Improving the Candidate Experience

Improving the Candidate Experiencewww.highburyconsulting.com Improving the candidate experience is often stated as a top priority for talent acquisition teams.  The benefits of a positive experience are well documented.  Likewise, the downsides to poor candidate experiences are well known.  The reality is that too often, the experience falls short of expectations.  What are the hallmarks of a good candidate experience?ExpectationsMany organisations don’t know what a good candidate experience means to them.  Define what it means to you and what your intentions are.  Find out what candidates expect from your recruitment process.  Identify the gaps and take appropriate actions.A couple of specific points on expectations; the two main reasons candidates withdraw from the recruitment process are timeframes being ignored and the salary not matching expectations.Invest the time to develop specific job descriptions, manage expectations on salary and get back to people when you say you will get back to them (or sooner).FeedbackTraditionally employers ask for feedback only from new hires once they join the organisation.  The biases in such a snapshot, backward-looking exercise are apparent.  The emerging approach is a more continuous process based on the different stages of the recruitment lifecycle.  This gives an employer real-time information on what is working and what isn’t, enabling them to make data-driven decisions to improve the candidate experience.TransparencyEnsure that candidates understand your recruitment process, the reasons and timeframes for the various stages in your approach and the importance of each step as it relates to them individually.FairnessAny assessments and interview questions should be relevant to the role and the skills and experience required to perform the role.  Candidates become frustrated with blanket assessments seemingly used to tick a box.  Similarly, trick questions or irrelevant questions only serve to promote a negative image of your company.CommunicationThe majority of applicants never hear back from organisations.  That is an easy fix. Keep the candidate informed (even if it is a rejection), personalise communications and make it meaningful and be authentic. What are the benefits of a good experience?Increased applications, increased referrals, increased engagement, increased retention, improved employer branding, reduced time to hire, reduced costs, etc.Simply put, you are more likely to achieve your business goals if you offer a great candidate experience.  Investing in the resources to develop a first-class candidate experience is an excellent marketing opportunity.  It will give you the upper hand in attracting the very best people for your business.  If you are interested in discussing what an offshore career move may hold in store for you, we are always happy to answer your questions.Contact Highbury Consulting: Cayman: +1 345 3280555  London: +44 (0)20 8144 4576.  Email: info@highburyconsulting.comwww.highburyconsulting.com Your journey begins here.