Candidate experience done right

Everyone talks about good candidate experience. But what does it mean to you?

Whilst managing the winning candidate is extremely rewarding, supporting those who are unsuccessful is a key part of my job. By the time a candidate enters a process they have already imagined themselves in their new role. They often attend multiple meetings which require much research and preparation, and the more meetings they attend the greater they buy in. Rejections happen at each stage and it can be really difficult to take for the candidate. Being there as the intermediary and their dedicated recruitment partner is vital.

What is also important as we strive for excellence in candidate experience, is the feedback given to the hiring organisation about what worked and what didn’t work so well. Recruiting the right people for an organisation is a real challenge, so taking on board the learnings from each stage is vital. Saying “we’ve always done it this way” just doesn’t cut it!

How the internal candidates are handled also plays significantly into the successful hire whether it comes from inside or outside of the organisation.

Good candidate experience doesn’t just happen. It requires a real partnership approach and high levels of communication. Despite the work up front that it poses, those that invest upfront tend to get quicker results.