Candidate Experience

In the war for talent, a positive candidate experience can give an employer the competitive edge they need, in order to win over the best employees. The term ‘candidate experience’ essentially refers to how a potential employee experiences the process of application and hire. This includes the search for a job, the application process, the communication between the employer and the candidate and any resulting interviews or pre-screening processes. Naturally, if this is a positive experience, the candidate is far more likely to opt for this particular employer – hence the term ‘positive candidate experience’.

Positive Candidate Experience

A consistently positive candidate experience is essential to a strong employer brand, for example even if a candidate is not chosen for a position it is vital that they are left with a favorable impression of the company in order to maintain the corporate image. Positive candidate experience can be maintained in a number of ways, including:

A simple application process, ideally online with 1-3 application steps
Swift employer response, to acknowledge and provide further information
Well conducted telephone and face-to-face interviewing techniques
Swift and conscientious responses for unsuccessful candidates

By providing candidates with a good experience, regardless of whether they got the job or not, employers are not only upholding a good image but they are potentially winning over employees for future positions.

Negative Candidate Experience

A candidate who is left with angered or upset by the application process will naturally think negatively of a company. this opinion will be communicated to their peers and can therefore damage an employer brand. Imagine for example, the knock-on effect this could have when communicated via an individual’s social network. Unfortunately studies show that negative candidate experiences are not uncommon: According to a recent study by Monster, 6 out of 10 job seekers reported to have rejected a company at least once because of poor impressions during interview.

Some common traits of Negative Candidate Experience:

Unnecessarily time consuming/complicated application processes
No acknowledgement or a delayed response to an application
Ill-mannered, impersonal or otherwise poor interview techniques
Failure to inform/poor rejection of a candidate

Other aspects of Candidate Experience

Essentially a positive candidate experience means maintaining respectful communication with applicants, from the moment they submit their CV and beyond. However, there are other aspects of the candidate experience to consider, beginning with the job advert. According to studies, candidates spend an average of 30 seconds viewing a job ad – a good first impression will lead to that candidate to apply in the first place. More often than not this will coincide with a candidate researching a company, therefore an attractive corporate website and a positive presence on social media channels is hugely beneficial.

Once a candidate has successfully continued to interview, it is vital that they receive a good impression of the company workplace. This begins in the reception area and all the way to the interview room. If a candidate is impressed with the working environment, and can see that the existing employees are seemingly happy and content, they are far more likely to accept a job offer. Therefore employers also need to consider the following aspects:

Eye-catching, professional ads designed for their target audience
A coherent website which conveys a positive employer Image
An active presence on social media channels
A well maintained and attractive working environment/interview space

Positive Candidate Experience With softgarden

softgarden provides easy to use templates that help companies design eye-catching adverts. Not only do we make it simple for companies to create attractive ads but softgarden also offer professional photography and copywriting services to boost an employer branding.

The softgarden application process is designed to be as quick and simple as possible, allowing candidates to apply in minutes, especially if for those who apply with their LinkedIn or XING profiles. Additionally, softgarden software is compatible with all forms of mobile devices including smartphone and tablet, making it that much easier for candidates to apply online.

Once applicants have applied, they are automatically acknowledged and kept informed of the application process. The softgarden application tracking system allows employers to stay updated on the status of their candidates and automatically prompts users for action in the event of delay – ensuring no one gets forgotten about!

Last but not least, softgarden are pioneers of social recruiting and can assist in boosting your employer brand via social media channels. Companies can multi post their ads to their social networks, or use the softgarden ‘jobs for friends’ tool to further recruit via their employee networks.