Candidate Experience: 9 Essential Things Hiring Managers Must Know

Candidate experience is a crucial aspect of the hiring process that shapes job seekers' perceptions of a company and its work environment. As the corporate landscape continues to evolve, hiring managers and talent acquisition specialists must prioritize providing a positive, smooth experience during interviews to attract top talent and enhance their company's reputation.

In this blog post, we will discuss 9 essential things all hiring managers must know to ensure a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

What is a candidate experience?

Candidate experience refers to how the job seekers have perceived the company, the employers, and the work environment. Most of these things are paid attention to during the hiring process. In today's ever-changing corporate world, jobseekers expect pleasant treatment during the hiring process they undergo. This immediately affects their view of the company. A poor experience will likely result in the candidate/s dropping out mid-way and telling their circle about the poor experience. 

Make the application process a smooth and organized process

Candidate experience begins at this very phase. An unorganized process simply does no good. Job seekers are usually busy, and an unmanageable process is the last thing they'd want to go through. Most times, a tedious process would make the candidates leave midway. This may push away potential top-shelf talents. The process can be made smooth by having an optimized career page, giving out clear instructions, easy application mediums, providing confirmation emails, and regular updates. A few creative and interactive measures can be taken to make the process lighter. A mobile-friendly process is highly suggestible as they are one click away button to all required domains.

Show what the hiring process is like

Candidates often wallow in anxiety as they don't know what most companies expect from them. The hiring process is more of a surprise factor to them. Providing the candidates with basic details as to what the company is looking for and basic things they should know, such as details of the interviewers and such, would not only make this a little easier for them but for the hiring managers as well. 

Communication is key

Just like any other social relationship requires communication to function; similarly, candidate communication is just as important too. Leaving candidates hanging with no updates is often what frustrates them and makes them turn away from the company. Hiring managers must make sure to keep their applicants informed through an email, call, or ATS. Keeping them in touch with regular check-ins and tasks does a great deal in creating a stellar candidate experience. Overcommunication is key. 

Have a structured and organized interviewing process

Asking the right questions and giving the right answers is vital not just for the candidate but the employer as well. A good interview helps the employer identify how the candidate would perform when hired. It's important for an interviewer to be fully prepared before an interview. Not doing so will make it look unprofessional. Keeping track of the candidates through a score sheet helps to make the right decisions. Be open to receiving and giving feedback during this process. Note down and analyse the received feedback. 

Working with a team

Running the entire process as a one-man process would be a tiring option. Bringing a team on board would be best. This also helps in decision-making and working towards creating a pleasant experience for both the hiring team and the candidate. Along with this, working with talent acquisition specialists may help with building a talent pool with the best talents. 

Study the Candidates

Before interviewing a candidate, hiring managers should do brief research before the candidate's interview. Through this, the interviewer learns about the interviewee's talents, strengths, and weaknesses. They can format questions and personalize the interview on that information. A personalized interview would help in understanding the candidate's skill sets. In addition to that, it gives a clear insight into whether or not they're apt for the role. The interviewee may also feel good about the fact that the interviewer has invested time into looking at their profile. 

This is not just about them

Candidate experience is not limited to the candidate. It also has to do a great deal with the company as well. If the candidate's experience has been an unpleasant one, the company is most likely to receive bad reviews and fewer applicants for their jobs. One candidate's bad experience can influence a multitude of other applicants and drive them away. If the experience has been a pleasant one, the company is most likely to receive the best of the best talents.

Tell them what, why, and how

Most candidates don't know why they have been rejected, and they often look for an explanation. While most companies shy away from doing so, it's always important to address them and give them constructive feedback. This can help them mend their mistakes and analyse where they went wrong. It could help them a great deal in future job searches and reflects well upon the company. In addition to this, doing this will increase the referral value of the company. 

Ask them what, why, and how

After the entire hiring process, getting a review back from the candidates can be helpful for the hiring managers to see how they can improve and what can be done better. The usage of ATS can be highly beneficial here. It also shows that the company is willing to take in constructive feedback and values the opinion of the job seekers.

Partner with TASC for an Unmatched Candidate Experience

Providing a positive candidate experience is essential not only for job seekers but also for the overall success and reputation of your company. By prioritizing candidate experience, you'll attract top talent and elevate your brand within the market. To achieve this goal, partnering with a leading HR recruitment solutions specialist like TASC can be invaluable. With over 15 years of local and global recruitment experience in the MENA region, we understand our candidates and maintain a vetted database of 8,000,000+ skilled and motivated candidates ready to join your team and elevate your business.

Our expertise ensures that we source and onboard candidates while maintaining a positive candidate experience at all times. Contact us now to learn more about our hiring processes and how we can help your company thrive.