Your candidate experience directly impacts how successful you will be in attracting top talent to your organization. It drives the effectiveness of your employer brand, which ultimately affects your bottom line. Your candidates are your most important customers – and they won’t hesitate to “shop elsewhere” unless you provide them with a winning experience.

A Negative Experience Leaves Collateral Damage

Recent research results underline the damage that can result from a negative candidate experience. Among survey respondents:

• 42% of job seekers said they would never again seek employment at a company where they had a bad hiring experience.
• 22% said they would actively tell other candidates not to pursue work at such an organization.
• 9% said they would tell others not to purchase products or services from that company.
• 78% said they would share their negative experience with friends and family.
• 34% said they would share their experience on social media.

Are you listening now?

What Causes a Bad Experience?

Individuals who have had negative candidate experiences report that they were caused by:

• Unclear job application instructions.
• Lengthy, time-consuming applications.
• Minimal or vague job descriptions.
• Lack of direct links to applications.
• Absence of confirmation emails.
• Long hiring processes.
• Lack of notice to candidates when a position was filled.
• Absence of salary information.
• Inadequate process for following up with company recruiters.
• Lack of information about perks and benefits.

The Positive Impact of a Good Experience

At every stage of your hiring process, it’s critical to provide candidates with top-notch customer service. In the long run, they may become your company’s most valuable assets, so it’s well worth this up-front investment. Even in the case of those who are not hired, if they are treated well, they’ll be more likely to apply again or to refer other high performers to your organization.

To improve your overall candidate experience:

• Keep communication lines open. Maintain ongoing contact with candidates in your pipeline. Provide status updates and notify them of any unplanned delays in your process. Send confirmation emails and respond promptly to any and all questions.
• Make sure your process is user friendly. Start with a clear, detailed job description. Include salary and benefits information. Keep your application form and procedure short and efficient. To test your process, go through it yourself. Would you apply again?

CPS Recruitment^® understands the challenges you face as you build your winning team and industry-leading employer brand. We promise a higher standard of excellence as you maintain your competitive edge. Contact us today so we can help you take the lead when it comes to talent management and the optimal candidate experience.