Candidate Experience Matters: Creating a Positive Journey from Application to Onboarding

The hiring process and onboarding serve as the first impression you give candidates about your organization. Depending on that experience, candidates can be left with a fond admiration of your company or feeling less than optimistic if the hiring journey is rougher than expected. Think of it as a first date, you always try your best to impress and create a smooth experience for the person you are interested in. Depending on how well that date goes it will determine how they will engage with you in the future and the likelihood of them deciding to pursue a long-term relationship. 

Providing candidates with a positive hiring experience will make them more likely to recommend your business to other job seekers. On top of that, candidates who are satisfied with a hiring experience are 38% more likely to accept a job offer than candidates who have a less-than-stellar experience. Even if a candidate isn’t hired as long as their hiring experience is good they will be more inclined to apply for your company again in the future which means you’ll maintain a stable pool of candidates. 

How you decide to conduct your application and onboarding process will undoubtedly influence your business's reputation. Candidates who find a company’s hiring and onboarding process to be unpleasant are more likely to convince their peers to avoid applying for work at your company. A poor experience can also discourage candidates from purchasing from your business. One person deciding to not buy your products may not seem like a big deal but imagine if you had hundreds of candidates decide to avoid your products simply due to an undesirable hiring experience.

So, what does it take to ensure your candidates are embarking on a positive journey during the hiring process? Well, it all starts with the job description. A job description must be clear on what is expected and required of candidates along with displaying transparency when it comes to pay scale and benefits. Having key information upfront for candidates to gauge if the position sounds right for them is the best way to make sure there is little room for miscommunication or confusion.

Another thing to consider in providing a great candidate experience is having hiring managers who are accessible in case a candidate has questions or wants to address a concern promptly. Being easy to reach allows the hiring process to feel more personal. If a candidate feels that their hiring manager is a good listener and genuinely cares about their concerns they are more likely to view the company in a positive light. 

If you're having trouble finding out what exactly could be improved during the hiring process you can always elicit the help of the candidates themselves! Create a survey that candidates can access after the hiring process is complete so they can leave valuable feedback. What better advice can you receive other than the candidates themselves?!

It’s always good to remind yourself that the hiring process is not only the evaluation of a candidate but also an evaluation of your company. How your company chooses to conduct itself from application to onboarding will impact its reputation and its ability to attract top talent so be sure to invest what’s needed into ensuring your hiring process leaves candidates feeling content.