat your candidates reflects how you could potentially treat your employees, so it’s very important. The worst thing to happen to a candidate is to apply and hear nothing back. Get in touch quickly and frequently with updates, and if there is a delay, acknowledge it and give a reason.

3. Set expectations

An open and honest outline of the process and what your candidate should expect will set them up for a great experience with your company. Tell them the number of steps in the process, who they’ll meet, process timelines and any other details like style of interview / interview format, etc. Giving them as much information as possible will not just set them up for a good candidate experience, but it’ll also help to get them prepared and get the best interview out of them.

4. Get feedback from your recruiter

Many people wonder how to measure candidate experience, and the good news is, it’s pretty easy. Just talk to your recruiter who will help advise throughout the recruitment process, and will provide any feedback of issues or improvements you can make.

Get help crafting the candidate experience you want

A positive candidate experience is absolutely crucial to attracting talent in such a tight market. If your prospects enjoy themselves and feel supported throughout the process, you’ll leave the right kind of impression on them. Doing so will take time and effort at first, but before you know it, you’ll have a process in place that makes hiring easier and more effective, and leads to happier, longer-lasting employees overall.

If you’d like some help on how to create a great experience for your candidates, Savvi Recruitment is here for you. We can help review your current recruitment process and give you advice.