Why the Candidate Experience is Everything When Hiring Top Talent
There are some things that happen during the hiring process that companies cannot control in their quest to secure the top talent in the industry.
However, there are also things that companies have 100% control over, and one of those things is the candidate experience.
Many companies are borderline neglectful when it comes to the candidate experience during the hiring process. Even if they’re not neglectful, they often fail to “wow” top talent enough to effectively woo them. That is, these companies do not invest enough time, energy, and thought into making the experience the best that it can be.
Unfortunately, there is a price to be paid for this approach, and that price is this: superstars will be turned off by a candidate experience that isn’t engaging and satisfying. There are a few reasons for this, which are listed below.
Top candidates don’t need another job; they want another job, which means they can afford to be selective. In short, they’re waiting to see if your company disqualifies itself.
Top candidates are more than likely fielding multiple offers, which means they’re comparing your candidate experience to that of another company. You’re competing for the right to hire the best.
Top candidates (and all candidates, really) view their experience during the hiring process as what they can expect if they come to work for your company. If their experience is lackluster, they’ll expect that their employment will be lackluster, as well.
It should be noted that the above reasons are specific to that particular candidate. It doesn’t stop there, though.
That’s because that star candidate knows other star candidates, and if they have a negative experience with your company during the recruiting and hiring process, what do you think they’ll tell their colleagues and peers? One lost candidate just turned into multiple lost candidates.
Here are some action steps to take to ensure that the experience your company provides is a positive one:
1. Analyze every stage of your company’s recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process.
2. Identify all employees involved in that process, assess their involvement, and communicate the need for a more positive experience.
3. Solicit ideas for improvement and strategies for the implementation of those ideas.
4. Track the results of these changes after they’ve been implemented, even with the candidates that aren’t hired.
When it comes to hiring top talent, the candidate experience is everything. It can set you apart from the competition . . . or it can be the reason that top candidates decide to work for your competition.
Comments are closed.