Recruiting good people is the number one challenge for many businesses. A good recruitment strategy relies on the business selling itself as much to candidates as vice versa. A great candidate experience can go a long way in not only attracting the best talent but also in creating a positive brand for your organisation. Here’s our guide on how to create a great employee experience when recruiting.

  1. Think about recruitment as you would new business

As you would in attracting new business, creating a positive candidate experience can help you to attract and retain top talent. Define your target audience. Who are you looking to attract? What skills, experience and qualifications should they have? By defining a target audience, you can create a tailored recruitment strategy that speaks directly to their needs and interests. This can also assist with job advertisement placement or making direct approaches.

  1. Sell your employer brand before you start recruiting

This is what sets you apart from other employers in the market. This should be put in place before an individual even becomes a candidate. Treat it as you would your sales and marketing strategy to attract new business. Showcase why your business is good to work for, considering your employee value proposition. For example, if you have great employee success stories within the business sell these as case studies or social media posts. Ensure the website showcases the employee experience.

It’s essential to sell this at every step of the process. Use job descriptions, social media posts and recruitment communication to showcase company culture, values and unique benefits (see our post on ‘7 things candidates want).  Employer branding should be consistent across all candidate touchpoints.

  1. Be transparent

Transparency in job advertisements, descriptions, and all other communications is key. Provide detailed information about the role from the start. This includes salary details, expectations, duties and qualifications/skills/experience needed. So many recruiters fail to provide salary details which is frustrating for candidates and employers, resulting in wasted time on both parts.  Be clear about the recruitment process, timescales and requirements so that candidates are clued up from the start.

  1. Streamline, streamline, streamline

In today’s competitive market, a streamlined recruitment process is non-negotiable. Candidates will not hang around, and many employers miss out on good talent simply because the recruitment process was just too slow. Use systems to simplify and track the process, which should reduce the number of steps needed. Make sure that the application process is easy (for example, can candidates apply from their phones?). Read our guide to dealing with multiple CVs. Take the recruitment process online to speed things up, this shaves off a lot of time trying to organise key personnel and candidates face to face. A recent Agency Collective Benchmark Survey found that only 20% of agency owners have a conscious strategy to deliver a great candidate experience.

  1. Provide feedback, fast

Feedback is a crucial part of a great candidate experience. Even if it’s not the news they were hoping for, candidates always appreciate timely feedback. This includes feeding back on their application status, their interview performance and next steps. Again, technology can help streamline this process and ensure that feedback and candidates are tracked.

  1. Personalise the experience

This can make a huge difference and help differentiate employers, helping them to stand out from the competition. Simple things like using the candidate’s name in communications, and addressing their specific qualifications and experiences in their interview questions can all assist. In addition, tailoring communication styles to suit their preferences gives a more personalised experience (for example, do they prefer to communicate over the phone or email?). Flexibility also reinforces the positive experience for candidates, can interviews be scheduled in the evenings or around candidates’ timescales?

  1. Create a welcoming environment

The interview is a great opportunity for candidates to get a sense of the company’s culture and values. Creating a welcoming and comfortable environment helps to put candidates at ease. Provide clear instructions on how to get to the location and inform them who they will be meeting so that the process is well structured. If the interview is remote check they have the correct tech to access the chosen platform (see our Cubit guide).

  1. Communicate

Another key point to consider when understanding how to create a great employee experience when recruiting is communication. Keep candidates informed throughout the process, particularly if there are delays or changes. Respond quickly to questions supplying the information they need. Creating an open and transparent line of communication builds trust and reinforces the company brand.

  1. Keep in touch

Even if a candidate isn’t successful, it’s a good idea to keep in touch after the hiring decision. They may be a good fit for future opportunities. Keeping in touch also reinforces the strong employer brand, which can lead to referrals and positive reviews.

  1. Measure success

Set KPIs to measure the success of your recruitment process. This can help you to refine and make improvements where needed and understand how to create a great employee experience when recruiting specifically in your business. Measure indicators such as time-to-hire, retention rates and candidate satisfaction. This data can be used to identify areas of improvement and optimise the strategy in the future.

A great employee experience when recruiting ultimately differentiates an employer from its competitors. It is the ideal opportunity to showcase the company culture and values, ultimately leading to a more talented workforce.

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