There is so much talk today about ‘candidate experience’. Recruiters, HR professionals and hiring managers are trying to figure out the perfect recipe to deliver an awesome candidate experience. They look at processes, technology and people, and invest a lot of time and sometimes a lot of money in doing this. They explore social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn and others. They look at investing in swanky talent communities, talent management or social recruiting software. They look at top employer brands such as Adidas, Zappos, Facebook, Google and the many other so called “cool” companies to see what they can borrow as a best practice. When it’s all said and done I think people are over-thinking this, just a tad, and here’s why.
Have you ever asked what YOUR candidates really want? Forget about perks, compensation, swanky office, swag, etc… I’m talking about what your candidates want from you during the recruitment process? Let’s put this question another way. What is the one thing that has the most impact on
how people feel about something? It’s emotions. What impacts your emotions? Experiences. What are examples of experiences when talking about recruiting? Application process, phone conversations, email exchanges, in-person discussions, social media conversation, automated email responses, blogging, videos, and anything other activities that take place between candidate and employer.
In all of these experiences what could cause a candidate to feel negatively toward your organization? I would argue that the number one factor is inconsistent communication. Humans royally dislike not having information. Silence is probably the worst thing a Recruiter can do, and is probably the biggest factor causing a less than stellar candidate experience. It’s such an easy thing to do yet it can overshadow everything else that could have been great about the recruiting process, in a flip of a switch. It’s the human element that ultimately dictates how a candidate feels, not technology, or anything else tangible for that matter.
So, if you can get anything right in how your organization recruits make sure you’re in constant and consistent communication with your candidates. The positive and far-reaching ripple effect in doing this can be exponential. Just go to social media and you’ll see what I mean.