11 Candidate Experience Best Practices To Elevate Your 2024 Recruitment
Creating a positive candidate experience is essential for your recruitment and employer branding efforts — now more than ever.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were a total of 9 million job openings across the United States alone. This confirms that the competition for talent is as high as ever, with many organizations struggling to attract and retain the talent they need.
Job seekers have ample choice when it comes to selecting an organization they want to work for, so how can you make sure you stand out from the crowd? Creating a great candidate experience is a good place to invest your efforts.
This article will explore some of the best practices for building a strong candidate experience in your company today.
Contents
What is the candidate experience?
11 candidate experience best practices to follow
FAQ
What is the candidate experience?
Candidate experience refers to how job seekers perceive your organization and brand through the entire hiring journey, from awareness to the interview process all the way through to onboarding. Every step of this journey allows employers to foster strong candidate relationships and show potential candidates why they should work for you rather than another company.
Each candidate’s interaction during the recruitment process contributes to a positive or negative overall experience. According to a pulse survey by LinkedIn, 78% of candidates report that the overall candidate experience they receive indicates how the company values its people.
Delivering a positive candidate experience is likely to result in happier candidates and employees. 70% of candidates who experience an exceptional onboarding process are 2.6 times more likely to be “extremely satisfied” at work and stay longer in the company.
Conversely, a negative candidate experience can be harmful for your company and reputation. 77% of candidates who have a negative overall candidate experience say they will share it with their personal networks. 50% refuse to do business with that company again and are likely to discourage their friends and family from buying your products too.
11 candidate experience best practices to follow
So, how can you ensure you create the best possible experience for all of your candidates, regardless of whether you hire them or not? Here are some candidate experience best practices to follow.
1. Write clear job descriptions
What information do your candidates most care about? Make sure you focus on the role’s key responsibilities, what makes it exciting, and what a typical day might look like. Also, be sure to include a salary range, any enticing benefits on offer, qualifications, and experience needed, and if the role is hybrid, remote, or fully on-site.
Show candidates what success would look like in this role and how that contributes to the wider success of the company. When candidates know what is expected of them, they can better determine if they’re a strong match for the role.
Keep your language and descriptions clear, without any jargon. Words like “team player” and “passionate” are often overused and have lost their meaning, so try to put a fresh take on your job descriptions. How can you infuse your brand values into your copy?
HR tip
- Use short sentences and bullet points for easy-to-read job descriptions
- Use inclusive language that appeals to everyone
- Create separate lists for your “requirements” and your “nice to haves” to prevent strong candidates from feeling unqualified
2. Make it easy for candidates to learn about your company
Candidates will typically research a company before they apply for a position with you so they can gather information on your values, culture, achievements, and more. This is where your careers page or site matters most and is a powerful employer branding tool.
Make sure your careers page is easy to locate, looks great, and is easy to navigate on all devices. Regularly update information and remove anything that is no longer needed or outdated. This is a great place to add video testimonials from your existing employees so that candidates can get a real feel for a typical day at your company.
HR tip
- Enlist the help of a copywriter or content marketer at your organization to ensure your careers site is the best it can be
- Use social media to give candidates real-time updates on the company.
3. Leverage technology
Use technology (where appropriate) to improve your candidate experience in recruitment. For example, find the right technology to screen applicants based on desirable qualifications, skills, and behaviors. An applicant tracking system can help you manage a large volume of candidates and resumes. Automated recruitment marketing with AI can help you find the right channels to source the best candidates.
Robotic process automation (RPA) bots can take over some repetitive tasks, including performing screenings and keeping candidates updated on the status of their applications. Video interviews are a great way to streamline your hiring journey, stay in front of top talent, and reduce your time to hire.
HR tip
- Make sure your technology accommodates candidates with disabilities, for example, the use of alternate text, content presented in multiple ways, and assistive technologies
- Don’t forget when leveraging technology to ensure your communication with candidates is personalized where relevant.
4. Ensure an easy application process
Keep your application process short and simple to prevent candidates from exiting halfway through. Offer candidates the ability to submit their existing resume on LinkedIn as part of their application — most job seekers are on LinkedIn, and this saves them time.
Avoid unnecessary hurdles. For example, don’t ask your candidates to log in or register to your own system in order to apply because this could discourage people from following through. It’s best practice to keep your application to one page and let them know what they’ll need before they start to avoid surprises.
HR tip
- If you are asking candidates to update files (such as their resume, cover letter, or portfolio) be generous with your file size limit because these files can often be substantial
- Only make a field on your application form “required” if it’s absolutely essential
- Keep your application mobile-friendly.
5. Provide clear and regular communication
One of the best practices for delivering a positive candidate experience to everyone is to focus on your communication. Ideally, you want to be transparent in your communication and ensure that you keep that line of communication open and regularly update candidates on their application status.
Invite candidates to a phone or video interview as soon as possible to ensure you don’t lose out on top talent. Likewise, send a personalized rejection email as quickly as you can to candidates you aren’t progressing any further through your recruitment funnel. This will set you apart from most organizations and show candidates that you value them.
