What’s your candidate experience saying about you?

Where candidate experience goes wrong 

Candidate experience covers all touchpoints and interactions a candidate has with you when considering, applying for, and accepting a role. Often this starts with your job advertisement and ends with a rejection email or new hire onboarding (but it can begin sooner). 

The candidate experience falls flat when the candidate feels neglected or encounters inconsistencies in your brand promise throughout the hiring process. This can look like: 

• a long, gruelling application and interview process 
• a vague or poorly written job ad that doesn’t effectively explain the opportunity 
• vague or generic information on the career site that doesn’t answer their questions 
• poor or no candidate communication 
• broken promises, fabrications, and an employee onboarding experience that doesn’t match what was promised 

A poor candidate experience will likely turn them off your company and increase the likelihood of ghosting and offer reneges (can you blame them?).  It could also influence what they say publicly about your employer brand… welp! 

How candidate experience affects engagement and retention 

To be frank, a crappy candidate experience will affect the new hire onboarding experience which can affect employee engagement (for the new hire and their team) and retention. But on the flip? 

A positive experience can be your superpower. 

New employees may be more inclined to stay on if you’ve made them feel valued and cared for, that they belong and make a valued contribution. And by genuinely and transparently communicating your workplace culture, values, and expectations, you’ll build trust because they’ll see the big role promise they signed up for matches the reality. 

How candidate experience impacts your employer brand 

Your hiring process can be the first impression a candidate (and potential employee) has of your employer brand. You want to make it a good one, because: 

• 65% of candidates say a bad interview experience makes them lose interest in the job.  
• 35% of job candidates who had a bad experience with a company say they share it via social media. 
• 70% of job seekers say they look to reviews before making career decisions. 

A consistently poor candidate experience will increase the odds your unhappy candidates will leave negative reviews and potentially even actively deter friends and family from applying. No employer wants a reputation that repels talent! 

On the other hand, a standout candidate experience will amplify your employer brand. It can lead to a higher acceptance rate, keep your silver medallists (unsuccessful candidates) interested in future opportunities, improve your quality of hire, and improve your employee experience as you attract more aligned candidates to your organisation. 

How to get it right 

1. Start with candidate and new hire feedback.  

Utilise candidate surveys (both successful and unsuccessful) and exit interviews if you notice a trend for new hire disengagement or turnover. 

2. Audit employer review sites 

What are candidates and employees already saying? 

3. Focus on these areas for quick wins  

• How easy is it to submit an application form? 
• Is your candidate communication effective, valuable, and timely? 
• Are interviews a gruelling fight-to-the-death or warm, welcoming, and two-sided? 
• How are you nurturing your silver medallists post-interview? 
• Does your onboarding experience align? Onboarding performs the dual task of introducing employees to both their day-to-day responsibilities and tasks as well as continuing to communicate the company culture, values, and ‘way we do things, here’, yet a Gallup study found that only 12% of employees strongly agreed that their organization did a great job of onboarding new hires. 

Candidate experience plays a critical role in influencing the candidate’s decision to apply and accept an offer. Make sure your first impression counts so you can reap the benefits of a stronger employer brand, higher engagement and retention. 

Need help leveraging your candidate experience? Get in touch with our team!