A FRESH CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY

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You never really understand a candidate until you consider things from their point of view, not until you climb into their skin and walk around in it. Nowadays with review sites like Glassdoor, it’s not just about the candidate selling themselves to you, but also you often must sell your vacancy to attract the best and brightest.

The “candidate experience” is more than just a buzz phrase, it is an emotional journey spanning the entire recruitment process. In fact, 73% of employers questioned in Josh Bersin’s Business of Talent newsletter of 2016 stated improving candidate experience was a priority, ranking in at number one, above both diversity and assessment investment. Here are four guidelines to enhance yours:

1. Stand out from the crowd

Having a distinctive candidate experience is critical. With increasing competition for talent, you must differentiate yourself from the competition. Imagine the candidate applying for a variety of jobs, and only have so much time to put effort into a select few. Making your vacancy stand out among the noise is the crucial first step in the recruitment process. Shape the perception of your brand by designing the experience to align with your company ethos. Are you a high-tempo brand? Then cut out the pictures of men in suits and replace them with fresh and engaging graphics. Are you an up and coming start-up? Then take advantage of social media and get the local community involved. Put effort into your employer brand just as you would for your product/service brand.

2. Make your assessments engaging

Assessments are an efficient and cost-effective way to screen candidates before the interview process. But they also lead to a major concern in premature drop-outs. Imagine the candidate fresh out of school or University, having just completed exams. Taking a series of rigorous tests isn’t exactly the perfect welcome, especially if the questions cause added stress. Here’s the thing though: assessments don’t have to be traditional! The exciting world of gamification has consistently topped HR tech trends in the last five years and boasts dropout rates as low as 1%. Compared to traditional assessments they are more engaging, while still maintain the validity and reliability for you to put confidence in the results.

3. Transparency is a two-way street

Imagine the candidate excited to be hired in a new role, only to find out the culture and environment were nothing like that which was represented. Candidates are not commodities, so tell them the truth and they will be more likely to reciprocate. Communicate clearly what the role’s expectations will be, because it is better for everyone to be aware of all the positives and negatives from the start. A miserable employee will underperform at the very least, and an employee who leaves soon after hire will no doubt add unnecessary hiring costs. The perfect candidate will embrace your honesty and join on their own terms.

4. Communication is key

Sure, it can be a struggle to get back to candidates when it’s smack in the middle of grad season, but leaving a candidate hanging is never the way to go. Make sure the candidate knows where they’re at in the selection progress in a timely manner and set reasonable times and deadlines for interviews. Imagine the ideal candidate, already working hard in a full-time job; having to rush for next day interviews during business hours can be hectic to say the least. Not to mention those who like to take the time to prepare and research your company and people. Calls don’t have to be just for good news, providing verbal feedback can help the candidate develop and leave a positive impression of your company’s hiring practices. When it comes to rejections, provide tailored responses if you can, and if not make sure you don’t leave it too late for an automated or generic response.

Follow these steps in tandem with Talegent’s assessments and you’ll have the right candidate lined up to join your team in no time.

If you want to go further, our Gamify assessment enables you to identify and attract the best candidates while providing a fun and dynamic experience. Using state-of-the-art assessment technology, Gamify will engage candidates like never before! Click here to start enhancing you candidate experience today.