Show some love: creating the ultimate candidate experience

The strength of your candidate experience will change the game for your company.

When candidates feel valued, they’re more likely to:

• Stick around through the hiring and onboarding process
• Be honest about their preferences and other job offers
• Hit the ground running once contracts are signed

But, how do you make sure your candidates are getting the right amount of info and personalised attention? Here are the key areas you should focus on:

Employer branding

Employer branding is the thing that sets you apart from your competitors. It’s anything that defines how candidates see you as an employer.

Your employer brand is built on things like employer reviews posted on jobsites, your social media feeds and general reputation in the industry. It tells candidates about your:

• Values
• Personality
• Company culture

Having a strong employer brand will help candidates warm to your business from the off, and make sure they know exactly what they’re getting into.

Even if they’re not looking for a job right now, when the time comes, they’ll make a beeline for you.

Candidate communications

Candidate communications become the foundations of your relationship with available talent.

Effective communications rely on saying the right thing at the right time, and setting candidate expectations accurately.

There are key times when you should be contacting clients from the point they make initial contact through to when they sign on the dotted line.

Your messages should be clear, polite and transparent. Don’t leave it too late, or they might find something elsewhere.

The golden rule? Communicate with your candidates the way you would like to be spoken to.  

Training/onboarding

If things start going sideways at this stage, you’ll be back on the job market quicker than you’d hoped.

Make sure HR and the hiring manager check in before the first training session to ask whether they’ve got any questions or concerns.

Take the time to create a schedule that will guide them right through their training period; something they can easily look at if they ever feel lost in the process.

Going above and beyond

Here are a few extra ideas to help you go above and beyond for candidates:

• Feedback: At the very least, candidates should be told when they haven’t been successful and what set the chosen candidate apart. Go above and beyond by giving them enough detail about their skills and interview technique that they can improve next time.
• Welcome: A little welcome message can go a long way. Usually the preserve of C-suite execs, it might help them feel at home if you send out a group email with a brief introduction to them and their skills.  
• Personalisation: It’s all too easy to be tempted by bulk communication tools. But, a bulk email can still be spotted a mile off, so taking the time to create personalised communications might well help candidates warm to you.

Creating the ultimate candidate experience is so close you can touch it. Use these handy tips, and you’ll create a winning formula in no time.