Candidate experience has a HUGE impact on recruiting.
The most important effect of candidate experience on recruiting is referrals.
Referrals can easily account for 20% or more of a company's hires in a given year.
In brief, the worse your candidate experience, the less referrals you get, and the harder your job is as a recruiter!
The interview process is a huge part of that experience. It’s one of the most time-intensive and involved parts of the application process, so it is key that you offer a positive experience.
With that in mind, here are three simple ways recruiters can improve the interview experience.
Scheduling can easily lead to a lot of wasted time and frustration. Nothing is more bothersome than playing email or phone tag trying to find the right time for both parties.
Meanwhile, the longer you spend scheduling an interview, the higher the chance you’ll lose the candidate to another company.
We recommend using interview scheduling software. The right software can make it easy for a candidate to find time on your calendar that works for them.
Calendly is a great simple tool for scheduling time. If you need to worry about something more extensive like accounting for travel time, another solution may be a better fit.
Whether it’s navigating to a physical office or getting on the
right video call, you need to give easy-to-follow instructions for your interview.
Our best advice is to make your instructions as simple and straightforward as possible. Even the brightest candidates may skim the email or assume they can figure it out themselves the day of.
With straightforward instructions, you give candidates the best chance of showing up to the right place at the right time.
Nothing is more nerve-wracking than the wait after an interview. Stay in touch with candidates to let them know you haven’t forgot about them.
Even more importantly, give candidates an answer as soon as you can.
Delivering a rejection is tough, but candidates will hold out hope for an offer until they hear otherwise. It’s always tough to get rejected, but it’s a lot tougher if you’ve been waiting a long time.
While you’ve probably talked to your candidate before the interview, the interview is your opportunity to talk to a candidate at a greater length. It’s also your opportunity to make a great first impression on behalf of the company as a whole.
The good news is that a few simple steps can make a big impact!
