John’s story
John is thinking of changing jobs and even employers, so he keeps his eyes peeled on job boards. An offer comes up that suits him: good position, good conditions, good salary. He doesn’t know which organization is hiring, however, so he decides to investigate further, since he is interested.
Unfortunately, the Careers page of the employer’s website doesn’t tell him much. The whole website doesn’t say much about the organization’s values…
An optimist by nature, John figures he’ll find out more later, so he decides to apply. The process is a bit cumbersome: there are quite a few sections of form to fill out and documents to attach to the application. Nevertheless, John decides to persevere, because he really wants to have an interview.
And he gets one! Arrangements are made by e-mail. John finds this a little cold, but being tolerant, he gives them a chance.
The interview goes well. John is quite nervous, and the interviewers don’t make him feel particularly comfortable. Fortunately, John is an expert in stress management. He thinks he has a good chance of getting a call back, even though he hasn’t been informed about the rest of the process.
While he waits for news, John takes the opportunity to find out as much as he can about the organization; his professional network has some opinions. He’s heard that it’s difficult to fit in, that you’re left to your own devices when you arrive. Fortunately, John considers himself to be very independent and resourceful! So it doesn’t scare him, or at least not too much.
Time flies and John still hasn’t heard anything… Then, several weeks later, the employer writes back with an offer, sent as an attachment. It has to be signed and returned, or declined. John would have liked to talk to the employer and negotiate a few points, but the e-mail makes no mention of this possibility.
At this point, John feels that he has shown himself to be interested, optimistic, persevering, tolerant, an expert in stress management, self-reliant and resourceful enough to deserve more consideration as a candidate.
Disappointed and disinterested, John doens’t even bother to reply to the e-mail.
It’s safe to say that John has had a very bad candidate experience.
What is the candidate experience?
- The candidate experience is defined as all the feelings, impressions and sensations experienced by a candidate during all stages of recruitment, including:
- the organization’s visibility (on specialized websites, in social networks, on the Careers page of its website and in advertisements);
- the application (form and process);
- the communications (pre-selection, exchanges, interviews and follow-up with successful and unsuccessful candidates);
- the onboarding of new hires.
It’s hardly surprising that John didn’t accept the offer: according to IBM, he would have been 38% more likely to accept the job offer had he been satisfied with his recruitment experience.
Instead of starting a beautiful collaboration with a new asset, the employer is now faced with two problems:
- They must continue their recruitment efforts for the posted position;
- They risk having their reputation tarnished, since more than half of candidates share their negative experience with others, according to a report by ERE Media.
- ERE Media also tells us about other concepts that are important to you as an employer:
- No matter how attractive a job offer may be, 1 in 2 candidates will turn it down if they are dissatisfied with their candidate experience;
- Two-thirds of candidates believe that the best way for an employer to stand out when looking for talent is through a smooth recruitment process carried out within a reasonable time-frame;
- Once an offer has been received, around 60% of candidates expect to be able to negotiate their terms;
- 45% of candidates would like the potential employer to give them maintain contact, for example by offering them a tour of the workplace, to help them make a decision.
In short, making a good job offer isn’t enough. You have to nurture the candidate experience.
11 tips to improve the candidate experience
1- Optimize the application process
The key words: quick and easy. Create a simple Careers page that allows interested people to apply without any headaches. One or two clicks, on your website or on LinkedIn, should be enough.
And don’t forget to optimize for mobile browsing, as roughly a third of all job applications were went through cell phones in 2022!
2- Write relevant and powerful job postings
It’s not rocket science.
Just follow the guide!
3- Put yourself in your candidates’ shoes
Empathy is the key to making them feel at ease during an interview and thus obtaining the most relevant information about them.
4- Give candidates an overview of the recruitment process
As a general rule, people like to know where they’re going. So, take the time to explain the next steps in the recruitment process and situate them in time. As a bonus, it shows you’re not improvising.
5- Make sure candidates have been able to demonstrate their skills
There’s nothing worse than being turned down after an interview where you don’t feel you’ve been able to convey everything you have to offer.
6- Follow up quickly and regularly
Nobody likes waiting and uncertainty, so don’t drag your feet and say how soon you’ll be making a decision. If the time comes and you still haven’t made up your mind, let the candidates know. This is the bare minimum.
7- Thank candidates at every stage
Take the time to answer any questions they may have.
8- Give candidates your undivided attention during interviews
Phones and other interruptions are a no-no!
9- Be open to giving and receiving feedback
Obviously, you won’t be able to hire everyone at the end of the recruitment process. The feedback you give will explain your decision, and the feedback you receive will help candidates feel that their opinion counts, whatever the outcome of the recruitment.
10- Show your interest in a candidate
We’re still wondering who put it into the heads of employers that we shouldn’t show a candidate that we like them, because frankly, it’s wrong! By telling a potential talent that you’re interested in their application, you’re fueling their fire for the job and helping them continue considering your position even if they were to receive an offer from another employer.
11- Keep all candidates posted
They’ll like to know where they stand. You can take this opportunity to encourage them to keep in touch.
As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. So plant positive candidate experiences to garner applications and, ultimately, the right talent for each of your posted positions.