Candidate experience: what is it?

Specifically, candidate experience encompasses all the interactions that candidates go through during an application process.

Everyone who is looking for a (new) job opportunity goes through different phases in the application process. Each of these phases contains experiences that contribute to candidate experience. The experience of the application process has a major impact on the decision to accept a job offer. In short, during each touch point, you have the opportunity as a company to create a good experience for your applicants. And that's important because, according to candidates, the way they are treated during the hiring process reflects how the company treats its employees. A positive candidate experience gives candidates a feeling of appreciation, enthusiasm and respect, which increases your attractiveness as an employer.

Candidate Experience: six relevant touch points in the application process

Noteworthy: Not everyone goes through the entire process.

If, for example, someone is no longer interested in the vacancy after the consideration phase or if a candidate is not selected, the process stops there for him. So the process and therefore the candidate experience is different for each candidate.

Awareness

The candidate experience starts with awareness. This means that candidates come into contact with vacancies through different channels (social media, website, E-mail, VDAB, LinkedIn...).

Consideration

A candidate who is in this phase asks himself the following question: "how good and attractive do I find this vacancy?" People start looking for reviews in this phase. If this review is negative, most of the job seekers lose interest in the organization. 

Interest

During the interest phase, a candidate starts gathering information and creating expectations. For example, they look at the social media and the 'about us' page on the company's website. The employer branding plays an important role here:

- Is the culture of the organization represented?

- What sets this organization apart from the others?

Applying

The moment a candidate sends in their application, the length and complexity of the process is important. The moment an organization contacts a candidate can make or break the candidate experience. The average recruitment process takes 23.7 days. If it takes longer, the candidate may have dropped out or may not even be available anymore.

Selection

During the selection process the interviews and possible assignments take place. It is important that this process is commensurate with the level of the position. No one, regardless of the position, wants to go through a long and arduous application process of several months, do they?

Decision on proposal

Hiring is the very last step in the candidate experience. At this stage, the candidate also receives an offer.

-Does the candidate fit with the position and the organization in terms of qualities and values?

-How was the communication with the candidate?

-What does the candidate think of the terms of employment?

Candidate Experience: Why is it important?

Candidates expect useful feedback in return for the time and effort they invest in an application. It is important that he or she gets a positive feeling about the organization, even if he or she did not become one. If a candidate has a good experience applying to your organization, he or she is more likely to share these good experiences with others. And that improves the reputation of the organization. This also makes you more attractive to talent. 

Candidate Experience: The importance of timely communication with the candidate

So, communicating on time is of enormous importance! Especially thanks to today's technology, applicants expect increasingly quick contact with / feedback from the organization. This does not mean that a decision should be made as soon as possible. But the candidate needs clarity on when he / she will hear from the organization. So, it's not just about whether the candidate hears within certain time whether he is invited, but that he knows where he stands. For example, just knowing that the organization has received his application.

Candidate Experience: Even if he didn't make it

It is so easy: sending a standard rejection to applicants you do not want to invite. Timely, accurate and transparent communication is crucial for a good candidate experience. A personalized mail also gives a rejected candidate a much more positive impression. This is because it gives insight into why he/she as an individual was not suited for the job and gives the feeling that you as a company really paid attention to his/her application. 

Candidate Experience: The effect in a nutshell

A good candidate experience delivers a good employer image, even if the candidate is rejected. If people recommend your organization as an employer, you are more attractive to talent.

A poor candidate experience, on the other hand, damages your reputation and results in fewer applicants. This, in turn, causes you as an organization to ...

- often miss out on a lot of great talent

- have to invest more time and money in the search for a suitable person

- will have to settle more often for a 'mediocre candidate