As attracting and engaging talent continues to become more competitive, how recruiters and hiring teams design and deliver the candidate experience has become more crucial than ever. However, with the abundance of options at their disposal, today’s job seekers approach their job search with a consumer mind-set. According to the Talent Board, candidates share their positive recruiting experiences with their inner circles more than 81 percent of the time and their negative experiences 66 percent of the time. This means that companies that don’t prioritize the candidate experience could be doing more harm than good to their brand’s reputation and scaring away right-fit talent from their jobs.
We teamed up with College Recruiter to deliver the best tips on how to improve your candidate experience for entry-level applicants. Below, we highlight some effective strategies from the White Paper to ensure your company is delivering a fantastic candidate experience and making a lasting, positive impression on all candidates.
1) Evaluate Your Current Approach
Before you can begin improving on your recruitment processes, you need to have a clear idea of where you currently stand. Evaluate your procedures honestly by mapping the journey candidates currently have when they apply for a job.
2) Provide Clear and Accurate Job Descriptions
When advertising an open position, provide clearly written, jargon-free job descriptions that accurately represent what the position entails. Do not oversell the role or the organization, as this could lead to turnover among new hires when they realize that the job is not what they expected.
3) Improve Your Communication
Poor communication reflects badly on your brand and culture. If you implement only one change in your hiring process, better your communication by adding a personal touch. Rather than sending a generic auto-response or a stale message to candidates, make them feel like a person. For example, send them a link to your company blog, share videos or upcoming events, or simply add authenticity in your messaging by staying honest with frequent communications.
4) Ask for Feedback
Through questioning at the end of the interview process or a follow-up survey, ask applicants for feedback on their recruitment experiences with your organization. Not only does this show you care about them, but it shines a light on your strengths, as well as where improvements should be made in your recruitment channel.
5) Follow Up Early and Often
Promptly responding to candidates – with either good news or bad – will set you apart and demonstrate that you value your candidates’ time.
If you want to attract top talent, you should treat them like customers. If they are met with challenges and hurdles during the recruitment process, it can undermine your employer brand.
For more tips on how to improve your entry-level candidate experience, please download our newest White Paper in collaboration with College Recruiter here.
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