Enhancing the Candidate Experience

During the recruiting process, often the goal is to cast the widest net possible of candidates, which can mean more people to communicate with and manage. Though typically reaching out to a large number of candidates and following up can be a daunting undertaking, it’s necessary that you as the hiring manager or recruiter treat all applicants considerately, even if it does take a bit more effort.

What are we talking about here? THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE – maybe one of the biggest buzz phrases in the HR industry today, but nonetheless a very worthwhile consideration.

It is an important topic because, based on a study, 52% of applicants said they felt they were not treated as individuals and 58% said they did not feel informed on their own job search. Take a look at some of the other surprising statistics in the infographic from Mystery Applicant below:

Obviously the employer cannot give every applicant a job to keep the applying candidate happy, but you can show your appreciation by respecting their time and interest in the job and company. It is important to be effective communicators, as you would hope your applicants would be toward you. Personalize communication to applicants using tools like our About Us branding features and ivMessage – studies show that people are much more likely to remember content and take action after viewing a video than they are most other forms of communication, AND video can completely personalize the whole interviewing process for all candidates.

Every company strives for the best service for current and potential clients and customers, and job applicants deserve to be treated similarly – chances are they are already advocates of your products. And as advocates, they can help spread your good message or spread the news of their poor experience with your company that they once liked – 83% share their experience with family and friends and 64% will take it to social media sites. Based on the interview process for the particular company, only 37% of respondents said they would recommend the company – a pretty good indication that the candidate experience can not only affect the quality of recruits, but also have negative effects on the organization’s reputation and revenue!

Do you feel confident in your company’s application and interview process for all candidates? Well, have you asked your candidates? The infographic above says only 11% of companies ask for the candidate’s feedback, even though it’s pretty simple to set up a short online survey using Qualtrics, Survey Monkey or even an email – even if the candidate chooses not to participate, you are still showing your interest in their feedback. Tools such as our pre-recorded video interviews can automatically distribute a link to such feedback surveys at the end of each interview, removing the extra time of sending a link to each candidate, while still reaping the benefits of garnering feedback.

Another reason to reevaluate the candidate experience? 46% of candidates rate their experience as poor or very poor, while just 5% say the process is excellent. That sounds less than ideal. In contrast, a case study done with our client SoloCup found that using video interviewing tools can help improve those responses as 58% of candidates surveyed said they found the video interviewing process “Super Cool!”

That will make you think twice about your hiring process, right? We aren’t here to criticize your company’s interview process, but rather are interested in helping you improve your communication and interview strategies through our video solutions. If we can help, we would love to hear from you!

Happy Interviewing!