An interesting article by Kallidus. While some of the views and recommendations are focused on larger volume recruitment and related automation, key aspcects are around making life as easy as possible for candidates. Sometimes employers dont realise how hard they make it to apply for their jobs. Candidates want to feel informed with great insights into the job, expectations, the future and if the role could be a good fit. When they do apply, they want slick systems which make the process of applying easy and reliable, followed by personable and accurate updates on what is going on and what comes next. Its not hard nor costly to deliver this experience and it does not rely on paid for technology if administration is efficient and their is a commitment to good communications.
The candidate experience includes everything from a potential candidate’s initial interest in your organisation through to applying, interviewing, hiring and on-boarding. Candidate experience has been directly linked to recruiting performance, making it increasingly important to the success of talent acquisition.
There are two major frustrations for candidates: complexity to apply and lack of communication.
Is complexity to apply impacting your candidate application rates?
Ask yourself – ‘How easy is it for me to apply to my organisation’s roles?’. By reviewing your application process, you can identify areas for improvement.
Questions such as:
- Is the process mobile optimised?
- Are there unnecessary questions?
- Are forms long and complicated?
- Can CVs be uploaded with ease?
- Does the job description contain all the information they need?
This will encourage the right talent to apply to the right role. If application forms are unnecessarily complex, candidates may apply elsewhere – such as a competitor company.
Poor communication results in a poor candidate experience
Application confirmations, status updates and general information should be provided to candidates so that they are aware of their progress through their entire recruitment journey – 44% of candidates said that not knowing if they have been successful for a role significantly worsened their candidate experience.
34% of candidates suggest that more frequent communications will improve the application process. This could include an estimation of how long the application will take, informing interviewees of how long it will take to make a hiring decision, proving information regarding the vacancy’s closing date, and detailing the interview process that candidates should expect.
Candidates who are not hired but were treated well are more likely to apply again, to refer others to apply and to remain a customer or an admirer of the company.
Applicant Tracking System
More organisations are realising they can utilise technology to streamline their recruitment process, driving significant cost reductions and dramatically improving candidate experience. The most common software solution used is an Applicant Tracking System or ATS.
An ATS gives you greater control of the entire application process. You can ensure that every stage is mobile optimised and long forms can be broken down making them short and quick to complete. This removes many of the barriers at the application stage.
One of the key areas an ATS can improve candidate experience is that of communication. With automated notifications, your candidates can receive regular updates about their progressions with their application as well as additional information relevant to the next stage.Automated notifications ensure that candidates are kept up-to-date without impacting on HR resource.
Steer clear
- Long application forms
- Not updating candidates on hiring progress
- Minimal job descriptions
- Unclear application instructions
- No salary information
Top tips for recruiting success
- Optimise the application process for mobile devices
- Explain how the hiring process works
- Provide estimates of timings – from being offered an interview, to their interview outcome
- Short application forms
- Timely communication
Beware of poor candidate experiences
For a great experience, you need to ensure that your candidates have access to all the information they need from initial application to hire and onboarding. ATS empowers organisations to provide a great level of information and communication through the recruitment process. This helps to reduce time and cost to hire, removing the strain from HR resources whilst improving candidate interaction and experience.
Full article on HR Grapevine