One of the most important parts of your talent management strategy is the quality of the candidate experience you provide for top talent. It can be argued that providing a stellar candidate experience is the difference between the organization that lands the cream of the candidate crop and the organization that qualifies only as an “also ran”.

Why Candidate Experience Matters

Candidate experience is of great concern to organizations looking at top talent in their industry. Why? Here are four excellent reasons:

  • Top candidates typically already have a job, so they can be selective about which organization they choose.
  • Top candidates are in high demand, meaning that they may already be fielding several offers.
  • Top candidates equate the candidate experience you provide with the culture of your company.
  • Top candidates network with other top candidates, meaning that a poor experience for one might turn into damage to your organization’s reputation.

That being said, how would you rate the candidate experience you provide? More importantly, how do your candidates rate it? If changes are in order, how can you know?

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Signs that You Need to Pay Attention to Your Candidate Experience

Here are some surefire signs that it may be time to rethink and revamp your candidate experience:

Sign One: Your Application Process is Clunky

A study by Staffing.org found that 47 percent of candidates will not bother to apply if a company has an overly involved or extensive hiring process. This may be especially true for top talent in your field, mainly because they do not have to jump through multiple hoops to get attractive job offers elsewhere.

A good talent management strategy here is to apply for a position with your own company and walk yourself through the typical hiring process. Is it frustrating, or tediously inefficient? If so, it is time to take steps to improve your hiring process wherever you identify weaknesses.

Sign Two: Candidates Drop Out before Completing the Process

If a significant number of your applicants and candidates are failing to complete the hiring process, that is a red flag that something is wrong. Perhaps there is a bottleneck you have not yet identified. Or perhaps you have failed to adequately communicate what the position entails in your job descriptions and recruiting materials.

A good talent management strategy here is to be certain that your job descriptions are detailed and that they provide the information candidates need to either be motivated to complete the process or self-eliminate from the hiring process before it goes too far.

Sign Three: Your Response Time is Lagging

A recent CareerBuilder survey found that 52 percent of employers stated that they tend to respond to less than half of their applicants. Leaving top candidates to cool their heels is a recipe for disaster.

A good talent management strategy here is to ensure that you respond promptly to candidates, communicating with them throughout the hiring process at regular intervals. Do not leave top candidates to blow in the wind, because if you do, they will blow right past you and accept a position with your competitors instead.

Sign Four: Candidates Tell You Their Experience Was Bad

In some cases, the candidate experience may be so poor that departing candidates provide negative feedback and indicate precisely what they did not like about it.

A good talent management strategy here is to pay attention to that feedback. If you consistently hear negative feedback about a certain part of your hiring process or you discern a pattern of negative feedback, address the issues quickly. Then, keep on encouraging candidates to provide feedback, whether you hire them or they choose to work with another company.

The Takeaway

Talent management professionals know that the candidate experience can make or break your recruiting efforts in short order. Therefore, it makes sense to assess your talent management strategies to see where improvements can be made.

One of the most proactive ways you can ensure a great candidate experience is to leverage state-of-the-art technology in your hiring processes. Thrive TRM is designed to engage top candidates and help you streamline the entire hiring process from initial contact to onboarding and beyond. Schedule a demo of Thrive TRM today to explore what it can do for your organization.