Why providing a positive candidate experience is a key part of recruitment

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The recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) have said that employers must pay more attention to their recruitment process if they are to provide a positive candidate experience.

The announcement came shortly after a joint survey revealed that 67% of HR and hiring managers said that attracting the right people to their roles is an extremely important part of recruitment. Despite this, only 20% admitted to ensuring that candidates receive a high quality experience and just 14% rank communicating their brand to applicants as a priority.

With 42% of employers saying they are instead focusing on reducing the cost of recruitment and 39% being more concerned about reducing the time it takes to hire, REC’s Chief Executive, Kevin Green commented:

“An over-emphasis on cost and time to hire risks over-commodification of the supply chain. This can often lead to unintended consequences such as a poor candidate experience of the recruitment process.”

This may offer some explanations as to why so many employers complain about not being able to attract high quality candidates. Especially when you consider the fact that a whopping 88% of job seekers who were questioned by Monster said that they are more likely to buy from or use a company that gave them a positive candidate experience – regardless of whether or not they were offered the role.

Additionally to this, the survey also found:

• 97% of candidates would refer others to the organisation if they had a positive experience with them
• Even if they were unsuccessful with the first job they applied for, 95% would re-apply if another role came up at a later date
• Half of candidates will tell their social connections about a positive experience with a company

Whether you’re struggling with the sheer volume of applications, your recruitment team is pushed for time or you’re trying to cut back on costs wherever you can, creating a positive candidate experience isn’t always easy but it is possible when you incorporate the following guidelines.

Communication

Throughout the entire recruitment process, communication is vital. If you don’t have time to call or email every applicant you’re dealing with, direct them to a company career site or dedicated social media page which explains your recruitment process.

If you want it to be more personal but you simply can’t dedicate the time to it, employ a recruitment agency to help you. They can liaise directly with the candidates and do everything from letting them know they’ve been unsuccessful to setting up interviews and offering them the job.

Expectation Management

With some recruiters receiving hundreds of applications for every job posting, sometimes it really isn’t possible to address each and every one individually. Setting clear expectations from the beginning can help to prevent any bad feelings however.

• Send an automated ‘Thank You’ message so the candidate knows their application has been received
• Advise how long it’s likely to take to receive a response. If you can’t get back to everyone individually then let them know that if they don’t hear from you within ‘x’ days then their application has been unsuccessful
• Provide information on the next steps. For example, first interview, second interview, any tests that will be undertaken and references

If you would like any help or further information about recruitment and providing a positive customer experience, please feel free to contact Choralis Consulting and we will be more than happy to help.