Here’s a twist: do you realize that when employers interview potential candidates for a position, they are also being interviewed? That’s right, candidates under review for a role are also assessing the contingent opportunity. Both employer and potential hire are evaluating what the other is bringing to the table, and each must decide if the business relationship will be feasible. Today’s labor market is competitive and fast-paced. Standing out to applicants can be a challenge, but improving the overall candidate experience can give you a significant advantage.
Why a candidate experience matters
A positive candidate experience means the difference of attracting top talent and retaining them to empower your team. Leaders know that an organization can only accomplish what their team is capable of. Spending your recruiting, onboarding and hiring efforts in finding a team staffed by individuals who are driven, skilled and excited for success will be worth it as you watch your organization accomplish its goals. With today’s vast and constantly growing talent pool, why settle for less?
Today, gaining that extra competitive edge and appearing unique to top talent is becoming more difficult. Too many employers today have felt the frustration of being “ghosted” after interviews they thought were quite promising. This is where employer brand and the candidate experience comes into play. You can work with HR to prevent them from dealing with the phenomenon of getting “ghosted” by ensuring an excellent candidate experience occurs during recruitment, and you can be sure to appear distinguished against other employers as well. With so many employment opportunities out there, not standing out is just too dangerous.
How to improve the candidate experience
To gain a talent acquisition advantage, you’ll need to prioritize improving the time candidates spend with you; showcase your brand in a positive light and leave a lasting, meaningful positive expression of what can be expected from your organization.
A solid employer brand strategy considers how others view a company, including industry colleagues, competitors, customers, as well as current and potential employees. It is considered by some to be the reason why one would want to work for a company, considering more than just pay and benefits offerings, but also culture, perks, work-life balance, projects and roles.
An interview provides a small amount of time in which employers have the opportunity to imprint an enormous impression of what being part of their team is like. Being amiable, punctual and transparent is of utmost importance. The value of this minute window cannot be stated enough, because this time is a chance to find the top candidates in the talent pool and secure their interest in becoming members of your team. It also guarantees your employer brand a little bit of free press, as interviewees are likely to share the experience of their time with you with others. This will make the difference in being able to attract top talent in the future.
Measuring candidate experience
Being seen in a favorable light is free positive marketing. Even if a potential hire does not accept the position or you choose another candidate, having an esteemed reputation is always a good thing, considering the search for top talent is ongoing. With the convenience of job boards, social media, online platforms, and even just word of mouth, developing a sour reputation based on one person’s bad experience can happen all too easily, and it is just not worth it. If word gets out that your brand is unethical, or an undesirable place to work, attracting top talent in the future will be impossible.
Some ways to measure the candidate experience include not being “ghosted”, direct feedback from candidates and current employees via surveys, and user ratings on websites developed to rate different companies. Many job boards are available which host this feature, and those on the hunt for a job can search for the company with a reputation they look up to with the click of a button. How will you stand out in these searches?
The Arcoro Talent Management Solution
The fastest way to improve the overall candidate experience is to take advantage of the multitude of HR automated solutions available today and to ensure your hiring and onboarding technology is top of the line. Linking your employer brand with cutting edge HR software can give you the upper hand you need against competitors who may have not found the same software yet. When diving into today’s competitive talent pool, you can’t afford to miss attracting top candidates simply because your technology is outdated. Using superior software during applicant tracking, onboarding and recruiting can not only make processes easier, it can also make the difference in finding the new hires your team needs this year to reach business goals and increase return on investment.
Arcoro offers a fully automated, cloud-based HR management solution with inventive and customizable modules that address challenges many employers face under the talent management umbrella, helping them to upgrade their strategy for recruiting, onboarding, performance management, learning management and succession planning. An innovative hands-off technology solution with a built-in integration to over 300 partners, the platform streamlines flow of data for clients between top carriers and any other third parties they may be connected to. The platform compiles all essential HR tasks in one secure and unique location, eliminates tedious tasks and frees up time to work towards more important goals.
With configurable and fully automated modules, Arcoro offers a solution that is user friendly and personalized to the unique requirements of each company that owns them. By compiling essential HR tasks together in one location and streamlining flow of data, administrators and employers will have a much simpler time navigating their talent management and HR related activities and attracting and retaining top talent.
