When a new position needs to be filled and when the demand is urgent, it may be easy to focus on the process of sourcing and finding the right candidate.However many companies forget that while they are screening for applicants, applicants are screening them also as potential employers!
In fact, candidate experience or CX is the way applicants perceive, evaluate, feel and respond to a certain company recruitment process.
As a company, you must make sure that all the candidates or applicants for your positions are well treated and having a positive global experience regardless of whether you go on to offer a position or not.
It is not a surprise that more than 40% of job applicants leave the application process before completing it because they were not offered a positive candidate experience.
This is why it is important to understand the real benefits of a positive candidate experience and its impact on the company’s overall image and reputation.
A Positive candidate experience for a better business sense
Creating a well thought, quick yet simple application process is advantageous for applicants but it makes a better business sense also.
To offer a good CX each company must offer fast turnaround times with a simple and accessible application process. One of the major benefits of making your recruitment process more enjoyable for applicants is that it will make you save more time and money while better managing your expenses.
Ensuring a quick turnaround time means that your teams will spend less time filling a position, which will decrease your costs to hire figures. A side advantage of this fast process is that unfilled vacancies within your company have less time to cause problems or interrupt your ongoing operations.
As an employer when you make your recruitment process fast and simple you will have fewer applicants that will be discouraged to go on with their application.
Consequently, you may have more applications to process but you will be more likely to find more suitable candidates for your positions, which will reduce the need to extend the application deadlines or keep your positions vacant for longer than needed.
A positive candidate experience for a strong employer brand
When you offer a good CX to candidates, you can improve your overall employer brand and image. Candidates with good candidate experience during the recruitment process, whether they have been selected or not, will always maintain a positive impression of your company or brand.
It has been proved that candidates that have been unsuccessful in their application, constitute the most vocal majority and they will probably share their experience through their own personal and professional networks, so you better offer a valuable candidate experience to grow positive word of mouth.
Being known but mostly recommended as a good place to apply for, will attract more and better quality candidates for your future positions, ameliorate your recruitment process and strengthen your teams.
A positive candidate experience for better quality and more committed employees
Finding the most suitable candidate is a tough challenge, but going from offer to acceptance is quite another.
Quality and valuable candidates are always highly demanded and are likely to be receiving and evaluating many job offers. If you succeed as an employer to offer an excellent candidate experience through your recruitment process, those candidates will be more lured to accept your position. On the other hand, a slow, complicated or, drawn-out hiring process will drive the best candidates elsewhere.
When they accept a position followed by a positive candidate experience, your candidates are more likely to enter their new position with an already positive perception of the company.
Hence, candidates who already have a positive perception of the company they will work for, tend to be more committed and engaged to produce better work compared to those who have a bad opinion about the company. They are also loyal employees who stay at your company for longer periods, meaning that your retention rates increase.
As a consequence, this reflects a strong employer brand and reduces the overall recruitment expenses.
A positive candidate experience for excellent marketing opportunities
External interactions have a strong effect on your business and that includes the candidate experience during the recruitment process. CX has a strong impact that goes beyond the recruitment process and making it positive can have a good effect not only on your employer brand but also on your consumer brand and organization’s bottom line.
As an example, the British telecommunications company Virgin media lead research on how much a poor CX affected their sales. The results have Shawn that candidates who had a bad experience transferred their media subscription from virgin media to their direct competitors, which was costing the company over £ 4.5 million /year.
On the other side, it has been proved that candidates who had a positive candidate experience were more likely to recommend the company and increase their purchases even if they haven’t been selected.
A positive candidate experience for an improved hiring process and more referrals
The impact of CX goes beyond their own experience with your employer brand, in fact it goes even to what they tell to their friends, family, colleagues, and network members.
Employees who have had a positive experience during the application and interview process will refer their friends and network members to your future job openings, which may facilitate your recruitment search, especially if you need a specific experience or some rare skillset.
When offering a good candidate experience, even candidates who were unsuccessful with their job application at the first time will try to apply again for your future positions. All this makes your recruitment cycle more efficient by reducing recruitment time and costs.
Want to improve your candidate experience, choose a professional and check Pentabell the recruitment and staffing agency. As recruitment specialists, they can advise you on the best ways to enhance your CX, build a stronger employer brand and even optimize your expenses while finding the right candidate.
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