Why Candidate Experience Matters More than Ever

Why Candidate Experience Matters More than EverWhy Candidate Experience Matters More than EverWhy Candidate Experience Matters More than Ever Doucette, Director, Global Talent Acquisition People define candidate experience in many ways. In short, its the collective results of all engagements and interactions that you have with candidates during the marketing and hiring process. Many of these interactions are technology-driven such as your career site, job postings, social media interactions and the like while other interactions, such as interviews, are more personal.Regardless of the format, one theme unites all of these activities communication. The best recruiters that Ive worked with both past and present have always provided candidates with consistent communication whether the news welches good, bad or ugly.Given the scope of these activities, imagine if just half of the candidates you interacted with remained interested in future opportunities at your company. If that were the case, do you think you would have an issue finding talent? Thats the power of delivering a great candidate experience. Lets dig into some data that shows why the candidate experienceis more important than ever.Numbers Dont LieNo other organization is more focused on candidate experience than The Talent Board. Their primary mission is to facilitate the evolution of the employment candidate experience. Since 2011, this non-profit group organizes the CandE Awards and releases their findings in an annual report.Their 2015 CandE Research Reportfound that33% of candidates with a negative experience intended to share the news publically via social media41% of candidates who had a poor overall experience intended to take their loyalty elsewhereKeep in mind that candidates will share their experiences regardless if they were good or bad.In fact, in todays connected world, candidate opinions are quickly disseminated and shared, primarily through online reviews. In this context, companies would be wise to manage online reviews and proactively addressnegative online reviews. This engagement is the crux of a meaningful employer brand. On the positive side, the CandE report found that of the candidates who had a positive candidate experience62% will increase their relationship with a brands products and networks78% would refer someone in the future62% would apply againMost significant were these findings86% of candidates report that not receiving a basic application confirmation email creates a bad candidate experience22% of candidates who received an email said the communication was weak and inconsistent73% reported never having received a communication at allClearly, good communication is the driver of a positive candidate experience. In fact, according to the Talent Board survey, candidates rated communication as the number one way to engage talent.What exactly are the characteristics of good communication as part of the candidate experience? Your communications sho uld instill trust between you and your candidates be consistent and honestAvoid making promises you cant keep. Conversely, dont dance around truthsAbove all, be clear. Minimize extraneous words. Express gratitude for the candidates time and interest in your companyRemember every interaction within the candidate experience will impact your companys overall brand, favorably or not. A well-written confirmation email can help you build a community of people who remain interested in your company for years to come, regardless of the outcome of their job application. The All-Important InterviewIf a great candidate experience is about good communication, the interview is a crucial opportunity.Very often, as I sit in interviews, I can feel the interviewer forcing the candidate to sell themselves. This approach is both outdated and ineffective. The old ask and tell interview style doesnt provide meaningful information to the candidate or the employer.Interviewing is a two-way street you hav e to sell as much as you tell. Focus instead on creating a solution-based conversation (or what some refer to as behavioral interview questions ) in which you present the aufgabe and discuss the solution with the candidate.The idea of a candidate experience isnt necessarily new or even innovative. In fact, its been discussed and analyzed for years. Isnt it time to take a closer look at how you can improve your own candidate experience?Author BioMatt Doucette serves as the Global Head of Talent Acquisitions at Monster. In this capacity he oversees the companys recruitment delivery and operations initiatives, supporting all departmental functions, from sales to technology. Additionally, Matt leads management efforts for advanced development of strategic recruitment initiatives, recruitment delivery, talent success and talent strategy.Prior to joining Monster, Matt served as a Recruiter for Allscripts, helping to improve recruitment delivery across multiple functions and also acted as a compliance expert for the Talent Team.Matt is a proud veteran and served in the United States Marine Corps as an Infantryman where he held responsibilities with small unit leadership. He credits his leadership and teamwork experiences during this time as the foundation of his career success.