A candidate’s experience when joining your company (or not) is a vital part of their experience of interacting with your business as both a brand and culture. Sometimes we can be in such a rush to hire that we forget we are dealing with people and how important their first impressions are – so what to do? How can advertising, Applicant Tracking Systems and career sites help?

 

Read on to see Webrecruit’s top tips for consideration when looking to improve the candidate journey and experience:

 

Applicant Tracking Systems – Doing the work for you!

 

Managing candidates via email or Excel spreadsheets is certainly doable, but perhaps a little archaic and prone to messages being missed and more! Therefore, having an Applicant Tracking System that can help you store, process, and manage candidates at a click of a few buttons is paramount.

 

You will want to think about how much can be automated and what still required human actions? For example, when filtering, automated emails being sent from your system to candidates to update them as to whether they have been shortlisted or even rejected, can save you time and keep candidates in the loop. You can ensure these emails are reflective of your brand, so messaging is consistent.

 

Furthermore, you will want to consider a system that is mobile/tablet friendly so candidates can apply for your roles on the go, which will certainly result in a higher level of completed applications!

 

Career Sites – Your shop window!

 

Many businesses do not have premises that are public facing or accessible, and it is important to consider how a career site can help your organization attract candidates and support the candidate journey and experience!

 

A full branded, culture-reflective career site can inform candidates about what they can expect from you as a potential employer, as well as what your strategic goals and people culture is; this, in turn, can help candidates understand how they can fit into your business, what they can bring to the table but also what they can expect from you, which can support with their interviews and assessments by being more informed about what you are about.

 

Feedback – Let’s be honest!

 

We might think we have the best candidate journey and experiences in the business, but how do we know for sure? It is important to factor into your processes how candidates themselves can help shape, finetune or even transform your candidate journey.
But how do you get real, honest feedback? Asking someone to fill out a form once they start in your organization, or even asking on the spot, may not bring about honest feedback about your candidate journey. The key to capturing more qualitative feedback is by issuing surveys via your Applicant Tracking System or another tool that provides individuals with the chance to provide anonymous feedback.

 

From there, make sure to look at the feedback you are receiving, especially keeping an eye for common themes and trends. Discuss feedback with your peers and hiring managers. Think long-term improvements as well as quick wins. The important thing is to use this information to improve your candidate journey and experiences whilst optimizing engagement with your hiring processes across your internal customers.