We all know that candidate experience does not begin with the actual job application. It starts way before. Browsing the job advertisement, gathering data on the brand reputation, reading testimonials, reviewing the position requirements, assessing company values, understanding positional fit, etc are all very critical parts of the candidate experience and can play even a greater role than the application itself when it comes to finding the right talent. Thus, designing a holistic and thorough candidate experience that takes into consideration all the pre-application stages and emotions will increase your effectiveness greatly. Below are some important considerations at each stage:
Job Advert - It is an ad not a description!
The ultimate goal of a job advert is not to post job responsibilities online. The goal must be to attract attention, spark interest, provide valuable information about the company values, expectations, culture and lay out a simple yet powerful value proposition for success for the potential talent. It is an ad after all. We often treat it as a mere job description, which it ain’t. Having an interesting, well prepared, content rich, engaging micro-site for your open position will enable you to showcase not only the expectations of the job, but also your company values, achievements, culture and the required fit. Testimonial videos, real life examples, case studies are great tools to convert interest into a motivated application. Here is one one of our microsites for inspiration.
Recruitment Steps - Automate not to placate
If you care about candidate experience, timely updates are a must. Being as transparent as possible, and keeping your candidates informed about where they are in the recruitment process is essential for building loyalty.
Creating a standardized procedure using automatic flows for pre-screening and evaluation process, ensures fairness and equality for all candidates. Alomost most next generation smart ATSs like Peoplise have this simple, yet powerful notification automation. It not only allows candidates to go through the pre-evaluation, exam, and video interview processes all in one platform, but also automatically notifies candidates on their status at each and every stage, saving you time and effort.
Offer/Rejection - An art form
Surely no one likes rejection, leaving candidates in the dark about the process without alerting them can result in a loss of candidates as well as a negative sentiment that transcends the experience and affects your brand, as well. According to a survey conducted by Futurestep division of Korn Ferry only 19% would remain a customer of a company if they had a bad experience as a candidate.
In case you decide that a particular candidate is not a fit with your company, he or she should be informed in a timely manner. Writing rejection letters is an art in itself. Check out our blog on how to write a candidate rejection letter that improves your employer brand.
Onboarding - Application ain’t over yet
The first three months of the new employment might as well be treated as part of the application process, since the newcomer is still making their mind whether to fully join the company or not. Internalizing the new culture, adapting to the new role, gauging reception and inclusion with the new manager and the team is still very much part of the recruitment decision. It takes a coordinated, well careogrified and inclusive orientation program to engage and win your talent’s heart and mind.
And it is not as hard as it seems. Again, most smart ATSs come with engaging, easy to use onboarding software to enable this critical transition. You can meet & greet the new employee, gather documents, assign tasks, monitor and report the progress easily with the new automated employee journey designing software. Don’t forget to include critical cultural and engagement related activities as well as legal and administrative tasks. It takes a village to onboard talent and good software to organize the villagers.
Where to start
Focusing on what emotions you want your candidates and new employees to experience on each and every step of the process and then finding the right tool to automate the steps will help you create an engaging, positive experience for all. Enhance the experience, enhance the brand.