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Candidate Experience: Does it really matter?


“Candidate experience” is candidates’ overall perception of a company’s recruiting process.

It is the way they experience the whole process, from sourcing and screening to interviewing and rejection, or hiring and finally on-boarding.

This means that it involves the whole candidate journey - all 6 stages through which job seekers go through: Awareness, Consideration, Interest, Application, Selection and Hire.

What constitutes a bad candidate experience?

There are 3 main causes of why a candidate would mention he/she had a poor candidate experience with a hiring company:

1. Unpleasant Interview: 83% of candidates admit that they can change their mind about a role or a company they once liked because of a negative interview experience.

2. Complicated Job Application: 60% of candidates quit filling out online job applications because of their length or complexity.

3. Lack of Response from Employer: 75% of candidates never hear back from employers. Even if they do (in case of rejection), they usually receive a generic email but when they ask for further feedback, they never receive it.

How to fix it!

In any problem, there is a solution. In order to keep a strong brand name and provide the best candidate experience to candidates, check some solutions below:

Unpleasant Interview:

  • Use the interview invitation email template to inform candidates about all necessary details

  • Conduct the right job interview type & ask the right Qs

  • Train your interviewers to deliver a professional and pleasant interview

Complicated Job Application:

  • Allow various application options (let your candidates apply only by uploading their resume or via their social media profiles)

  • Eliminate creating accounts in order to apply

Lack of Response from Employer:

  • Communicate at every step of the process

  • Use email templates from Engage to ease your work

  • Send personalised emails to candidates when needed

Does it really matter that much?

The effects of a candidate’s negative experience can lead to a broader impact on the employer’s ability to recruit or sell products:

You were once a candidate too..
And probably will be again in the future!

Remember a few months or even years ago? You applied for some roles, right? How was your candidate experience? How would you want it to be?

Now, go back to your candidates and treat them as such!

*Special thanks to: https://recruitingdaily.com/candidate-experience-for-dummies/

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