HR tip
- Aim to respond to candidates who have applied for a position with you within two working days
- Email candidates using a human email address (e.g., [email protected]) and sign them from a real person to humanize the process
- If someone sends you a follow-up or thank you note, respond to it.
6. Talk to your candidates before you ask them to complete a test
It’s common for a lot of roles to ask candidates to complete a skill, behavior, or personality test to see who is qualified for the job and narrow your candidate pool. However, you don’t want to spring an assignment on your candidates without warning. This requires time on their part to prepare for it and complete it.
Help make your candidates feel more comfortable by explaining the test or task, what’s involved, and how long it will take. Make yourself available for any questions, and be sure to thank them when they complete or submit a task.
HR tip
- Explain to candidates why you’re giving them a particular assignment and how they will be assessed
- Send candidates their results or feedback as soon as possible (automate this if you can) so that they know how they performed and where they can improve next time.
7. Deliver a good interview experience
Deliver a great experience at the interview for all candidates, even if they don’t progress to the next stage. This starts with ensuring candidates have information about what to expect from a virtual or in-person interview.
Ensure they have as much information as possible, including the time and location, the duration, the dress code (if any), who will be present, and the interview structure. If your interview is taking place on-site, you’ll need to give candidates information about traveling to your office, how to enter the building, where to go, and who to ask for.
During the interview, make sure candidates are given your full attention and made to feel welcome and comfortable. Explain the interview process again to them, and take notes during the interview. Give them a chance to ask questions. At the end, thank them for their time, let them know what the next steps will be and when you’ll be in touch with a decision.
HR tip
- Make a list of job-relevant interview questions to ask
- Arrange for a member of staff to greet the candidate as soon as they arrive on-site
- Maintain strong eye contact with the candidate and be friendly and approachable.
8. Close the loop with candidates
Nobody enjoys hearing that they haven’t been chosen for a job they were hoping to get, but what’s even worse is not hearing back from the company at all. This takes away the closure that candidates need and creates a negative experience.
Disgruntled candidates are likely to leave negative reviews on sites like Glassdoor or share feedback on social media channels. So, whether a candidate has been successful or not, let them know the status of their application as quickly as possible.
HR tip
- Assign each applicant a single contact who they can reach out to and ask questions to minimize delays
- If you tell a candidate you are keeping them in mind for future vacancies, make sure you have the infrastructure set up to keep track of them (like an ATS).
9. Give and receive feedback
94% of candidates would like feedback from their interviews, yet only 41% report receiving it. Whether a candidate is successful or not, giving them constructive feedback creates a positive experience because it shows that you’re kind, value their time, and care about their future.
It’s equally important to be open to receiving feedback as an employer and hear from candidates what you’re doing well and what could be improved. Sending out a candidate satisfaction survey can help you gather valuable information and show candidates that you are open to suggestions.
HR tip
- Be specific, transparent, and kind when giving feedback to candidates
- Ask candidates for honest feedback and be prepared to receive the same (and act on it).
10. Bridge the gap between the acceptance and onboarding process
Once you’ve chosen a candidate(s), let them know as quickly as possible and stay in touch with them regularly before their first day at work. Top candidates are likely to receive multiple offers. So, creating a positive candidate experience and going the extra mile to make them feel welcome and part of the team even before they arrive can really help sway their decision in your favor.
Send them important information that can help them settle into their new role. For example, a checklist for their first day or week, introduce them to their team, and even pair them up with a buddy who will be their go-to guide at work.
HR tip
- Send out a company “swag bag” to get your new employee excited about their first day
- Make sure they have a point of contact for any questions that arise during this time
- Have their manager and team reach out (via email or on a Zoom call).
11. Create a welcoming onboarding experience
Finally, on our list of candidate experience best practices is to provide a brilliant onboarding experience for your new employees. According to a Gallup poll, only 12% of employees feel their organization does a good job onboarding new employees.
Employees with a negative onboarding experience are likelier to be unhappy at work and look for a new job. Paperwork and equipment can be handled before the employee’s first day, which should be reserved for more personal interactions such as meeting the team face to face, having a tour of the office, etc.
HR tip
- Make sure your employee has everything they need to begin their job on day one (laptop, mobile phone, email address, access to the company network, etc.)
- Don’t forget about remote employees — have a virtual onboarding process in place
- Ensure your existing team knows about the new employees and makes them feel welcome.
Key takeaway
Following these best practices can help you deliver a seamless candidate experience to all candidates, regardless of who you hire, and will set you apart from your competitors in a challenging labor market. People are your greatest asset, so be sure to show them they are valued.
FAQ
The ideal candidate experience is a clear and fast hiring process that leaves candidates feeling cared for, valued, and respected whether they receive a job offer or not.
Building a positive candidate experience is about ensuring every stage of your recruitment funnel is efficient, your communication with candidates is clear and regular, and you are open to giving (and receiving) candid feedback.
Measure candidate experience by looking at metrics like application bounce rates, career site conversion rate, application completion rate, application-to-offer rate, reputation metrics, interview-to-offer rate, time per stage, offer acceptance rate, and candidate satisfaction.
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